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Fact Sheet

March 2011

Action Memorandum Signed, Carter Carburetor Site, St. Louis, Missouri

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 signed the Action Memorandum for the Carter Carburetor Site in St. Louis, Missouri. This action is being taken under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund law. The Action Memorandum was signed on March 30, 2011.

EPA opened public comment on the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) report for the Carter Carburetor Site on September 27, 2010. The EE/CA report compares and evaluates cleanup alternatives in terms of effectiveness, implementability, and costs.

In addition to the information and the analysis contained in the EE/CA, EPA must consider all significant written and oral public comments provided regarding the EE/CA during the public comment period. The public comment period was held from September 27, 2010, until January 31, 2011. Based on the EE/CA and public comments, EPA selected the alternatives specified in the Action Memorandum.

A responsiveness summary was prepared to respond to public comments and is available for review at the repositories listed in this fact sheet.

Along with the Responsiveness Summary and the Action Memorandum, the updated Community Involvement Plan is also available at the repositories.

THE CONTAMINANTS

The primary contaminants of concern in each area of consideration at the site are TCE (trichloroethylene), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and asbestos.

BACKGROUND

The Carter Carburetor Site is a former carburetor manufacturing plant. Gasoline and diesel powered carburetors were made at the site from the 1930s until 1984, when the plant was closed.

In 1997, EPA ordered ACF Industries, Inc., (ACF) to conduct a time-critical removal action to address the highest contaminated areas of the site. At that time, ACF demolished and properly disposed of three buildings and removed PCB-contaminated soil and debris.

In late 2005, EPA signed an agreement with ACF Industries to determine the extent of the remaining contamination on the site and to conduct an EE/CA.

THE ACTION MEMORANDUM

Complete information on the Action Memorandum can be found at the information repositories.

Here is a summary of the selected removal action for the Carter Carburetor Site. This removal action will involve thermally enhanced extraction of PCBs and TCE from subsurface soils. The action will also involve the removal of PCBs in two on-site buildings. Institutional controls may be required at the site following completion of the removal action. The action will address four distinct contaminated areas:

  1. The TCE Above-Ground Storage Tank Area (AST Area) – The action for this area is In-Situ Thermal Desorption and Vapor Extraction, a process which heats the contaminated soil and allows contaminants to be removed from the soil. The TCE will then be collected and disposed of in an off-site facility.
  2. The Carter Building, Inc. (CBI) Building – The action for this area is demolition and off-site disposal. After completing the remediation of asbestos-containing material, the CBI building will be demolished and building materials disposed based on PCB concentrations.
  3. The Willco Building – Because PCB contamination in the Willco Building is relatively low, a thorough cleaning may be sufficient. If the cleaning does not reduce the contamination to below acceptable levels, the first and second floor slabs would be partially removed and replaced.
  4. The Die Cast Area – The action for this area is In-Situ Thermal Desorption and Vapor Extraction. This is the same process that will be used at the AST Area.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

An Administrative Record has been established for the Carter Carburetor Superfund Site. The Administrative Record contains site-related documents and is available for review at the following locations:

Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club
2901 North Grand Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63107

St. Louis Public Library, Divoll Branch
4234 North Grand Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63107

EPA Region 7 Records Center
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact:

Janette Lambert
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. EPA, Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
(913) 551-7768 or
Toll Free @ 1-800-223-0425
E-mail: lambert.janette@epa.gov

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