draft report preliminary investigation of abandoned landfill, old turnpike road, southington, ct

79 Pages·2008·2.56 MB·English

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SDMS DocID 284040 ' Of !.;•<> r-
FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF
UNCONTROLLED HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES
FIT PROJECT

TDD # Fl-8011-03
December 29, 1980
TASK REPORT TO THE

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

CONTRACT NO. 68-01-6056

WORK IN SUPPORT OF EPA ENFORCEMENT CASE:
DRAFT REPORT
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
of the
ABANDONED LANDFILL
Old Turnpike Road
Southington, Connecticut
Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mr. John Hackler, Chief Paul J. Exner, Project Leader

Office of Uncontrolled Waste Sites Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E)

U.S. EPA, Region I FIT Team, Region I

Prepared by:

Margret Hanley

Ecology and Environment, Inc.

FIT Team, Region 1

ecology and environment, inc.
International Specialists in the Environmental Sciences
53100
Fl-8011-03

CONTENTS

Section Page

Fi gures i i

Tables iii

1. Introduction

1.1 Background 1- 1

1.2 Summary and Conclusions 1- 2

2. History

2.1 Prior to 1947 1-5

2.2 1947 - 1967 1-8

2.3 1967 to present 1-10

3. Geohydrology
3.1 Topography 1-15
3.2 Geology 1-16
3.3 Groundwater and Soil Contamination 1-17

4. Hazardous Waste Generators

4.1 Solvents Recovery Services of New England 1-21

4.2 Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Corporation 1-23

4.3 Other Industrial Sources 1-25

5. References 1-30

6. Appendix A - Engineering Data

6.1 Engineering Data 1-35

7. Appendix B - Analytical Data for Hazardous Waste

Disposed of at Abandoned Landfill, Southington,

Connecticut 1-45

7.1 Description of Waste from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft.1-46

7.2 Analysis of SRSNE Liquid Waste 1-49

7.3 Analysis of Sediment Sample taken from Abandoned

Landfi11 1-53

8. Appendix C - Summary of Industrial Located in

Southington, Connecticut 1-61

8.1 1956 1-62

8.2 1963 1-66

8.3 1966 1-70
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FIGURES
Number Page
2-1 Size and Location of Landfill, Southington,
Connecticut - 1947 1- 7
2-2 Size and Location of Landfill, Southington,
Connecticut - 1965 1- 9
2-3 Size and Location of Abandoned Landfill
Southington, Connecticut - 1973-1980 1-11
2-4 Property Map of Lots located on Abandoned Landfill..1-13
3-1 Groundwater Contour Map (un Ft. MSL) For Abandoned
Landfill, Southington, Connecticut 1-19
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TABLES
Number Page
Table I Summary of Hazardous Waste Generators 1- 4
Table I Summary of Hazardous Waste Generators 1-29
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1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

1.1 Introduction

On November 13, 1980, Ecology and Environment's ( E & E)

Field Investigation Inspection Team (FIT) accepted Technical

Direction Document (TDD) No. F-l-8011-03 to perform work in

support of EPA Enforcement in Southington, Connecticut. One

of the elements of the TDD is to perform an assessment of the

hazardous waste disposal practices at the abandoned landfill

on Old Turnpike Road. This report has been written in

fulfillment of that element and includes:

1. The geohydrology of the abandoned sanitary landfill

and vicinity;

2. A brief history of the abandoned sanitary landfill;

and

3. An analysis of the generators and the disposers of

the hazardous waste suspected to exist at the

abandoned sanitary landfill including an estimate of

the volume of solvent waste.

The information for this assessment was obtained through a

variety of sources including files from the Connecticut

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Solid Waste

Division of Engineering in Southington, the Southington Town

Planner's and Town Manager's offices and finally the

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1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

1.1 Introduction - continued

Southington Public Library. In addition, personal

interviews with DEP and local officials, particularly Edward

Parker and Paul Marin of the DEP and Robert Kuchta of the

Southington Town Planner's office, provided up to date

analytical data and official verification of unconfirmed

data. Two fact-finding field trips to Southington,

Connecticut were conducted which included two perimeter

surveys of the abandoned landfill on Old Turnpike Road.

The scope of E & E's assignment was strictly to perform

a preliminary assessment of the disposal practices at the

Old Southington Landfill. Further work in Southington

including a study of the impact of the abandoned landfill on

town drinking water supplies, must be tasked under future

TDDs.

1.2 Summary/Conclusion

The abandoned landfill on Old Turnpike Road is known to

have received hazardous waste between the years 1950 and

1967 from the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft facilities and

Solvents Recovery Services of New England in Southington.

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1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

1.2 Summary/Conclusion - continued

It is probable that the numerous small metal work shops

located in Southington disposed of a variety of hazardous

waste, including organic solvents, at the landfill. Table I

summarizes the volumes of solvent waste that are known to

and/or estimated to have been discarded at the abandoned

landfill. As indicated, total volume of solvent may exceed 1­
1/2 million gallons.

The known quantity of solvent disposed of at the landfill

is much less, probably in the vicinity of 200,000 gallons.

Such quantities would pose a substantial threat to the

groundwater down gradient from Black Pond. Geologic

conditions in the vicinity of the abandoned landfill may serve

to slow the movement of a contaminant plume, but would not be

likely to prevent it from eventually reaching nearby drinking

water supplies.

Since geologic conditions suggest that the landfill may

be located on a semipermeable aquifer, contaminant data

obtained from shallow monitoring wells located down gradient

from the abandoned landfill may not provide an accurate

picture of the true groundwater conditions. Existing

conditions might inhibit the detection of a contaminant plume

in shallow wells.

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TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATORS

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SRSNE 41, 670 500,000 15a 2 i,ooo,ooob \ 37 150,000 •['-.,

PRATT "WHITNEY
1 r
AIRCRAFT
CORPORATION 1, 730° 20,800 19d 17 353,600 13 67,200 5 ' ..
OTHER INDUSTRIES
(60 METAL WORK 6, 6006 79,200 90 17 1,346,400 50 1,211,800 .85
SHOPS)
-
TOTAL 50, 000 787,200 2,700,000 100 1,429,000 . 100
i
'
'
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a. Based on mean % of solvents detected in SRSNE waste.
b. .Total volume estimated in Connecticut DEP Files
c. Based on 400 gallon/month quantity of solvent contaminated waste described in
6/19/79 Communication from Pratt Whitney Aircraft to Ed Parker, Conn. DEP
d. Based on mean % of estimated solvent on Pratt Whitney Waste provided by
William Chudzick, Environmental Engineer
e. Based on 2 55-gallon drums/per shop of solvent waste per month
Fl-8011-03

1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

1.1 Introduction - continued

Finally, a recent sediment sample taken from the Griffin

Construction Company property in the Black Pond Industrial

Park (which is located on the abandoned landfill) reveals high

concentrations of a variety of organic solvents (see Appendix

C).

It is clear that some solvents are present in the

abandoned landfill. Additional hydrogeologic and groundwater

quality data are necessary to accurately quantify the volumes

and concentrations present, their distribution in the

landfill, and their impact, both existing and potential, on

nearby drinking water sources.

2. HISTORY

2.1 Up to 1947

The now abandoned Sanitary landfill on Old Turnpike Road

in Southington, Connecticut may be as old as 100 years*.

Prior to the late 1940's, a small population (12,400) in

Southington with moderate waste disposal needs required a

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2. HISTORY

2.1 Up to 1947 - continued

small land area for waste dumping. A 1947 aerial photograph

of the Black Pond area indicates that the dump occupied a

small area west of the pond on Old Turnpike Road (Figure

2-1).2. In the photograph, several trucks appear to be

entering and exiting the dumping area. The property north of

the landfilling area and south of Carter Street was heavily

wooded and a few homes were located along Carter Street. Two

gravel pits were located west of Old Turnpike Road. A small

gravel pit occupied the site which is presently owned by Lori

Engineering Company. The site is identified on the

photograph, as the property of the Marboy Corporation, a

holding company for Lori Engineering. Another gravel pit

owned by Thompson Drop Forge Inc. was located south of the

area presently occupied by Mitchell Auto Body, and appeared to

contain a variety of trucks and heavy equipment.

The operating procedures of the dump in 1947 are unknown.

Some litter control was provided by a cover of sand and gravel

applied monthly 3. present town officials refer to the old

landfill as an "open dump". A citizen of Southington, who

resided near the landfill during the late 1940's and earlier

described the dump as unoffensive4.

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