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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION II : August 22, 1988 r [. Request for a Twelve Month E x e m p t i o n for the TUTU W e l l S i t e , ' ' S a i n t Thomas, US V i r g i n I s l a n d s - ACTION M E M O R A N D U M u= Carl os E. O ' N e i l 1 On Scene Coordinator, CFO TO: W i l l i a m Mus zyns ki A c t i n g Regional Administrator RU: /Stephen tTT* Luf t i g , D i r e c t o r Emergency and R e m e d i a l Response D i v i s i o n I. ISSUE Continued response actions which exceed a twelve-month time period cannot be undertaken u n l e s s an exemption from Section 104(c)(l) of the C o m p r e h e n s i v e E n v i r o n m e n t a l Response, Compensation and L i a b i l i t y Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and R e a u t h o r i z a t i o n Act (SARA) of 1986, is granted. R e m o v a l a c t i v i t i e s were i n i t i a t e d at the TUTU W e l l Site in Saint Thomas, U.S. V i r g i n I s l a n d s on September 1, 1987, and the twelve month time l i m i t a t i o n for removal actions under CERCLA/SARA w i l l e x p i r e on the same day in 1988. Circumstances, discussed on the f o l l o w i n g pages, h a v e arisen which w i l l prevent the removal action from being completed w i t h i n the authorized time period. These same c i r c u m s t a n c e s prevent an of the amount of t i m e r e q u i r e d to complete As a result, an exemption from the t w e l v e hereby requested to c o n t i n u e to p r o v i d e an p o t a b l e water to the affected residents. accurate e s t i m a t i o n t h i s removal action month time l i m i t i s alternate s u p p l y of II. BACKGROUND A . Incident/Response History On July 15, 1987, Mr. A l a n S m i t h , C o m m i s s i o n e r of the Department of P l a n n i n g and Natural Resources (DPNR), U.S. V i r g i n I s l a n d s , v e r b a l l y requested from the U.S. E n v i r o n m e n t a l Protection Agency (EPA) to p r o v i d e a n a l y t i c a l support in the s a m p l i n g of one well REGION II FORM 132O-1 (9/85) *64420* 64420 -2- w h i c h was reported to e x h i b i t a strong u n p l e a s a n t odor. T h i s well was a major source of commercially provided potable water for the eastern p o r t i o n of S a i n t Thomas. The w e l l is located on the eastern part of the i s l a n d in the Tutu Section of Anna's Retreat. This v e r b a l request was f o l l o w e d by an additional request for ERA to assume the role of Lead Agency after s a m p l i n g results i n d i c a t e d that several c o m m e r c i a l wells were found to be contaminated with hazardous substances. T h i s v e r b a l request was followed by a formal request in w r i t i n g from DPNR on August 10, 1987. EPA's p r e l i m i n a r y i n v e s t i g a t i o n commenced on J u l y 21, 1987, w i t h a f i e l d reconnaissance and s a m p l i n g of t h i s one w e l l and s i x a d d i t i o n a l w e l l s i d e n t i f i e d i n t h e i m m e d i a t e area. Several of these w e l l s were also major water s u p p l i e r s of p u b l i c d r i n k i n g water for the eastern part of the i s l a n d . Laboratory results from t h i s survey i n d i c a t e d that t h e i n i t i a l well was h i g h l y contaminated with g a s o l i n e and c h l o r i n a t e d o r g a n i c s , a n d t h e a d d i t i o n a l s i x w e l l s c o n t a i n e d e l e v a t e d l e v e l s of chlorinated v o l a t i l e organic compounds. Rased on these r e s u l t s , DPNR d e c l a r e d that an i m m i n e n t h e a l t h t h r e a t existed, which could affect approximately 20,000 people l i v i n g in St. Thomas. In a d d i t i o n , an i n d e f i n i t e number of t o u r i s t s v a c a t i o n i n g in St. Thomas were at risk, since these c o m m e r c i a l w e l l s s u p p l i e d water to major h o t e l s and r e s t a u r a n t s . DPNR issued orders to close these seven c o m m e r c i a l w e l l s in order to protect p u b l i c h e a l t h . Subsequent t o t h i s a c t i o n , E R A e x p a n d e d t h e i r s a m p l i n g p l a n due to the threat of greater c o n t a m i n a t i o n to d r i n k i n g water w e l l s in the area. ERA a l o n g with DPNR, i d e n t i f i e d other w e l l s w i t h i n the Tutu W a t e r / T u r p e n t i n e Run A q u i f e r w h i c h may have been impacted by the hazardous substances i d e n t i f i e d to be present in the groundwater. A second round of g r o u n d w a t e r well s a m p l i n g took place on August 10 and 11, 1987, which i n c l u d e d a total of twenty-four (24) w e l l s i d e n t i f i e d in the Tutu Section of Anna's Retreat. All twenty-four w e l l s were s a m p l e d and analyzed for v o l a t i l e o r g a n i c compounds. F o l l o w i n g these results, DPNR closed five p r i v a t e w e l l s which serviced two three-family homes and one a p a r t m e n t b u i l d i n g h o u s i n g of t w e l v e studio units. ! !T 002 0<b8V - 3 - A third round of groundwater w e l l s a m p l i n g took p l a c e on October 5 and 6, 1987, which i n c l u d e d twenty-four (24) w e l l s p r e v i o u s l y i d e n t i f i e d i n t h e T u r p e n t i n e R u n Aquifer. A l l twenty-four w e l l s were sampled and analyzed for f u l l Hazardous Substance List (HSL) compounds. From these results, ERA once a g a i n confirmed the gross c o n t a m i n a t i o n of the groundwater wells with v o l a t i l e organic compounds (VOC). Major contaminants in groundwater are tetrach1oroethy1ene (PCE), trans 1-2 d i c h l o r o e t h y 1 e n e (DCE) and benzene. The EPA's Removal Action Level (RAL) of 66 ppb for PCE was exceeded in seven (7) w e l l s , the RAL of 175 ppb for DCE was exceeded in three (3) w e l l s , and the RAL of 120 ppb for benzene was exceeded in one (1) w e l l . There was one (1) a d d i t i o n a l w e l l found below the ERA R e m o v a l Action Level, but above the U.S. V i r g i n Island's i n t e r i m m a x i m u m p e r m i s s i b l e concentration l e v e l s set on September 1, 1987, by DPNR for v o l a t i l e organics in d r i n k i n g water in the Turpentine Run A q u i f e r (50 ppb for a s i n g l e compound or 100 ppb for total v o l a t i l e o r g a n i c compounds). F i v e of the seven previously mentioned w e l l s were r e s i d e n t i a l wells. EPA and DPNR commenced an i n v e s t i g a t i o n of the Tutu Water/ Turpentine Run A q u i f e r by i s s u i n g Enforcement Orders to PRP's to define Potential R e s p o n s i b l e Parties and d e t e r m i n e the extent of contamination. EPA i n i t i a t e d a m o n t h l y / q u a r t e r l y w e l l m o n i t o r i n g program. UPNR issued a total of ten (10) orders to well owners to close sixteen (16) w e l l s and issued two (2) advisory letters to owners not to use w e l l water for d r i n k i n g , bath ing and wash ing. EPA i n i t i a t e d a removal action on September 1, 1987. The action i n v o l v e d c l e a n i n g the homeowner's c i s t e r n s that had been contaminated by hazardous s u b s t a n c e s from the y r o u n d w a t e r , modifying the e x i s t i n g home p l u m b i n g to t e r m i n a t e well connections, and d e l i v e r i n g clean water to 3 w e l l owners via tank trucks on a regular basis, and e s t a b l i s h i n g a s u r v e i l l a n c e program for all w e l l s in the area by a m o n t h l y / q u a r t e r l y groundwater m o n i t o r i n g program. This Phase I, short-term removal action has m i t i g a t e d the t h r e a t to p u b l i c h e a l t h by p r o v i d i n g a temporary a l t e r n a t e source of water for affected consumers . This site is not on the National Priorities List (NPL), nor is it currently proposed. -4- B. Site C o n d i t i o n s The long term s o l u t i o n to t h i s p r o b l e m appears to be the extension of a p u b l i c water m a i n to the affected residences. I m p l e m e n t a t i o n of t h i s p l a n has been delayed due to the budgetary constraints f a c i n g the R e m o v a l Program. As a r e s u l t , t r u c k i n g water d e l i v e r i e s a r e c o n t i n u i n g u n t i l t h e funds necessary to extend the water m a i n are o b t a i n e d . A w a i t i n g this f u n d i n g has prevented t h i s s i t e from b e i n g completed w i t h i n t h e t w e l v e month statutory l i m i t . I I I . EXEMPTION FROM STATUTORY L I M I T S Section 104(c)(1) of C E R C L A l i m i t s Federal removal a c t i o n s to twelve months in d u r a t i o n u n l e s s c e r t a i n c r i t e r i a are met. These c r i t e r i a , along w i t h a d i s c u s s i o n of how t h i s site conforms to them, are d i s c u s s e d in the f o l l o w i n g p a r a g r a p h s . * A. There is an Immediate R i s k to P u b l i c H e a l t h , W e l f a r e or the E n v i r o n m e n t T h i s is a case of actual w e l l water c o n t a m i n a t i o n in excess of the EPA's 66 ppb removal action l e v e l s (RAL) for PCE, 175 ppb RAL for DCE, 120 ppb RAL for benzene and 48 ppb RAL for m e t h y l e n e c h l o r i d e a f f e c t i n g two m u l t i - f a m i l y d w e l l i n g s and an apartment complex h o u s i n g t w e l v e s t u d i o u n i t s . In a d d i t i o n to the exposure via c o n s u m p t i o n of water, or e a t i n g food prepared with t h i s water, showering with water c o n t a m i n a t e d w i t h v o l a t i l e organ i c s c o n t a m i n a t e the air. T h i s causes an e l e v a t i o n i n h o u s e h o l d a i r c o n t a m i n a n t c o n c e n t r a t i o n s a n d exposes residents t h r o u g h i n h a l a t i o n and a d s o r p t i o n through the s k i n . Contaminated water s u p p l i e s , therefore, pose a serious threat not only t h r o u g h d r i n k i n g and c o o k i n g , but also through s h o w e r i n g , b a t h i n g , and d i s h w a s h i n g . A complete history of s a m p l e results taken to date has been i n c l u d e d in Attachment "A". Since our i n i t i a t i o n of t h i s removal a c t i o n , the concentrations of c o n t a m i n a n t s has not d i m i n i s h e d at the r e s i d e n t i a l w e l l s . For e x a m p l e : S m i t h , Steele and Harvey w e l l s have consistently shown h i g h l e v e l s of PCE a b o v e the EPA's Removal Action L e v e l s (RAL). B. Continued Response Actions are I in mediately R e q u i r e d to Prevent, L i m i t or M i t i g a t e an Emergency The c o n t a m i n a t i o n e x i s t i n g at t h i s s i t e is an emergency in that r e s i d e n t i a l p o t a b l e water s u p p l i e s are c o n t a m i n a t e d with hazardous materials. P r o v i s i o n of t r u c k i n g water by EPA to -5- the residents has reduced the risk of exposure by i n g e s t i o n , and contact t h r o u g h b a t h i n g and s h o w e r i n g . If t h i s t w e l v e month exemption request is not a p p r o v e d , t r u c k i n g water d e l i v e r i e s w i l l have to be t e r m i n a t e d . This w o u l d l e a v e residents w i t h only t h e i r own c o n t a m i n a t e d w e l l s as a p o t a b l e source of water and would result in a d i r e c t exposure p r o b l e m . C . Assistance W i l l Not Otherwise be P r o v i d e d on a Timely B a s i s of government has agreed to take any a c t i o n on w h i c h could p r o v i d e an adequate s o l u t i o n to i n v e s t i g a t e d t h i s area, a n d i d e n t i f i e d . However, at thi u n l i k e l y . No other level a t i m e l y basis t h i s problem. ERA enforcement has some R e s p o n s i b l e Parties have been t i m e , a PRP removal a c t i o n appears IV. R E C O M M E N D A T I O N C o n d i t i o n s at t h i s site continues removal action under CERCLA 104(c^ the approval of an exemption from a l l o w the c o n t i n u a t i o n of removal Site in Saint Thomas, U.S. V i r g i n to meet the c r i t e r i a for a (1). Therefore, I recommend the twelve month l i m i t and a c t i v i t i e s at the TUTU W e l l I s l a n d . Your a u t h o r i t y to approve t h i s t i m e e x e m p t i o n is p u r s u a n t to A d m i n i s t r a t o r ' s September 21, 1987 M e m o r a n d u m D e l e g a t i o n 14-3. A P P R O V E D DISAPPRO DATE DATE cc: (after a p p r o v a l is o b t a i n e d J. M a r s h a l 1 , 2ADRA R. S a l k i e , 2ERR-RPO S. L u f t i g , 2ERRD B. Sprague, 2ERR-RP G. Zachos, 2 E R R - R P J. Czapor, 2ERR-SC G. P a v l o u , 2 E R R - N Y C R A J. M a l l e c k , 2WMD-OWM V. P i t r u z z e l l o , 2ERR-PS M. R a n d a l , 20EP E. Schaff, 20RC-SUP R. G h e r a r d i , 20PM-FIN S. A n d e r s o n , PM-214F (express mai 1 ) T . F i e l d s , W H - 5 4 8 B A . S m i t h , D P N R - U S V I