ANNOUNCEMENTS AND KEY TOPICS
As we continue to adjust to the evolving COVID-19 situation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking the necessary steps to ensure that decisions about ongoing cleanup activities at Superfund removal sites are made with the health and safety of communities, EPA staff, state and tribal partners, and contractors as the priority. Therefore, decisions about continuing on-site activities will be made on a case-by-case basis.
We are temporarily suspending yard restoration work at this site based on the recent COVID-19 Ohio Department of Health Director’s orders to cease all non-essential business and operations. The suspension of yard restoration is a temporary measure as we adjust to the ongoing situation with COVID-19. We will be periodically reassessing this decision moving forward and are prepared to come back to the site to continue yard restoration work as soon as possible.
For questions regarding the current status at the site please contact EPA’s On-Scene Coordinator, James Justice at 440-250-1744.
SITE INFORMATION
In September of 2017, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) requested assistance from EPA to further evaluate the American Legion Trailer Park Site. A previous assessment had identified lead concentrations, in surface soils, ranging from non-detect to 4,810 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). Nine of the samples exceeded the EPA Residential Removal Management Level (RML) of 400 mg/kg.
EPA conducted a removal evaluation on June of 2018. Sampling identified lead concentrations in surface soils ranging from 105 to 4,390 mg/kg. In addition, a soil sample extraction method for chemical analysis to simulate leaching, known as Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), provided results ranging from 0.016 to 170 milligrams per liter (mg/L). In August of 2018, EPA, in coordination with OEPA, Ohio Department of Health and Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department, held a meeting with residents to present the results and address any questions or concerns.
In September of 2018, EPA mobilized contractors to stabilize Site conditions, by providing temporary cover to exposed soils, until a Time-Critical Removal Action could be conducted.
The Action Memorandum for the Time-Critical Removal Action was signed on May 15, 2019. At the end of June 2019 EPA began setting up for field work at the site and on mid-July, EPA began field work at the site. On December 2019, EPA finished excavating contaminated soil and replacing it with clean fill in properties that had lead concentrations above the RML.
EPA is planning to finish restoring residential yards where contaminated soil was excavated in 2020.
