News Releases from Region 04
EPA Invites Public Comment on Interim Cleanup Plan for CTS of Asheville Inc. Superfund Site, Public Meeting Set for October 13
ATLANTA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a plan to address contamination beneath the former plant at the CTS of Asheville Inc. Superfund Site in Asheville, N.C. A key step in moving forward is receiving the public's feedback. EPA will hold a public meeting to present the proposed plan and answer questions on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the T.C. Robertson High School, 250 Overlook Road in Asheville. Written comments will be accepted until Oct. 30, 2015.
Historical use of solvents in the manufacturing of electronic components at the CTS Site contaminated the soil and groundwater with trichloroethene (TCE) and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). TCE has been linked to various illnesses in people, ranging from effects on the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and immune and endocrine systems to certain types of cancer.
EPA proposes to treat the non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL), consisting of fuel oil comingled with TCE (about 40,500 cubic yards), in the one acre source area using electrical resistance heating (ERH), a technology that heats the material. ERH would vaporize contaminants so the contaminated vapor can be recovered using vents and treated above ground before being discharged to the air. Any NAPL that accumulates in the vents would be transported off-site for proper disposal. It is estimated that it would take 19 months to design, install and complete the cleanup at a cost of $4.15 million paid for by the responsible party or parties.
The technology is expected to reduce TCE concentrations in the source area by 95 percent. The final, site-wide remedy will address residual NAPL and TCE in the subsurface that is not treated by this interim action, as well as TCE in the deep (bedrock) aquifer.
To proposed plan is available for review at the CTS Site information repository at the Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street in Asheville. The document is also available online at: http://semspub.epa.gov/src/collection/04/AR63944
Written comments may be e-mailed to zeller.craig@epa.gov or mailed to: Craig Zeller, U.S. EPA Region 4, Superfund Division - 11th Floor, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA.
After considering all information received during the public comment period, EPA will consult with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to select the final remedy for this interim cleanup action. EPA's plan will be documented in a Record of Decision document, which will also contain a detailed response to public comments.
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Three previous cleanup actions have been conducted at the Site under a 2004 Administrative Order on Consent between EPA, CTS and Mills Gap Road Associates. CTS installed a spring vapor removal system that has been operating since September 2014 to reduce TCE concentration in outdoor and indoor air on property immediately to the east of Site. From 2012 to 2014, CTS installed 101 water supply filtration systems in residences located within a one-mile radius of the Site and later connected 87 of these homes (whose owners elected to do so) to municipal water in 2015. From 2006-2010, an estimated 6,473 pounds of VOCs were removed from the subsurface using a soil vapor extraction system.
Numerous environmental investigations have been conducted at the CTS Site since the late 1980s. The Site was proposed to the National Priorities List in March 2011, and became final on the NPL in March 2012.
More information about the CTS Site: http://www.epa.gov/region4/superfund/sites/npl/northcarolina/millsgapnc.html
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