Superfund Site Information
January, 2006
Michael Levin, Ph.D., F.A.A.A.S., a Havertown resident and activist for the conditions at the Havertown Superfund Site is asking all township residents to notify their Commissioners to contact the EPA regarding the Superfund Site and its effect on our quality of life. This is an issue that crosses township boundaries. Dr.Levin has graciously given permission to post his comments here.
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EPA’s 5-YEAR REVIEW, AUGUST 19, 2005: SUPERFICIAL, INEFFECTIVE, OUT-OF-DATE
With much fanfare, after EPA capped National Wood Preservers’site, the Agency installed compressed air pumps in extraction wells and began pumping groundwater from beneath the site during the summer of 2001 as part of its “presumptive” remedy (one based upon some generic probability, not actuality that it would be effective). Five years later on November 17, 2005 EPA started to spread the bad news; extraction of contaminants has not noticeably reduced a soup of chemicals beneath the site, pockets of still greater contamination are still being found at the site, and contamination is more widespread than previously identified. Haverford is being prepared for contamination to be left in place with a 30 mil black polyethylene cap over it and PADEP must accept responsibility of the site (wherever its extent) in 2013. It is becoming clear EPA would rather seal contamination into the site than clean it up with its future costs. With this approach, the problem never goes away.
EPA doesn’t refer to any remedies at more than 100 other wood preserver sites throughout the country, and seems not to share successes, failures and innovations at other contaminated sites; this is like going somewhere without a map, maybe you will get there, but chances are you won’t.
While I and other senior scientists in Haverford have commented extensively to EPA, the Agency just doesn’t respond to suggested improvements in either this now outdated 5-year review, the decades-old remedy itself, or even to committing more resources to the project.
Unless there is: thorough identification and tracking of compounds, comparison with federal drinking water standards, understanding bioremediation, clear ideas with cliche-free reports and presentation, it appears the cleanup is progressing much better than it really is. Health risk assessments need to be periodically updated; for example, elevated levels of chemicals such as dioxin, arsenic and others may be involved in public health scenarios, even shifting the sex ratios of newborn boys and girls from about 50:50 to twice as many girls as boys.
To have confidence in the current remediation means: more frequent and detailed reports, a major shift from presumptive to actually understanding contaminant movement and bioremediation at this site, eliminating deed restrictions on contaminated land (you don’t want “No Digging Here” signs with corresponding reduced or flat property values), widening – not shrinking -- community involvement, updating health risk assessments, all with the cooperation of Haverford’s commissioners. Open the dialogue concerning the cleanup; this isn’t a ward problem, this is an issue for the entire Haverford community that no one should hold hostage..