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Fact Sheet
April 2006
Engine Test Area, Camp Crowder Training Site - Pools Prairie Superfund Site, Neosho, Missouri
Introduction
EPA REQUESTS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON CAMU DESIGNATION
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting comments on its proposed designation of a Corrective Action Management Unit for use by the United States Army Environmental Center (AEC) in treating some of the contaminated soils at the site.
A CAMU is a special unit authorized under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to facilitate treatment, storage, and/or disposal of hazardous wastes while implementing a cleanup action. The comment period for the CAMU designation opens April 3, 2006 and closes May 3, 2006.
Comments on the CAMU designation should be submitted in writing (post-marked no later than May 3, 2006) to:
David Williams
EPA Region 7
Superfund Division
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 551-7625
Fax: (913) 551-7063
E-mail: williams.dave@epa.gov
ARMY REQUESTS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON CLEANUP ACTION
The United States Army Environmental Center (AEC) is asking for comments on its recommended cleanup action for the Engine Test Area (ETA) located at the Missouri Army National Guard’s (MOARNG) Camp Crowder Training Site near Neosho, Missouri.
The ETA is included within the Pools Prairie Superfund Site. The comment period for the cleanup action opens April 3, 2006 and closes May 3, 2006.
Comments on the proposed cleanup action should be submitted in writing (post- marked no later than May 3, 2006) to:
Scott Weber, PG
United States Army
Environmental Center
5179 Hoadley Road
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010
Phone: (410) 436-1614
Fax: (410) 436-1635
E-mail: scott.weber@aec.apgea.army.mil
BACKGROUND
The ETA was part of the U.S. Air Force Plant Number 65 used to test fire liquid-propelled rocket engines during the 1950s and 1960s. Since the 1970s, the ETA has been used for various training activities by the Missouri Army National Guard. Because the ETA remains under the control of the United States Army as a part of Camp Crowder, the AEC is the lead agency for selecting and implementing the cleanup action for the ETA.
Camp Crowder comprises approximately 4,300 acres with a portion lying within the Neosho, Missouri city limits. The ETA site is located just southeast of Neosho, Missouri in Newton County, Missouri and is outside of the Neosho city limits.
The ETA includes the following areas of concern (AOCs): North Engine Test Stand (NETS), South Engine Test Stand (SETS), Test Shop Number 1 (TS1), Hazardous Waste Pit (HWP), Hazardous Waste Pit Surrounding Area (HWPSA), and the liquid oxygen (LOX) storage area.
This removal action addresses only cleanup of soils at the ETA. Groundwater issues will be addressed in a future site-wide remedial investigation/feasibility study of the entire Pools Prairie Superfund Site (including the ETA). Based on findings reported from subsurface investigations, the soil is contaminated with the volatile organic compound (VOC) constituents trichloroethylene (TCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). TCE and VC were commonly used as degreasers.
Overall, the majority of the contamination at the ETA site is at the HWP. This area is located centrally between the NETS and SETS. The HWP is a concrete pit which collected runoff from the liquids used in the flushing of fuel and lubricants at the test stands.
AEC conducted an engineering evaluation/cost analysis (EE/CA) to identify and evaluate potential removal actions that would appropriately address the contaminated areas. Information for the EE/CA was developed based on data collected during the subsurface investigations and a pilot study conducted at the ETA. The Draft Final EE/CA was completed in March, 2006.
RECOMMENDED CLEANUP ACTION
Based on information in the EE/CA, the recommended cleanup action for the contaminated soils at the HWP is excavation and treatment by landfarming.
Landfarming consists of removing the contaminated soil and spreading the soil in layers approximately one foot thick over a lined and bermed area. The berm contains the soil, and the liner prevents contaminants in the soil from moving to underlying soil. The soil is turned over frequently using a tractor and large disks. Turning the soil over exposes the contaminants to air and sunlight, causing them to degrade and evaporate. Rainwater collected in the bermed area is also treated before it is discharged. Sampling of soil and water will be performed to confirm effective treatment of the landfarmed materials. The cleanup for the HWP is estimated to cost between $1.25 and $1.4 million.
THE CAMU AS A PART OF THE CLEANUP FOR THE HWP
EPA proposes to designate the landfarm treatment area at the HWP as a corrective action management unit (CAMU). A CAMU is a special unit authorized under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to facilitate treatment, storage, and/or disposal of hazardous wastes while implementing a cleanup action.
The purpose of creating the CAMU is to allow the treatment of potentially hazardous materials removed from the HWP. This CAMU will be established in the area of the former U.S. Air Force Plant Number 65 facility. It will be used to manage CAMU-eligible wastes (in this case, contaminated materials excavated from the HWP) for treatment to meet target treatment concentrations selected as part of the cleanup.
Recommended for the HWPSA and NETS areas of concern, are free product removal and soil vapor extraction/dual phase extraction (SVE/DPE). The SVE/DPE method consists of applying a vacuum to the wells to remove contaminated water and vapors from the soil. The total capital and operation and maintenance costs are estimated to be $581,000, assuming a 3-year operation period; however, the remedial timeframe may be considerably shorter.
A more limited SVE/DPE removal action is recommended for implementation at the SETS and TS1 areas of concern, with total costs estimated to be approximately $59,000 and $48,000, respectively. Operation is anticipated to be complete within a 2-month period per AOC.
TO MAKE COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED CLEANUP PLAN
AEC encourages community members to review and comment on the EE/CA for the ETA removal action. Your comments will be most effective if you consider the following guidelines:
Explain your views and tell us why you feel that way.
Do you support or disagree with the recommendation? Be specific about which parts if you can.
Can you provide examples or offer alternatives?
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The EE/CA is a part of the Administrative Record File. The Administrative Record File and the EE/CA are available for public review at:
Neosho City Hall
203 East Main Street
Neosho, Missouri
Site Vicinity Map, Hazardous Waste Pit, Camp Crowder, Missouri [PDF] (1 pp, 2.57 MB)
If you have questions about these actions, please contact either Mr. Weber of the AEC or Mr. Williams of EPA as indicated on the front page.
