OSWER/OSRTI Washington, DC 20460



## N ATIONAL 

## P RIORITIES 

## L IST 

## (NPL)

***Proposed Site*** September 2011


### SEAM MASTER INDUSTRIES 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 o rganic

com pounds, including trichloroeth yl ene (TCE)

, have been found in soils and ground water at the site.

 **Site History:**
From 1972 through to the present day, the site has been occupied by a facility that manufactures hot

- melt adhesive tape for layin g carpets. Prior to 1972, Pacific Screw Products Corporation manufactured screw products at the property unt il the business went bankrupt. On the property, the main areas of concern include concrete liners in the pa llet manufacturing area,

a sump and an u nderground storage tank area. Historical Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Hazardous Waste Control Program surveys and notices of violations note the use of TCE on the property and improper disposal of

unusable oils and solvents.

 **Site C ontamination/Contaminants:** 
Soil and groundwater at the site , and down gradient of t he s ite

, are contaminated with TCE. TCE was detected in on site soils at levels up to 17 parts per billion (ppb) and in groundwater beneath the site at levels up to 17,000 pp b. 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 ground water contamination n eeds to be fully characterized. Although the drinking water supply wells immediately downg radient 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 aquifer s. 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 p otential for vapor intrusion of TCE into nearby buildings and residential areas.

 **Response Activities (to date):**
In May 2002, EPA completed a Remedial Investigation of the nearby Cooper Drum NPL site. During the Remedial Investigation, as EPA was investi gating the extent of the Cooper Drum groundwater plume, EPA identified the Seam Master Industries site as an additional source of groundwater contamination in the area. Based on additional groundwater sampling, EPA determined that the groundwater contamina tion from the Seam Master Industries site was commingling with the Cooper Drum plume . Since the Seam Maste r Industries site was interfering with the Cooper Drum remed y implementation, EPA requested the California D epartment of T oxic S ubstances Control (DTSC) assume the lead on th e Seam Master Industries site. DTSC requested that the property owner and operator enter into a con sent order, but both

declined. Since 2007 , DTSC wa s unsuccessful in compell ing the potentially responsible parties to conduct work a t the site.

Due to the lack of enforcement resources as well as the proximity of the site to the existing Cooper Drum NPL s ite, DTSC requested EPA assume the lead for the site to ensure that investigation work continues and cleanup work begins.

 **Need fo r NPL Listing:** 

The S tate of California referred th e 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 regar ding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please s ee 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.