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C D M F E D E R A L A p r i l 01, 1992 P R O G R A M S C O R P O R A T I O N - MS. Catherine E. Moyik TES V Regional Project Officer U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 26 Federal Plaza Room 737 New York, NY 10278 PROJECT: DOCUMENT NO: SUBJECT: TES V, EPA CONTRACT NO: 68-W9-0002 Work Assignment C02111 Tutu Wells Site St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands TESV-C02111-EP-CK.VJ Final Fact Sheet Document Control No: TESV-C02111-FR-CKVK Dear Ms. Moyik: Please find enclosed the Final Fact Sheet for the Tutu Veils Site, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, as partial fulfillment of the reporting requirements for this work assignment. If you have any comments regarding this submittal, please contact Cecilia Masson of COM FEDERAL PROGRAMS CORPORATION (COM FPC) at (703) 968-0900 within two weeks from the date of this letter. Sincerely, COM FEDERAL P/R^GRAMS CORPORATION Sco.tt B. Gi TES! V REGIONAL MANAGER SG/ss Enclosure cc: Lillian Johnson, EPA Community Relations Branch Chief, CERCLA Region II Caroline Kwan, EPA Work Assignment Manager, CERCLA Region II Jill Robbins, EPA Contracting Officer (letter only) Cecilia Masson, COM FPC Work Assignment Manager Document Control, COM FEDERAL PROGRAMS CORPORATION (2 copies) NYC File .1593 *64461* 64461 FINAL FACT SHEET TUTU WELLS SITE ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Prepared for U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Office of Waste Programs Enforcement Washington, D.C. 20460 EPA Work Assignment No. EPA Region Site No. Contract No. COM FEDERAL PROGRAMS CORPORATION Document No. Prepared By Work Assignment Project Manager Telephone Number EPA Work Assignment Manager Telephone Number Date Prepared C02111 II 2P1D 68-W9-0002 TESV-C02111-FR-CKVK COM FPC Cecilia Masson (703) 968-0900 Caroline Kwan (212) 264-0151 April 01, 1992 1594 TUTU WELLS SUPERFUND SITE COMMUNITY RELATIONS UPDATE April 1992 About this Update The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish a series of updates to inform the public of cleanup activities at the Tutu Wells hazardous waste site. The purpose of this first update is to: • Introduce the community to the federal program that will ensure that the Site is cleaned up, • Review the Site history and upcoming events, and • Discuss previous community involvement in the Tutu site and upcoming opportunities for public participation. The CERCLA/Superfund Program The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA) provides EPA with broad authority to pursue liability, compensation, cleanup, and emergency response procedures for hazardous substances released into the environment, and for the cleanup of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites. CERCLA established the Hazardous Substance Trust Fund, or Superfiind, to which various industries contribute. Thus, CERCLA is commonly known as •Superfund. * EPA uses Superfund monies to search for all parties responsible for the contamination at a hazardous waste site and to conduct remedial studies and cleanups at sites where responsible parties cannot be found or are unable to pay. Hwy42 N to Charlotte Amalie Lj Texaco Station HI ESSO Station to Benner Bay Tutu Wells Site St. Thomas, U.S. Virgins Islands 1595 History of the Tutu-Site Site Discovery The town of Tutu, located in central St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, has a large residential population. In the past, residents used numerous '^blnmerciai and residential wells in the Tutu area as a source of drinking water. In July 1987, Eric Tillett, a Tutu resident, contacted the U.S. Virgin Islands" Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) to report an odor coming from his well. DPNR requested that EPA assume lead responsibility for testing the Tillen well, in addition to other commercial and residential wells in Tutu, EPA found high concentrations of gasoline, metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). v66s are "organic (carbon-containing) substance! that evaporate (volatize) at room temperature*:' Based on these findings, DPNR determined that the Tutu water quality could present ar'health threat and, therefore, closed 13 commercial wells and 5 private wells in September 1987. Superfund Actions at the Tutu Site In January 1988, EPA began a limited Superfund removal action at the Tutu site. A removal action addresses the immediate threats that a site could pose. The Tutu removal action included: • Closing contaminated wells, • Providing clean drinking water to residents with wells, and • Establishing a well monitoring and sampling program. EPA searched for potential sources of contamination and attempted to identify the potentially responsible parties by issuing special notice letters under CERCLA section 104(e). In August 1987, DPNR identified 10 potential and/or actual sources of contamination. In March 1990, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to require the potentially responsible parties to complete the removal action. Esso Standard Oil Company, Texaco Caribbean, Inc., and O'Henry Cleaners responded and will complete the removal action. EPA continued to evaluate the need for a long-term Superfund action, also known as remediation, at the Tutu site. EPA assessed the Site using its Hazard Ranking System (MRS), which is a method of evaluating die potential of hazardous substance releases to cause health problems or environmental damage. Based on the HRS assessment, EPA proposed that the Tutu site be added to the National Priorities List (NPL) , the nation's list of hazardous waste sites that qualify for federal cleanup, in February 1992. Current Activities On February 19, 1992, Esso and Texaco signed an Administrative Order on Consent, a legally binding agreement to perform a remedial investigation/feasibility study (Rl/FS) of the Tutu Wells site according to EPA guidelines and with EPA oversight. The purpose of the RI is to determine fully the nature and extent of contamination; the FS evaluates potential remedies. The RI/FS is the first step in uX Superfund remediation process. The respondents to the Administrative Order will implement the RI/FS at Tutu. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN SUPERFUND Superfund requires EPA to involve communities affected by Superfund sites in making decisions about the best ways to address them. Community relations activities benefit local citizens by providing timely and accurate information about site remediation plans. Community relations activities also, benefit EPA by providing insight into community concerns and expectations. To date, the Tutu community has been involved in the Site ty: • A citizen reporting an odor problem with a weU, leading to the discovery of the Tutu site (July 1987) • Allowing EPA to sample commercial and residential wells (January 1988 to present), and • Participating in community interviews, in which interested citizens and local officials met in person with EPA to convey their concerns (February 1992). , ,:. "*-' * - • £ V» -. W - i • EPA will use the information gathered during the-community interviews to develop a community relations plan for the Tutu Wells site. This plan will summarize the history of the Tutu site, identify current community concerns, and recommend many opportunities for citizens to be involved in the CERCLA decision- making process. The community relations activities wfll be integrated with technical developments and, thus, will allow 'for flexibility in response to changing concerns of the public. Next Steps EPA expects the RI/FS field work to begin in May 1992. Before then, the respondents' contractor, Geraghty and Miller, Inc., will contact certain Tutu residents and businesses to request access to their property to install monitoring wells. Sampling and analysis of these monitoring wells will provide the basis for the RI/FS Report. Publk Meeting • t ** EPA will hold a public meeting in the Tutu area in the coming months to provide the community with information on the start of the RI/FS field work. Because EPA believes that public involvement is an important part of Superfund decision making, it encourages all interested parties to attend the meeting and ask questions about the Tutu site. About two weeks before the meeting, EPA will publicize the date, time, and place in the local media. Technical Assistance-Grants EPA provides community groups with the opportunity to apply for Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) of up to $50,000 per Superfund site. With TAG funding, community groups are able to hire technical advisers to interpret Site findings and help the public become more involved in making decisions about cleanup plans. Citizens who are interested in applying for TAGs may obtain an application package by calling or writing: Marilyn Fast Technical Assistance Grant Coordinator (212) 264-9860/Room 1714 General Information Contacts: For more information about the Superfund actions at the Tutu Wells site, please contact: Caroline Kwan Remedial Project Manager (212) 264-015 I/Room 747 or Lillian Johnson Chief, Community Relations Branch (212) 264-7034/Room 905 The mailing address for all EPA contacts is provided below. U.S. EPA, Region n 26 Federal Plaza New York, New York 10278 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ms. Lillian Johnson Chief, Community Relations Branch 26 Federal Plaza, Room 905 New York. Mew York 10278 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 First Class Mail Postage and Fees Paid EPA Permit No. G-35 Mailing List If you wish to continue to receive information from EPA concerning the Tutu Wells site, please fill out and return this form to Lillian Johnson at the U.S. EPA, Region II. Please print clearly. This information will become the permanent mailing list for the site. Name Address City/State/Zip Code. Telephone _____ (Please fold along the dotted line) 1599 jo pur iVls. Lillian Johnson Chief. Community Relations Branch U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 26 Federal Plaza. Room 905 New York. New York 10278 TUT OO3- 16OO