DAVIS SOUTH CAMPUS SUPERFUND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION
TOWN MEETING
BY
JULIE ROTH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
APRIL 11, 2000

BEFORE THE UCD/DOE LEHR SITE BECAME A SUPERFUND SITE, THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES, UCD AND DOE CONDUCTED THE SITE INVESTIGATION, MADE THE REMEDIAL DECISIONS AND CONDUCTED THE PUBLIC MEETINGS. THE DAVIS COMMUNITY DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE CLEAN UP DECISIONS AND SOME OF THE AFFECTED CITIZENS QUESTIONED WHETHER THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES WOULD FULLY DISCLOSE THE SITE=S IMPACTS ON OUR HEALTH, WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT.

IN 1994, THE LEHR SITE WAS PLACED ON THE NATIONAL PRIORITY LIST AND THIS LISTING RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AT THE SITE. THE US EPA BECAME THE LEAD AGENCY AND ALONG WITH THE CVRWQCB, DTSC, AND DHS BECAME THE REMEDIAL MANAGERS OR RPMS. ALL INVESTIGATION AND REMEDIAL DECISIONS WOULD NOW NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THESE AGENCIES AND ALL OF SITE DOCUMENTS BECAME PUBLIC. THE DAVIS COMMUNITY BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR A TECHNICAL ADVISOR GRANT OR TAG WHICH PROVIDES FUNDS FOR CITIZENS TO HIRE A TECHNICAL ADVISOR TO ASSIST THE CITIZENS IN THEIR OVERSIGHT AT NPL SUPERFUND SITES.

THE LEHR SITE CITIZENS ORGANIZED DSCSOC AND APPLIED FOR THE TAG WHICH WAS AWARDED IN 1995. DSCSOC HIRED DR. G. FRED LEE TO SERVE AS ITS TECHNICAL ADVISOR. THE TAG PROVIDES DSCSOC AND ITS TECHNICAL ADVISOR WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE RPM MEETINGS WHERE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES= CONTRACTORS PRESENT THEIR INVESTIGATION REPORTS AND REMEDIAL PROPOSALS. DSCSOC CAN COMMENT ON WORK IN PROGRESS AND CAN RAISE ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE RPMS. DR. LEE REVIEWS LEHR SITE DOCUMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC=S PERSPECTIVE AND WE PROVIDE DR. LEE=S WRITTEN COMMENTS TO THE RPMS, THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES AND OTHER SITE OFFICIALS. THE DAVIS COMMUNITY REPRESENTED BY DSCSOC NOW PARTICIPATES IN THE CLEANUP DECISIONS.

DSCSOC DEDICATES ITS TAG TO GIVE THIS COMMUNITY THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM ITS OVERSIGHT. OUR TAG FUNDS SUPPORT DR. LEE=S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AT THE SITE AND DR. LEE DONATES TWO HOURS OF HIS TIME FOR EACH HOUR HE IS PAID. DSCSOC MEMBERS DONATE THEIR TIME AND MATERIALS.

DSCSOC=S HOLDS THE ONLY PUBLIC MEETING AT THE SITE. THE TOWN MEETING PROVIDES DR. LEE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY AND DSCSOC INVITES SITE OFFICIALS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED ABOUT SITE ACTIVITIES. THE TOWN MEETING IS TAPED FOR REPLAY ON THE DAVIS COMMUNITY TV. DSCSOC MAINTAINS A WEB SITE WHERE DR. LEE=S COMMENTS ARE AVAILABLE AND COPIES OF DR. LEE=S COMMENTS ARE PROVIDED TO THE LOCAL LIBRARIES.

WHILE THE RPMS MANAGE THE SITE FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENCIES AND ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB, NONE OF MANAGERS LIVE OR WORK IN DAVIS COMMUNITY. DSCSOC SERVES AS A VALUABLE ADJUNCT TO THE RPMS= OVERSIGHT, AND WE HAVE RAISED SIGNIFICANT ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.

DSCSOC RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT DITCH UCD DUG THOUGH ONE OF ITS HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILLS AT SITE WHICH ALLOWED STORMWATER RUNOFF TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE HAZARDOUS WASTE IN THE LANDFILL BEFORE IT DISCHARGED TO PUTAH CREEK. THE RPMS APPROVED A REMEDIAL ACTION TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AND UCD CEMENTED THE DITCH IN THE LANDFILL TO PREVENT THE STORMWATER FROM COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE WASTE.

DSCSOC ASKED THAT A RELIABLE STORMWATER MONITORING PLAN BE DEVELOPED FOR THE SITE. SOME LEHR SITE STORMWATER RUNOFF IS DISCHARGED DIRECTLY TO PUTAH CREEK, AND DSCSOC FEELS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE STORMWATER BE MONITORED TO SEE IF CONTAMINATION FROM THE SITE IS POLLUTING THE WATER IN THE CREEK. AT THE MARCH RPM MEETING, THE RPMS SUPPORTED DSCSOC=S REQUEST AND ASKED THAT THE SITE=S STORMWATER MONITORING PLAN BE REVISED. DSCSOC IS HOPEFUL THAT UCD AND DOE=S REVISED PLAN WILL ADEQUATELY ADDRESS ITS CONCERNS.

DSCSOC ASKED THAT THE LOWER GROUNDWATER AQUIFER HSU-4 BE INVESTIGATED. THE RPMS APPROVED THE INSTALLATION OF MONITORING WELLS TO BEGIN TO INVESTIGATE THIS AQUIFER. UCD HAS INSTALLED SOME MONITORING WELLS IN THE LOWER AQUIFER TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF DEFINING THE HSU-4 PLUME.

DSCSOC ASKED ATSDR TO CONDUCT A FISH STUDY AT THE SITE. ATSDR CONDUCTED TWO FISH STUDIES AND BOTH STUDIES FOUND SOME FISH IN PUTAH CREEK HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF MERCURY AND POSE A PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDOUS FOR INFANTS AND PREGNANT AND NURSING MOTHERS WHO USE FISH AS A FOOD SOURCE. AS A RESULT OF THE FIRST FISH STUDY TWO YEARS AGO, ATSDR RECOMMENDED PUTAH CREEK BE POSTED WITH A FISH ADVISORY. TO DATE, PUTAH CREEK HAS NOT BEEN POSTED.

RECENTLY, THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A FISH STUDY AT SAN PABLO RESERVOIR AND THE STUDY FOUND THE RESERVOIR=S FISH HAD HIGH LEVELS OF MERCURY AND SOME CHEMICALS. CONTRA COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT POSTED THE RESERVOIR WITH A FISH ADVISORY AS A RESULT OF THE STATE STUDY. DSCSOC HAS AGAIN ASKED THAT PUTAH CREEK BE POSTED. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE PUBLIC WHO FISHES IN PUTAH CREEK BE INFORMED OF THE HEALTH HAZARD.

WHEN A SITE IS FULLY INVESTIGATED AND THE REMEDIAL DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES SUBMIT A RECORD OF DECISION OR ROD. DOE EXPECTS TO SUBMIT ITS ROD IN 2003 AND UCD EXPECTS TO SUBMIT ITS ROD IN 2004.

LAST MONTH, DSCSOC SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO RENEW ITS GRANT. US EPA REGION 9 WILL REVIEW THE APPLICATION AND FORWARD THE APPLICATION TO US EPA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR APPROVAL. OUR TAG WILL BE OUT OF FUNDS THIS YEAR.

THERE IS A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO BE DONE AND DECISIONS TO BE MADE BEFORE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES SUBMIT THEIR RODS. DSCSOC=S GRANT RENEWAL WILL ASSURE THAT DSCSOC WILL CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CLEANUP PROCESS AND THE FUTURE DECISIONS REGARDING THE ADEQUACY OF REVISED STORMWATER MONITORING PLAN, THE INVESTIGATION OF THE HSU-2 AND 4 GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS, UCD=S GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION OF THE CHLOROFORM POLLUTED GROUNDWATER PLUME AND THE CLOSURE OF THE THREE LEHR SITE LANDFILLS.

THE LEHR SITE FINAL CLEANUP GOALS MUST INCLUDE THE LONG-TERM PROTECTION OF OUR WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT.

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