OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site*** September 2011 

JERVIS B. WEBB CO. South Gate, California 

Los Angeles County 

 Site Location: 

The site is located in a mixed industrial, commercial and residential area in South Gate, California. Volatile organic 

compounds, including trichloroethene (TCE), have been confirmed in the soils and ground water at the site. 

 Site History: 

The Jervis B. Webb Co. conducted metal fabrication, finishing, painting and assembly operations associated with the 

manufacture of industrial conveyor belt systems from the 1950s to early 1996 on the southeast portion of the site. In 

1997, Reliable Steel, Inc. purchased this portion of the site. The Jervis B. Webb Company purchased the northwestern 

portion of the site in 1975 from Spear Industries. Blake Rivet Company, which produced aluminum and stainless steel 

aircraft rivets, leased this northwestern portion of the site until approximately 1981. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

TCE has contaminated soil and groundwater at the site. In 1997, TCE was detected in onsite soils at levels up to 

270,000 ppb, and the contaminated soil was excavated, removed and backfilled with clean material in 1999. In 2002, 

the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) issued a No Further Action letter for soil assessment 

and cleanup with the stipulation that groundwater monitoring and investigation needed to be continued. TCE was 

detected in the groundwater beneath the site at levels up to 35,000 ppb. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum 

Contaminant Level for TCE in drinking water is 5 ppb. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

The full extent of the groundwater contamination needs to be fully characterized. Although the drinking water supply 

wells immediately downgradient of the site are located in a deeper aquifer and are not currently contaminated, there is 

the potential that drinking water wells may become contaminated due to connections between the aquifers. There are 

at least 35 drinking water wells within four miles of the site, serving approximately 226,000 people. In addition, due to 

the high concentrations of TCE in groundwater and the relatively shallow depth to groundwater (60 feet), there is a 

need to evaluate the potential for vapor intrusion of TCE from the site into nearby buildings and residential areas. 

 Response Activities (to date): 

The RWQCB requested that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) assume the lead on the 

Jervis B. Webb Co. site in 2007. DTSC issued an order to the potentially responsible parties for the Jervis B. Webb 

Co. site to investigate and remediate the site, but no parties complied with the order. Since 2007, DTSC has been 

unsuccessful in compelling the potentially responsible parties to conduct work at the site. Due to the lack of 

enforcement resources as well as the proximity of the site to the existing Cooper Drum NPL site, DTSC requested that 

EPA assume the lead for the site to ensure that investigation work continues and cleanup work begins. 

 Need for NPL Listing: 

The State of California referred the site to EPA. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not 

viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the State of California. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may 

change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.] 

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to 

these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on 

the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.