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FACT SHEET
Interim Action Excavation Approval Memorandum
Site 36 -Fritzsche Army Airfield Sewage Treatment Plant
Former Fort Ord
Background
Former Fort Ord is a Superfund site and the cleanup of chemical contamination at Fort Ord is required to be documented in a Superfund Record of Decision. The Army developed an Interim Action Record of Decision (IA ROD) for similar cleanup projects that meet certain eligibility requirements. The purpose of the Approval Memorandum is to demonstrate that the interim action excavation at Area 36 meets the eligibility requirements in the IA ROD.
The sewage treatment plant interim action calls for the excavation of 190 cubic yards of contaminated soil from two evaporation ponds, removal of the ponds' concrete liners, confirmation sampling of the underlying soil, and disposal of the contaminated soil in the Operable Unit No. 2 landfill at Fort Ord. The Fort Ord Preliminary Remediation Goals have been established as target cleanup concentrations in soil for the pesticide chlordane, petroleum hydrocarbons as diesel, and the metals lead and cadmium.
Concerns
An independent technical review of the Area 36 Interim Action Approval Memorandum identified the following concerns:
The Approval Memorandum does not demonstrate "protection of human health", "protection of groundwater", and a "preference for treatment" as required by the IA ROD.
The Area 36 interim action may be outside the scope of the IA ROD, and regulations may apply which were not identified in the IA ROD;
Neither the IA ROD nor Approval Memorandum contains provisions for the decontamination and removal of concrete debris;
Documents
Dept. of the Army, "Approval Memorandum, Proposed Interim Action Excavation, IA Areas 36A and 36B, Site 36 - Fritzsche Army Airfield Sewage Treatment Plant, Fort Ord, California," March 17, 1997.
Dept. of the Army, "Interim Action Record of Decision, Contaminated Surface Soil Remediation, Fort Ord, California," February 23, 1994.
For further information
More information on the Area 36 Interim Action Soil Excavation can be obtained by contacting the Fort Ord Toxics Project at (408) 375 - 9464.
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