Land Development

1
Land Development Chemical Testing

• Gary Ginsberg, PhD
• CT Dept. Public Health
• Environmental and Occupational Health Assessment
• March 29, 2007

2
Background What Can We Learn from Kiddie Kollege?

• NJ day care center built in a former thermometer
  factory
  
• Spurred environ evaluation of 700 day cares
• 60 identified as w/in 400 feet of subsurface
  contamination
  
• Evaluation of these vulnerable sites ongoing
• New law in NJ Jan, 07 screen out enviro
  hazards at new schools and day cares
  

3
Lessons from KK

• There are likely vulnerable sites in communities
  here in CT
  
• Residential, schools, day care, nursing homes,
• May already be developed or awaiting development
• No shortage of contaminated sites in CT
• No analysis of contam sites list vs land uses

4
Why might new land uses be vulnerable?

• Development may occur on or near sites that were
  contaminated in the past
  
• DEP addresses many but not all sites
• Property Transfer Program / RSRs
• Urban Sites Program
• Brownfields
• RCRA/CERCLA Program
• UST Program

5
Vulnerable Sites (cont)

• Sites not covered by DEP programs
• redeveloped by same owner
• not under previous or current investigation
• former agricultural land
• guidance already developed http//www.dep.state.ct
  .us/wtr/remediation/agproperty.htm
  
• sites affected by upgradient contamination
• chemical migration in gw to site
• drinking water affected if private wells
• LHD can require testing for organics in new
  wells
  
• volatilize thru soil and enter buildings

6

• Upgradient Source
• Gas Station
• Manufacturing Facility
• Landfill
• Agricultural Operation
• Historic Dumping

• Transport in Groundwater
• Volatilization thru Soil Gas

• New Homes
• Drinking Water Issues
• Indoor Air Issues
• Outdoor Air Issues?

7
Potential Role of LHD

• Find out
• WHERE IS CONTAMINATION
• DEPs Contaminated Sites List
• DPH/WS detections in groundwater supplies
• Suspicious sites (old industries, landfills, gas
  stations, etc)
  
• WHERE ARE VULNERABLE SITES
• Locations of residential developments, day care,
  schools, nursing homes
  

8
Potential Role of LHD

• For new developments you can
• Request basic environmental information
  (Environmental Audit/Phase I)
  
• Applicant hires LEP to review site history and
  data
  
• Consider need for soil gas and gw testing
• Input to zoning/planning/permitting process
• Recommend project adjustments
• Require VOCs, pesticide, and other test scans for
  new wells (CTPHC-19-13-B101)
  

9
DEP Sites Listing

• Sites that in some way are affected or were in
  the past affected by contamination
  
• possible that were investigated but never
  contaminated
  
• In spite of caveats, can be a valuable start-up
  resource in planning new developments
  
• List was distributed to towns at outset
• Available on-line http//www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view
  .asp?A2715Q325018

10
Perchlorate An Emerging Groundwater
Contaminant?
11
What is Perchlorate?

• Anion consisting of chlorine and oxygen (ClO4-)
  
  
• Highly soluble and does not volatilize
• Used as ammonium and potassium salts
• Extensive use since 1940s
• Medical To treat Graves Disease
• Military/Aerospace Solid rocket fuel and
  munitions

12
Environmental Sources

• Manmade
• Rocket fuel, missiles, air bag filters, road
  flares
  
• Fireworks
• Blasting agents
• Naturally occurring
• Fertilizer (e.g., Chilean caliche-ore)
• Evaporite soils
• Lightning?

13
Contamination of Groundwater

• Industrial releases major contam of Lake Mead
  and Colorado River
  
• Military sites
• Blast sites
• Fireworks fields
• Recent improvement in analytical detection ug/l in water
  

14
Health Effects

• Anti-thyroid blocks I- utilization
• Greatest risk during pregnancy and neonates
• Impaired brain development
• Approximately 30 of women have low iodine
• Blocks iodine secretion into breast milk

15
Risk Assessment Reg Determ

• EPA Draft RA 2002 DW target of 1 ug/L
• NAS Review 2005 DW target of 24.5 ug/L
• Immediately adopted on IRIS
• CDC Study 2006 effects on TH status in women
  with low I- intake at background levels
  
• MADEP MCL 2 ug/L
• NJ/Calif 5-6 ug/L
• CT no determination yet

16
Exposure Assessment

• Perchlorate present in ground water from military
  releases, blasting, fireworks
  
• Perchlorate present in dairy, lettuce and perhaps
  other foods
  
• Contaminated irrigation water in SW US
• Evaporite soils have substantial perchlorate
• Perchlorate present in breast milk

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Perchlorate Testing in CT

• UCMR Testing in CT (2001-2003)
• 152 public supplies tested
• 124 surface, 28 gw
• All ND at DL of 4 ug/L
• All MA UCMR testing was also non-detect
• Trace of perchlorate found at a Nike Missile Site
  in West Haven
  
• Recent trace GW detect at a trial blast site

19
Mass DEP required all community and NTNC systems

to test for perchlorate in 2004
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21
Fireworks

• Perchlorate use and content has increased over
  time
  
• Primary uses are to produce color effects and
  loud bang/flash
  
• Potential Environmental Release Pathways
• Atmospheric fallout
• Duds
• Misfires
• Sodium Hypochlorite

22
Blasting
Perchlorates - sensitizer in a relatively small
of blasting agents primarily water gel and
emulsion formulations

• Blasting locally regulated, fire marshalls should
  have MSDS accurately list perchlorate??
  
• DEP/DPH is working with Dept of Public Safety on
  blasting contractor education
  
• Potential for requirement for pre-and post-blast
  gw sampling

23
Summary Highlights

• Perchlorate contam is likely not pervasive in CT
• Localized impacts can exist and present risks
• Short-term exposure ? adverse health outcome
• Most significant Sources of GW contamination
• Military use (hundreds of µg/L)
• Blasting (tens-to-hundreds of µg/L)
• Fireworks (up-to-tens of µg/L)
• Ion-exchange removes perchlorate from DW
• DPH fact sheet watch for wells in vicinity of
  blast sites and fireworks fields