PRELIMINARY CLOSE OUT REPORT 

PALMER BARGE SUPERFUND SITE 

PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS 

REGION 6 

SEPTEMBER 2007 
PRELIMINARY CLOSE OUT REPORT 

PALMER BARGE SUPERFUND SITE 

PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS 

I. INTRODUCTION 

This Preliminary Close Out Report (PCOR) documents that the U. S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have 

completed construction activities for the Palmer Barge Superfund Site in accordance with Close 

Out Procedures for National Priorities List Sites (OSWER Directive 9320.2-09A-P). The EPA 

and TCEQ conducted the Final Construction Inspection on September 28, 2007. The EPA-and 

TCEQ have detennined that the contractor for the PRPs has completed the construction activities 

portion of the Remedial Action in accordance with the Record of Decision (ROD), the Remedial 

Design and the approved Remedial Action Workplan. 

II. SUMMARY OF SITE CONDITIONS 

Site History and Background 

The Palmer Barge Line Superfund Site is located on Pleasure Islet on the western shore of 

Sabine Lake, in Jefferson County, Texas. The site is located approximately 4.5 miles 

east-northeast of the City of Port Arthur. The Palmer Barge Site encompasses approximately 17 

acres and is located on Old Yacht Club Road on the South Industrial Islet. The Site is bounded 

to the north by vacant property, to the west by Old Yacht Club Road, to the south by the State 

Marine Superfund Site, and to the east by Sabine Lake. There is very little topographical relief to 

the Site. The Site is located approximately 0.5 miles southwest of the confluence of the Neches 

River and the Sabine Neches Barge Canal. 

The Site, along with the adjacent properties. to the north and south, were used as a 

Municipal Landfill for the City of Port Arthur from 1956 to 1987. Although disposal at the 

landfill has long since ceased and the landfill contents have been covered with dredged 

sediments, the contents are still present on the Site in the subsurface soils. 

In April 1982, John Palmer, President of Palmer Barge Line, Inc., purchased 

approximately 17 acres from the City of Port Arthur, for the purpose of servicing and 

maintaining barges and marine vessels. In July 1983, Barker Phares, a trustee of Jefferson 

County, placed a lien on the Palmer Barge Line Property. In October 1994, Wrangler Capital 

assumed all claims from the Palmer Barge Line, Inc. In July 1997, Wrangler Capital purchased 

Palmer Barge Line from receivership, and the company ceased operations ort the property. The 

current owner is Mr. Chester Slay. At present, the Site is used by Mr. Slay for industrial 

purposes. Metal structures on-Site are being salvaged, and the salvaged metal is being used by 

the current owner to construct marine equipment on the Site. 

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. During barge cfeaning operations, the typical activities perfonned at the Site included 

cleaning, degassing, maintenance, and inspection of barges and other marine equipment. 

Cleaning operations included the. removal of sludge and other residual material by pressure 

steaming the vessel holds, engines and boilers. Engines were degreased, and accumulations of 

sludge materials were removed. Degassing activities involved the removal of explosive vapors 

from vessel holds using nitrogen or boiler exhaust. Maintenance and inspection activities 

included the replacement and/or repair of valves, engine repairs, and line leak repairs followed by 

pressure tests. A flare was located on-site to burn excess gases and liquids produced during 

facility operations. 

History of Federal and State Investigations 

Previous investigations ofthe Site include the following: 

• December 1996: Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC, now 

named the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ) Region 10 Field 

Office personnel conducted a multi-media investigation. The purpose of this study was to 

determine the compliance status of the facility. 

• March 1998: TNRCC Region 10 Field Office with EPA Region 6 conducted an 

investigation to identify potential sources and to sample soil and sediment. Five areas of 

stained soil were identified on-site, which included the following: stained soils near 

sumps, stained soil near the boiler house, stained soil near the flare, stained soil near 

aboveground storage tanks, and stained soil near wastewater tanks. Sample results 

indicated the presence of inorganic constituents such as metals, semi-volatile organic 

constituents (SVOCs), and pesticides in on-site soil. Metals and SVOCs were detected in 

offshore sediment adjacent to the Site. 

• July 1999: TNRCC Region 10 Field Office sampled aboveground storage tanks, roll 

off-boxes and "slop" tanks to characterize materials stored. 

• October 1999: EPA Region 6 conducted an Expanded Site Inspection CBSI; Weston 2000) 

to determine the presence and nature of constituent occurrence on-site and off-site and to 

determine migration routes and routes of exposure of site related constituents. Results of 

the inspection indicated the presence of volatile organic constituents (VOCs), SVOCs, 

pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and metals. 

• In 2000, the Site was ranked and was placed on the National Priority List (NPL). The 

Hazard Ranking concluded that constituents present in Sabine Lake sediments adjacent to 

the Site were a potential threat to human health primarily via the fish consumption 

exposure pathway (USEP A, 2000). 

• 2003: URS Corporation (URS),on behalf of the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), 

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conducted a remedial investigation (RI) at the Site in July 2003, which characterized the 

nature and extent of constituents present in environmental media at the Site and in 

adjacent Sabine Lake surface water and sediments. 

History of CERCLA Enforcement Activities 

On September 30, 2002, EPA Region 6 issued an Administrative Order on Consent to 

conduct the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RIfFS) for the Palmer Barge site. 

Voluntary respondents to the Order were: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, 

Chevronffexaco Inc.; Kirby Inland Marine, LP; Kirby Inland Marine, Inc. of Louisiana; and 

Ashland Inc. 

On May 7,2007, EPA Region 6 issued a Unilateral Administrative Order (VAO) for 

Remedial Design and Remedial Action (RDIRA) to a group of potential responsible parties 

(PRPs). The UAO became effective on June 6, 2007. By letter dated June 15,2007, a group of 

four (4) companies agreed to comply with the Order to conduct the RDIRA for the site. The 

Remedial Design was completed on Augnst 17, 2007. The Remedial Action onsite construction 

was completed on September 4, 2007. These companies completed the field construction 

activities portion of the Remedial Action on September 28,2007. 

National Priorities List 

The EPA published a proposed rule on May 11, 2000, to add the Palmer Barge Line Site 

to the National priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The Site was added to the NPL in a final 

rule published on July 27, 2000 [Federal Register Listing (FRL-6841-3), Volume 65, Number 

145, Pages 46096 "46104]. 

History of CERCLA Removal Actions 

In August 2001, EPA Region 6 completed a Time-Critical Removal Action to remove 

source materials stored on-site. Activities included waste removal, water treatment, oil/water 

separation, and sludge stabilization. Approximately 250,000 gallons of water were treated on 

site; 330 cubic yards. of sludge stabilized; and 100,000 gallons of oil/styrene were separated and 

removed from the site. All of the above-ground storage tanks were removed except for a 

420,000-gallon above ground storage tank (AST) on the northern portion of the site that contains 

liquid and sludge materials. Several of the concrete AST foundations remain along with gravel 

throughout the Site. 

Selected Remedial Action 

The Selected ROD Remedy consisted of the following components: 

• Excavation of approximately 1,204 cubic yards of the upper two feet of soil that exceed 

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human health- and ecological risk based levels at each of the response areas; 

• Confinnation sampling at each of the response areas. Confinnation samples would be 

collected from each response area and analyzed for contaminants of potential concern 

(COPCs). 

• Backfilling of excavated areas with clean soil; 

• Off-site disposal of the excavated soils at a permitted disposal facility; 

• Implementation of Institutional Controls to restrict future land use to industrial purposes 

only. The Institutional Control shall be a restrictive covenant by the property owner, to 

the benefit of the State of Texas and the United States Government, recorded in the real 

property records of Jefferson County, Texas; 

• Abandonment of existing monitoring wells - Five (5) existing monitoring wells at the Site 

will be abandoned; and 

• Wastewater AST sludge removal and decontamination - Sludge contained within the 

remaining Wastewater AST will be removed and disposed of off-site. The tank will be 

decontaminated and recycled as scrap metal by the property owner. 

Implemented Remedial Action Construction Activities 

• Excavated a total of 764.65 tons of the upper two feet of soil that exceeded human health 

and ecological risk based levels at each of the response areas and backfilled with clean 

soil. Excavated soils were disposed at a permitted off-site facility. 

• Wastewater and sludge materials from the above ground storage tank (AST) were 

removed and disposed off at a permitted hazardous waste disposal facility. 

Approximately 520 cubic yards of liquids and sludge materials were removed from the 

tank. The tank was decontaminated and recycled as scrap metal by the PRPs' contractor 

for the site owner. 

• Five (5) monitoring wells .installed during the remedial investigation were plugged and 

abandoned as part of the remedial action. 

• The site was cleaned to industrial standards, and therefore, institutional controls will be 

implemented by the owner to insure that future use of the site remains for industrial -

purposes. Additionally, infonnation from confinnation sampling at each of the human 

health risk response areas willbe used to determine if COPCs remain onsite above 

industrial human health based levels. This infonnation will be used to determine if 

institutional controls for waste left onsite will be required. 

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Future Work 

Institutional Control in the form of restrictive covenant by the property owner, to the 

benefit of the State of Texas and the United States Government, will be recorded in the real 

property records of Jefferson County, Texas, to ensure that future site used remains 

commercial/industrial. 

III. DEMONSTRATION OF CLEANUP ACTIVITY QUALITY ASSURANCE AND 

QUALITY CONTROL 

The quality assurance/quality control (QAlQC) program for the Palmer Barge Site was 

conducted in accordance with the workplan prepared to implement the remedial action 

construction activities. The following project plans were prepared for the remedial action: 

• Community Relations Plan 

• Site Management Plan 

• Health and Safety Plan 

• Field Sampling Plan 

• Quality Assurance Project Plan 

• Data Management Plan 

• Pollution Control and Mitigation Plan 

• Transportation and Disposal and Waste Management Plan 

• Construction Quality Assurance Plan 

The plans mentioned above ensured that the cleanup activities met all quality assurance 

and quality control requirements for the Site. The EPA conducted regular oversight throughout 

the implementation of the remedial action for the Palmer Barge site. In addition to conducting 

oversight of the project activities, EPA was in regular contact by phone and e-mails with the 

project managers during construction activities. The Texas Commission on Environment Quality 

reviewed and commented on all project plans for the site, participated in the Final Construction 

Inspection, and reviewed and commented on the draft Preliminary Close Out Report. 

IV. ACTIVITIES AND SCHEDULE FOR SITE COMPLETION 

Task Estimated Completion Responsibility 

Institutional Controls December 2007 OwnerlEPA 

Remedial Action Report December 2007 PRPGroup 

Final Close Out Report September 2008 EPA 

1 st 5-Y ear Review September 2012 EPA 

Deletion of the Site From NPL To Be Determined EPA 

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V. SUMMARY OF REMEDIATION COSTS 

The ROD estimate for the selected remedy was $428,180. The PRPs implemented the 

selected remedy. Actual cost information was not provided to EPA by the PRPs. 

VI. FIVE-YEAR REVIEW 

Hazardous substances will remain at the Palmer Barge Superfund Site above levels that 

allow unlimited use and unrestricted exposure after completion of the selected remedial action 

for the site. Therefore, a statutory review will be conducted within five years of starting remedial 

action activities at the site to ensure that the remedy is, or will be, protective of human health and 

the environment. Pursuant to CERCLA section 121((;),42 U.S.C. § 9621(c), and as provided in 

the current guidance on Five-Year Reviews: EPA 540-R-OI-007, OSWER No. 9355.7-03B-P, 

Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance, June 2001, EPA will conduct a statutory five-year 

review for the Palmer Barge Superfund Site by September 2012, five years after starting remedial 

action activities at the site. . 

I~~~~UD~~~~~~~~~ !0YJ~ __________ ___ 

Samuel Coleman, P.E. 

Q!2ld/07 

Date 

Director 

Superfund Division 

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