Galaxy/Spectron Inc

Removal Project Set to Begin

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the final Action Memorandum for the Little Elk Creek Removal Project at the Galaxy/Spectron Inc. Superfund Site. According to the memorandum, the potentially responsible parties (PRPs)will begin removal actions this summer to contain, capture and treat contaminated groundwater that currently migrates into the creek from the site.

EPA finalized plans for the removal project after seeking and considering input from the community. Community members were invited to ask questions and express their concerns about the Proposed Removal Plan during the 30-day public comment period held from February 17 through March 18, 1998 and at a public meeting on February 24, 1998.

This fact sheet responds to some of the most relevant questions and concerns raised at the public meeting and during the public comment period. For a complete summary of the community's questions and EPA's responses, please refer to the Responsiveness Summary which is available in the Administrative Record File.

Removal Project Overview

There are two parts to the removal project constructing a stream containment system and building a groundwater treatment plant. Construction of the stream containment system is the first step. The stream containment system will consist of a stream liner that will contain the groundwater that currently enters the creek in the vicinity of the site and a French drain system that will collect the groundwater from this area and direct it to a small treatment facility.

Stream Containment System After the containment system is complete, the treatment plant will be designed and built. The treatment plant will remove contaminants from the collected groundwater and return the treated groundwater to Little Elk Creek.

Liner System EPA reviewed over six different liner technologies for use in the creek containment system for the Little Elk Creek Removal Project. For each liner system, EPA considered a number of characteristics including:

chemical resistance, resistance to cracking and leaking, ability to be shaped to the stream bed, and ability to be repaired without interrupting the collection and treatment of contaminated groundwater.

After considering each of these qualifications, EPA selected a system consisting of two liners. One of the liners will be a high-density, chemical-resistant plastic that is about 40 - 60 millimeters thick and able to withstand all of the chemical contaminants in the stream and groundwater. The second layer, made of clay, will lie under the plastic liner and provide a second layer of protection in case the upper liner is punctured.

The liner system will be protected by gabions (mats of rocks encased in chain-link fabric). Besides protecting the liner system, the gabions will provide a surface on which to rebuild the creek's habitat. During the year following the liner installation, at the most appropriate time, vegetation will be planted on and around the liner in order to restore the creek habitat to its former state prior to contamination.

The PRPs have already restored the Eastern Mill Race section of Little Elk Creek which is located on the north side of the Spectron Dam. This section will help to maintain stable hydraulic conditions in the Eastern Mill Race and at the entrance to the creek containment structure. The PRPs will install 850 feet of liner in the portion of the creek that flows past the site which is where most of the contaminants enter the creek. Construction of the liner is expected to begin in August 1998.

French Drain System

The PRPs will install a French drain system (i.e. a passive drain system) just below the stream liner. Contaminated groundwater flowing from the site into the creek will be contained by the liner system and diverted to the underlying French drains. The drains will carry the groundwater to sumps made of chemical-resistant, high-density plastic. Pumps will transport the collected groundwater to the treatment system.

Treatment System

In order to build the most effective treatment system, the PRPs will first build the containment system and then evaluate groundwater samples collected from the containment system's sumps. The samples will provide specific information on the concentrations of contaminants in the groundwater. With this information, the PRPs will be able to design and build a better system for treating the contaminated groundwater.

Pump When the treatment facility is completed, contaminated groundwater collected in the sumps will be pumped to the onsite treatment facility. There, the contaminated groundwater will undergo a combination of treatment technologies. The clean groundwater will then be released back into Little Elk Creek. The PRPs will operate the treatment system as long as necessary to prevent the groundwater from contaminating the creek. Until the treatment system is built, contaminated groundwater will collect in the sumps and then migrate into the creek beyond the liner.

Anticipated Construction Schedule

Fall/Winter 1998: Stream Containment
System Constructed
Spring 1999: Treatment Plant Constructed**

**Construction of the treatment system will begin as soon as possible after completion of the creek containment system and evaluation of groundwater samples.

Providence Road Bridge Construction Will Not Affect Removal Project

Construction of the Providence Road Bridge will not affect the removal project. Construction of the bridge should be finished this summer. However, the PRPs will begin building the containment system, as planned, at the end of the summer regardless of the bridge construction progress.

Construction of the bridge will not disrupt the creek's contaminated sediments and therefore will not increase the risk of contamination migrating to residential wells. The new bridge will be a suspension bridge which will not require the support of a piling in the creek bed.

A Look Ahead

EPA will continue monitoring residential drinking water wells on a quarterly or biannual basis to ensure residential wells remain safe. Currently, as part of the remedial investigationand feasibility study(RI/FS), EPA is studying the movement of the deeper groundwater beneath the site. The main focus of the RI/FS, now being conducted by EPA's Remedial Program, is to determine the best long-term remedy for cleaning up the contaminated soil and deeper groundwater at the site.

For More Information

For more information about the Galaxy/Spectron Inc. Superfund Site, please contact one of the EPA representatives listed below.

Sarah Caspar (3HS32)
Removal Enforcement
On-Scene Coordinator
215-814-3283
caspar.sarah@epa.gov

Carrie Deitzel (3HS43)
U. S. EPA, Region III
Community Involvement Coordinator
1650 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-5525 or 1-800-553-2509
deitzel.carrie@epa.gov

Randy Sturgeon (3HS23)
Remedial Project Manager
215-814-3227
sturgeon.randy@epa.gov

To Review Site Records

Information about the site and EPA's planned removal project is available in the Administrative Record File. The Administrative Record File is EPA's official collection of documents, data, reports and other information that support EPA's decision for cleaning up a site. You may review the file at the Information Repository listed below.

Cecil County Library
301 Newark Ave.
Elkton, MD 21921
410-996-5600
Hours: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday - Saturday

You may also review the file at the

EPA Administrative Records Room
1650 Arch St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Please call 215-814-3157 to schedule an appointment.

Glossary

Action Memorandum: A decision document that outlines EPA's selection of a cleanup plan for a removal project.
Feasibility Study: A study which further evaluates the remedial investigation to identify and evaluate possible cleanup methods for a site, including their benefits, limitations and costs.
Groundwater: Water found underground in gaps between soil, sand and gravel particles, and which often is a major source of drinking water.
Potentially Responsible Party (PRP): The companies or people considered to be responsible for contamination at a site. Whenever possible, through administrative and legal actions, EPA requires PRPs to clean up hazardous waste sites to which they appear to have contributed.
Proposed Removal Plan: A document that describes the cleanup methods EPA evaluated to address problems caused by contamination and identifies EPA's preferred option. The public is invited to comment on a Proposed Removal Plan during a public comment period and at a public meeting.
Remedial Investigation: A study that identifies the types and amounts of site contamination and determines the threat this contamination poses to human health and the environment.
Responsiveness Summary: A summary of comments which EPA receives during a public comment period for a Proposed Removal Plan, and EPA's responses to those comments.

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