Birmingham, Ala (WIAT) What's the science behind the EPA's decision to declare three North Birmingham neighborhoods bordering Walter Coke a Superfund site?
An EPA report from May of this year gives a glimpse. Be aware, like all EPA documents this one is rife with acronyms and sections of the Federal Code.
Among other things, the report lists the potential hazards it has identified in an area it has been trying to clean up since 1989. The following is an excerpt from that report.
"BaP and As are hazardous substances, as listed in 40 CFR 302.4, and referred to in Section 101 (14) of CERCLA, as amended. BaP and As contaminated soil at the Site pose a significant threat to public health. The threat comes primarily from potential human exposure to this hazardous substance. Direct contact and ingestion of this hazardous substance is the primary pathway of exposure. Continued release of this hazardous substance may cause potential chronic health effects to persons living and working nearby.
BaP and As present in on-site surface and subsurface soils pose the following threats to public health or welfare as listed in Section 300.415 (b)(2) of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP):
Section 300.415 (b)(2)(i) Actual or potential exposure to nearby human populations, or the food chain from hazardous substances pollutants or contaminants;
The sampling that has been conducted at the Site confirm that there are levels of BaP and As in surface soils that exceed EPA RALs for these materials. TSS in a report dated March 17, 2011, determined that a time-critical removal action is warranted to address potential human health risks in the communities surrounding the facility. BaP and As are classified as carcinogenic materials. The communities surrounding the facility are classified as an Environmental Justice (EJ) Community being low-income and minority. Aerial deposition of ash from stacks at the plant is a reoccurring event in the surrounding community. A full characterization of the extent of the BaP deposition needs to be conducted in the surrounding communities as the 2009 sampling only addressed a limited number of properties surrounding the facility.
Other concerns are the historical deposition of the materials that may have migrated offsite through storm channels and into Five-Mile Creek and Harriman Park Creek, both of which cut through residential areas. Coal tar has been found in Five-Mile Creek and As in Harriman Park Creek.
Section 300.415 (b (2)(ii) Actual or potential contamination of drinking water supplies or sensitive ecosystems;
As stated earlier, the Site drains eventually into Five-Mile Creek and into Harriman Park Creek. Runoff from the Site, current and historical, may contribute to the detriment of ecosystems in the vicinity of the plant."
