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r BaoK 104 PACE 8775 20th St. #3 Vero Beach, FL 32966 \041, January 6, 1998 Phone: 562-7270 Indian River County `�9ZSZbZ�° Board of County Commissioners Mr. James Chandler, County Administrator 1849 25th St. Vero Beach, FL 32960 AGENDA reouest Matters By the Public January 13, 1998 Subject: Piper's TCE Tricloroethylene chemical spill into City water and the possible effect s on City health. Respectfully, j. Sidney W. Turner J.�%So s U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - REGION&Ir Z 18� PIPER AIRCRAFT SUPERFUND SITE JAN 0 2 7998 UPDATE BOARD OF CG COMMISotL.., JANUARY 1998 Vero Beach, Florida To Improve groundwater cleanup, the fol/ow/ng actions will be taken In 1998: I. Installation will begin in January 2. System will be operational by April 3 -Treated water will be returned directly to iter instead of drainage ditch tonal •For more information, please call: Randy Bryant Remedial Project Manger South Site Management Branch U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 61 Forsyth Street Atlanta, Georgia 30303 1-800-435-9234, ext 28938 The Piper Aircraft Superfund Site is located at 2926 Piper Drive which is adjacent to the Vero Beach '*Gmicipal Airport. The company manufachues small aircraft. Contamination at the site resulted from tank leakage of trichloroethylene (TCE) into the groundwater. The leak was fust detected in 1978. A nearby city water supply well was also impacted. The City took immediate actions to insure the quality of its water supply, piper Promptly removed the TCE from the tank and began sampling to define the extent of groundwater contamination. By 1981, Piper signed a consent agreement with the Florida Department Environ. mental Protection (FDEP), which authorized them to begin the initial cleanup of the groundwater. JANUARY 139 1998 In 1985, EPA began to evaluate the site for the National Priorities List (NPL) and ultimately determined that the site should be placed on the NPL. In June 1989, Piper continued the cleanup process which was overseen by FDEP. Piper rantoved the empty underground storage tank and surrounding soil. The excavated soil was aerated to remove the TCE. The soil was then tested and returned to the excavated area. The Piper Aircraft facility was added to the NPL in February 1991 because of the retraining ground water contamination. The initial Superfund investigations were completed by EPA during 1992- 1993.The results indicated that the groundwater contained TCE and its related breakdown products. In December 1993, issued a Record of Decision that called for pumping and treating the contaminated groundwater. The groundwater would be treated by air stripping and the treated groundwater would be discharged to an onsite drainage ditch or nearby canal. The groundwater treatment system recently designed still includes pumping the contaminated groundwater and treating it by air stripping. However, the treated groundwater will be returned directly to the aquifer, instead of being discharged to a drainage ditch. In December 1993, EPA issued a Record of Decision for the groundwater cleanup at the Piper Aircraft Site. Piper Aircraft was in bankruptcy and could not afford to start the work required by EPA. In 1994, EPA hired its own contractor to begin the design phase of the cleanup. However. Piper Aircraft told EPA that it hoped to emerge from bankruptcy and -42- 0 0