**State of** **New Mexico**  **ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT** 

**1190 St.**  **Francis Drive,**  **P.O. Box**  **5469 Santa**  **Fe, New Mexico**  **87502-5469 Phone**  **(505) 827-2900**  **Fax (505)**  **827-2965**

**www.env.nm.gov SUSANA** **MARTINEZ Governor**  **JOHN A.**  **SANCHEZ Lieutenant**  **Governor RYAN**  **FLYNN Cabinet**  **Secretar y**  **BUTCH TONGATE**  **Deputy Secretary** 

**July 28,**  **2015**

**Ron Curry**  **Regional Administrator**  **U.S. Environmental**  **Protection Agency,**  **Region 6**  **1445 Ross** **Avenue, Suite**  **1200 Dallas,**  **Texas 75202-2733** 

**RE: Proposal**  **to Include**  **the Lea**  **and West**  **Second Site,**  **Roswell, New**  **Mexico, on**  **the**

**National Priorities**  **List**

**Dear Mr.**  **Curry: This**  **letter is**  **in response**  **to the**  **United States**  **Environmental Protection**  **Agency's (EPA) request**  **for concurrence**  **from the**  **State of** **New Mexico regarding**  **EPA's proposal**  **to add**  **the Lea**  **and West**  **Second Site**  **in Roswell,**  **New Mexico**  **to the** **National Priorities**  **List (NPL).**  **The Superfund Oversight Section**  **(SOS) of** **the Ground**  **Water Quality**  **Bureau (GWQB)**  **has investigated**  **multiple ground**  **water plumes**  **in Roswell,**  **New Mexico**  **under the**  **Comprehensive Environmental**  **Response, Compensation**  **and Liabilities**  **Act (CERCLA).**  **Ground water**  **quality data**  **collected through the**  **investigations demonst** **rated that**  **four ground**  **water plumes**  **were comingling:**  **Lea and**  **West 2"d;**  **North Main** **and 9th;**  **Parks UST;**  **and West** **2nd and**  **Montana. Due**  **to the**  **comingling, SOS**  **requested that**  **the EPA**  **Region 6**  **consider the**  **contamination a**  **single site.**  **The Lea**  **and West**  **2nd Site**  **is now**  **considered a**  **single Site**  **and is**  **characterized as**  **multiple coalescing**  **ground water**  **plumes and**  **soil contaminated**  **with chlorinated**  **solvents. Chlorinated**  **solvent compounds**  **(primarily Tetrachloroe** **thylene (PCE)**  **and Trichloroethylene**  **(TCE)) in**  **ground water**  **are present**  **at concentrations**  **above state**  **ground water** **standards, federal**  **drinking water**  **standards, and** **/ or** **health-based benclunarks.**  **EPA has**  **informed NMED**  **that the**  **Site may**  **be proposed**  **for placement**  **on the**  **NPL based**  **on a**  **Hazard Ranking**  **System evaluation.**  **NMED has**  **discussed the**  **potential of** **listing the**  **Lea and**  **West Second**  **Site on**  **the NPL**  **with the**  **governing bodies**  **of Chaves**  **County and**  **the City**  **of Roswell.**  **Chaves Coun** **ty supports**  **the listing.**  **The City** **of Roswell**  **remains neutral.**  **Listing the**  **Lea and**  **West Second**  **Site on**  **the NPL**  **would allow**  **for use**  **of the**  **Superfund Trust**  **Fund to** **Ron Curry** 

**July 28, 2015**  **Page 2**  **of2 fund**  **remedial activities**  **and clean-up**  **the Site**  **in the** **event that**  **potentially responsible**  **parties are**  **not able**  **to fund**  **remedial activities.**  **Given that**  **the site**  **poses a**  **threat to**  **public health**  **and the**  **need to**  **preserve ground**  **water quality**  **for future**  **generations, and**  **given the**  **support of**  **Chaves County,**  **the State**  **of New**  **Mexico supports**  **the efforts**  **of EPA**  **Region 6**  **to propose**  **the Lea**  **and West**  **Second Site**  **to the** **NPL. Sincerely,** 

**Ryan Flyn**  **, Secretary**  **New Mexico**  **Environment Department** 

**Cc: Dennis**  **Kintigh, M** **ayor, City**  **of Roswell** 

**S teve**  **Pola sek,**  **M anager,**  **City of** **Roswell Stan**  **Riggs, Manager** **, Chaves**  **County Sonny**  **Chancey, Publi** **c Services**  **Director, Chaves**  **County C** **arl Edlund,**  **D i** **r ector,**  **Superfund Division,**  **EPA R** **egion 6**