Williston, Vermont Superfund Site:

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Williston, Vermont Superfund Site Commerce
Street Plume Human Health and Remediation
Concerns
Project Participants Dania NasserKayleigh
WalshKristen SimardEric Merberg
May 9, 2006ENSC 202Dr. B. Bowden
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Problem
The Commerce Street Plume has been the site of
commercial toxic waste dumping since the late
1980s.
Currently efforts to address contamination are
stalled due to lack of information and
coordination.
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Background

• Commerce Street Plume, Williston, VT
• History of industrial use
• Chemicals
• Closed local wells

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Background Cont.

• Geotrans report movement of chemicals/
  remediation potential
• 2005, Burlington Free Press Article again
  January 2006http//www.burlingtonfreepress.com/ap
  ps/pbcs.dll/article?AID/20060113/NEWS0216/3011300
  07themeWILLISTON

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Stakeholders
COMMERCE ST. PLUMEWILLISTON VT
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Goal Statement
The goal of our efforts with respect to the
Commerce Street Plume is to primarily integrate
the available information and generate an
understanding between the community, town and
state managers and federal agencies about the
current status of the site. We intend to
investigate the extent of the plume as well as
the movement throughout the environment with
respect to the local watersheds. The primary
purpose of investigating the scope of the plume
is to assess the potential of stress and exposure
of stress to receptors in the populated area
surrounding the plume.
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Objectives
?Examine the information reports about site
make it understandable for the concerned people
?Select relevant pieces of information regarding
plume site identify and missing information
?Determine the reasoning behind the stall in
action
?Make it easier for local residents to become
involved try to move the remediation process
along
?Suggest/recommend means of efficiently moving
along the process once action is taken based on
the information we find missing or unclear.
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Approach

• Research -Commerce Street plume-Superfund
  sites-State EPA protocol-Journals chemical
  movement environmental transport
• Visit Commerce Street plume
• G.I.S data
• Contact State Agency Representatives

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Findings
? Toxins of Concern
? Spatial Assessment
? Legal
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Chemicals of Concern
Source wastewater lagoon, leach field, old
underground storage tanks, disposal pit and
outfall pipe.
Stressors chemicals such as TCE, PCE, etc.
Receptor people in the surrounding community,
perhaps even the watershed
Exposure inhalation, consumption (drinking)
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Movement
Wastewater lagoon
Volatilizes into atmosphere
Volatizes into air
Ingested
TCE/PCE
Surface Waters
Leaches into wells
Sinks into soil groundwater
Moves into streams surface water
??
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Trichloroethylene (TCE)
Released into air, soil, and water ?Air short
half life ?Surface water Volatilizes into
atmosphere or percolates into soil
groundwater. ?Soil moderately to highly mobile
?Groundwater frequently detected in monitoring
wells
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Trichloroethylene (TCE)

• Exposure to TCE
• Inhalation or ingestion of contaminated water
• town water instead of well water
• TCE entering streams and soil
• Another exposure pathway?

Health Effects headaches, dizziness, facial
nerve damage, liver and kidney damage Probable
carcinogen.
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Perchloroethylene (PCE)
Released to air, soil, and water ?Air half life
of 70 to 251 days can fall out in
precipitation?Surface water volatilizes or
sinks ?Soil doesnt bind with highly
mobile ?Groundwater persistent in
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Perchloroethylene (PCE)

• Exposure
• -Inhalation or ingestion
• town water instead of well water
• -Persistent mobile movement into streams and
  surface water
• Another exposure pathway?

Health Effects central nervous system, liver and
kidney damage, child development. Probable
carcinogen.
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Spatial Assessment
-Plume is uphill from Winooski River -Previous
assessment found plume migrating to unnamed brook
which drains into Winooski River -This issue was
neither acknowledged nor refuted in the previous
report
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Spatial Assessment
?Residential property one block away ?NRCS
records show sandy soils ?Risk of cancer by
inhalation was 10-6, barely acceptable under EPA
standards
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Spatial Assessment
?Map is not survey quality ?Further decisions
should be based on current data ?Wells present
to the South of the plume
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Legal

• Stall
• PRP Conflicts at state Federal level
• Lack of coordination

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Recommendations
?Move into the risk analysis phase ?Better
characterize ecological effects
?How could/are the chemicals moving through the
environment and watershed?
Exposure analysisTransport pathways Exposure
characterizations Occurrence in
watershed Exposure profile Not using well
water Other exposure pathways?
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Acknowledgments
Professor Breck Bowden
Michael B. Smith
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Questions?