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EPA to Hold Availability Session About the Removal Action Plan for Cleanup at the Ward Transformer Superfund Site in Raleigh, North Carolina

Release Date: 04/12/2007
Contact Information: Laura Niles, (404) 562-8353, niles.laura@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – April 12, 2007) EPA will hold a public availability session to address the Removal Action Plan (the Plan) for the Ward Transformer Superfund Site (the Site) in Raleigh, N.C. on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at the Hilton North Raleigh. EPA, state regulators, and the clean-up contractor group will be available to provide information and answer questions about the Removal Action Plan for the Site between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The Removal Action Plan addresses the main source of PCB contamination at the Site. Source clean-up is the important first step for clean-up of the Site and all down gradient areas. As part of the Plan, it is estimated that approximately 100,000 tons of PCB-contaminated material will be addressed. The Plan includes two main clean-up components. The first component includes excavation, transportation and disposal of contaminated material in the appropriate off-site land disposal facility. The second component includes excavation, and on-site treatment using a direct-fired Low Temperature Thermal Desorption (LTTD) process. The direct-fired LTTD process uses heat to convert contaminants (i.e. PCBs) to a vapor that separates from the soil. The vapor containing the contaminants is collected and treated on-site. The treated soil is then cooled and used as backfill on-site after testing is done on it to ensure that all contaminants have been removed. All activities will be monitored with oversight by EPA and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure that the clean-up is protective of public health and the environment.

The Ward Transformer Superfund Site was added to EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List in April 2003. The Ward Transformer facility is located near the Raleigh Durham International airport in a predominantly industrial area of Raleigh. The major contaminants of concern are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Copies of Site documents are available at the information repository for the Site located in the North Regional library, 7009 Harps Mill Road, Raleigh, N.C. 27605.

Who: EPA, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, clean-up contractors

What: Public availability session to provide information and answer questions about the Removal Action Plan for the Site.

When: Tuesday, April 17, 2007, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Where: Hilton North Raleigh
3415 Wake Forest Drive
Raleigh, N.C. 27609-7330

NOTE: A media availability will be held prior to the public availability session at 4:15 p.m. at the Hilton North Raleigh.