[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40687-40690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20152]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[FRL-6131-2]


National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; 
National Priorities List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Delete the U.S. Navy, Naval Security Group 
Activity Superfund Site from the National Priorities List. Request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region II Office 
announces its intent to delete the United States Navy, Naval Security 
Group Activity Superfund Site (Site) from the National Priorities List 
(NPL) and requests public comment on this action. The NPL, 40 CFR Part 
300, Appendix B was promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
of 1980 (CERCLA) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances 
Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR Part 300. EPA and the Puerto 
Rico Environmental Quality Board (PREQB) have determined that all 
appropriate actions have been completed and no further response action 
is appropriate under CERCLA. In addition, EPA and PREQB have determined 
that response actions conducted to date at the Site

[[Page 40688]]

have been protective of public health, welfare, and the environment.

DATES: Comments concerning the deletion of this Site from the NPL may 
be submitted on or before August 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Paul G. Ingrisano, Remedial 
Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, 290 
Broadway--18th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866.
    The deletion docket and other comprehensive information on this 
Site is available through the EPA Region II public docket, which is 
located at EPA's Region II Office in New York City, and is available 
for viewing, by appointment only, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding holidays. Requests for appointments should be 
directed to: Paul G. Ingrisano, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, 
New York, NY 10007-1866, (212) 637-4337.
    Information on this Site is also available for viewing at the Site 
Administrative Record Information Repositories at the following 
locations:

Jaime Fonadella Garriga Public Library, Toa Baja, PR 00951, (787) 794-
2145, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and, Saturday, 
8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.; excluding holidays.
Naval Security Group Activity Base Library, Building 193, Sabana Seca, 
PR FP0 AA 34053-1000, (787) 261-8312, Monday and Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. to 
7:00 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and, Saturday, 
8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; excluding holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul G. Ingrisano, Remedial Project 
Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, 290 Broadway, 
18th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866, (212) 637-4337.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Introduction.
II. NPL Deletion Criteria.
III. Deletion Procedures.
IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion.

I. Introduction

    EPA Region II announces its intent to delete the United States 
Navy, Naval Security Group Activity Superfund Site, which is located in 
Sabana Seca, in the Municipality of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico from the NPL, 
which is found in Appendix B to the NCP, 40 CFR Part 300, and requests 
comments on this deletion. EPA identifies sites that appear to present 
a significant risk to public health, welfare, or the environment and 
maintains the NPL as the list of these sites. As described in 
Sec. 300.425(e)(3) of the NCP, any site deleted from the NPL remains 
eligible for remedial actions in the unlikely event that conditions at 
the site warrant such action.
    EPA will accept comments on the proposal to delete this Site from 
the NPL until August 31, 1998.
    Section II of this document explains the criteria for deleting 
sites from the NPL. Section III discusses the procedures that EPA is 
using for this action. Section IV discusses the Site and explains how 
the Site meets the deletion criteria.

II. NPL Deletion Criteria

    Section 300.425(e)(1)(i)-(iii) of the NCP provides that sites may 
be deleted from the NPL where no further response is appropriate. In 
making a determination to delete a site from the NPL, EPA in 
consultation with PREQB, shall consider whether any of the following 
criteria have been met:
    (i) Responsible parties or other parties have implemented all 
appropriate response actions required; or
    (ii) All appropriate responses under CERCLA have been implemented, 
and no further response action by responsible parties is appropriate; 
or
    (iii) The remedial investigation has shown that the release of 
hazardous substances poses no significant threat to public health or 
the environment and, therefore, remedial measures are not appropriate.

III. Deletion Procedures

    The following procedures were used for the intended deletion of 
this Site: (1) EPA Region II, PREQB and the United States Navy issued 
Records of Decision (RODs), which documented the remedial action 
activities; (2) all appropriate responses under CERCLA have been 
implemented as documented in the Final Remedial Action Report for Site 
6, dated August 4, 1997, together with the Final No Action RODs for 
Sites 1&3 and Sites 2&4, dated September 30, 1997, in lieu of a Final 
Close Out Report; (3) PREQB has concurred with the proposed deletion 
decision by a letter dated March 27, 1998; (4) a notice has been 
published in the local newspapers and has been distributed to 
appropriate federal, commonwealth, and local officials and other 
interested parties announcing the commencement of a 30-day public 
comment period on EPA's Notice of Intent to Delete; and, (5) all 
relevant documents have been made available for public review in the 
local Site information repositories.
    Deletion of sites from the NPL does not itself create, alter, or 
revoke any individual's rights or obligations. The NPL is designed 
primarily for informational purposes and to assist Agency management of 
Superfund sites.
    For deletion of this Site, EPA's Regional Office will accept and 
evaluate public comments on EPA's Notice of Intent to Delete before 
making a final decision to delete. If necessary, the Agency will 
prepare a Responsiveness Summary to address any significant public 
comments received.
    A deletion occurs when the Regional Administrator places a final 
notice in the Federal Register. Generally, the NPL will reflect 
deletions in the final update following the notice. Public notices and 
copies of the Responsiveness Summary will be made available to local 
residents by the Regional Office.

IV. Basis for Intended Site Deletion

    The following site summary provides the Agency's rationale for the 
proposal to delete this Site from the NPL.

A. Site Background

    NSGA Sabana Seca was originally a pineapple and grapefruit 
plantation known as the Stephenson Place. The plantation was procured 
by the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, the property was 
turned over to the U.S. Army. In 1951, the Navy again assumed control 
and in 1952, established the U.S. Naval Radio Station, Sabana Seca. In 
1971, NSGA Sabana Seca was established as an independent shore activity 
of the Navy and has been operated as a communications center 
continuously since that time. NSGA Sabana Seca is located approximately 
14 miles west of the city of San Juan on the island of Puerto Rico, and 
consists of a North and South Tract together covering over 2,200 acres 
of land. The South Tract is bounded to the north by Sabana Seca and the 
North Tract, to the east by Route 866, to the south by Route 22, and to 
the west by the Bayamon and Toa Baja Municipal Landfills and the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services Research Facility.

B. History

    At the NSGA Sabana Seca Site, following placement of the facility 
on the NPL, seven sites were identified and assessed as posing a 
potential threat to human health or the environment, due to 
contamination from past hazardous material operations. All sites are 
located in the South Tract.

[[Page 40689]]

1. Site 6
    The Former Pest Control Shop was operational from the mid-1950s 
through 1979. Pesticides were accidently spilled in and around the 
building during this time. Pesticides were mixed and application 
equipment cleaned in a sink outside the building which discharged 
directly to the ground. In 1987, the materials stored in the pesticide 
shop were removed and taken to the Base's hazardous storage facility. 
The building was demolished and the demolition debris was taken to the 
nearby Bayamon/Toa Baja Municipal Landfill.
    As a result of pesticide contamination found in the soil, in the 
vicinity of the Former Pest Control Shop, NSGA Sabana Seca was added to 
the NPL on October 4, 1989. In 1991, the Navy, with oversight provided 
by EPA and PREQB, began a Remedial Investigation (RI) to characterize 
the nature and extent of contamination and to assess potential risks to 
human health and the environment.
    Based on the results of the RI and risk assessment, a Record of 
Decision (ROD) for Site 6 was signed on September 20, 1996. The ROD 
documented the decision that no further remedial action was necessary 
at the Former Pest Control Shop because the conditions at the site pose 
no unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. However, 
since the site is adjacent to a playground/picnic area and the enlisted 
housing area, as an added measure of precaution, the Navy elected to 
place an asphalt cap over the areas where pesticides were previously 
detected in the surface soils. The construction of the asphalt cap was 
completed in April 1997, and the cap is being maintained by the Navy. 
The life expectancy of an asphalt cap is approximately 20 to 25 years 
with routine maintenance. A top sealant will be applied periodically to 
the asphalt surface to prevent deterioration.
2. Sites 1&3 and Sites 2&4
    Site 1, the South Stone Road Disposal Area; Site 3, the North Stone 
Road Disposal Area; and, Site 4, the Pistol Range Disposal Area were 
used as the Base's landfills in operation from 1951 to 1960, 1960 to 
1965, and 1965 through possibly 1970, respectively. Solid waste was 
disposed in these landfills. Site 2, the Bunker 607 Disposal Area, was 
intermittently used for materials storage from the 1960s to 1979. In 
1979, the bunker was cleaned -out and old paint intended to be used for 
the on-Base housing was reportedly disposed in the vicinity of Bunker 
607.
    In 1991, the Navy, with oversight provided by EPA and PREQB, began 
Site Investigations (SI) to assess the presence or absence of 
contamination associated with past Navy activities at these sites and 
determine if an RI was necessary.
    Based on the results of the SIs and risk assessments, RIs were 
determined to be unnecessary and No Action RODs for the sites were 
signed on September 30, 1997. The RODs documented the decision that no 
further remedial action was necessary at Sites 1&3 and Sites 2&4 
because the conditions at the sites pose no unacceptable risks to human 
health or the environment.
3. Site 5
    The Wenger Road Disposal Area, was reportedly used as a disposal 
site for mainly inert materials from 1980 through 1983. In 1982, the 
Navy recommended that these materials be removed from this site. These 
materials were removed and placed in a nearby municipal landfill. 
Because Site 5 has been cleaned up, it does not pose a threat to human 
health or the environment. Therefore, since this site had been 
previously remediated prior to the listing of NSGA Sabana Seca on the 
NPL, EPA's July 19, 1994 letter to the Navy stated that no further 
investigation of Site 5 was required.
4. Site 7
    Leachate from the nearby Bayamon/Toa Baja municipal landfill has 
been observed entering this wet marshy area, which has been designated 
as the Leachate Ponding Area. The municipal landfill, which is located 
directly adjacent to the Base property, has been in operation since the 
early 1970s. Though the waste stream did not originate from Navy 
property, the Navy conducted a Leachate Diversion/Feasibility Study 
(FS) to try to address the problem. The FS provided alternatives for 
interim treatment of the leachate entering Navy property. A 
Treatability Study of the engineered wetland technology was conducted 
as a result of the FS. Due to unforeseen changes in landfill operations 
and the hydrology upgradient of the Base, and susceptibility of the 
engineered wetland technology to drought conditions, the study was 
canceled.
    In 1996, the Navy released the final FS report, which provided an 
in-depth summary and discussion of the alternatives, all of which were 
determined to be impracticable as the report also determined that the 
leachate flowing onto Navy property at Site 7, a collection area for 
leachate from an off-Base source, is from the Bayamon Municipal 
Landfill, the operation of which could not be controlled by the Navy. 
Therefore, on February 27, 1997, the EPA notified the Navy that No 
Further Action was necessary and that a ROD would also not be required 
for the Leachate Ponding Area. Site 7 will be addressed by the 
Municipality of Toa Baja, the party responsible for Site 7 
contamination. Site 7, the Leachate Ponding Area, is not part of the 
NPL Site.

C. Characterization of Human Health Risk

    The RI and SIs included investigations of the surface water, 
sediment, soil, and groundwater in the vicinity of the sites. The 
investigations included a wide range of analyses to detect volatile and 
semi-volatile organic compounds, pesticides, herbicides, 
polychlorinated biphenyls, inorganics (metals) and cyanide. 
Concentrations found in the soil, surface water, sediment and 
groundwater were below commonwealth and federal regulatory levels and 
risks for both current and future use were within acceptable levels as 
defined by the NCP. EPA and PREQB believe that conditions at the Site 
pose no unacceptable risks to human health or the environment.

D. Ecological Risk

    The results of the ecological risk assessment indicate that the 
Former Pest Control Shop does not pose a threat to ecological receptors 
or habitats.

E. Site Meets Deletion Criteria

    All the construction completion requirements for this Site have 
been met as described in the No Action RODs, (in lieu of a Final Close 
Out Report), signed on September 30, 1997, which were prepared in 
accordance with OSWER Directive 9320.2-09, Close Out Procedures for 
National Priorities List Sites. EPA and PREQB have determined that the 
Navy has implemented all appropriate actions necessary under CERCLA, at 
this Site. The remedial and site investigations and remedial action for 
this Site have been successfully implemented, are protective of human 
health, welfare and the environment and no further response actions are 
necessary. Consequently, EPA is proposing deletion of this Site from 
the NPL. Documents supporting this action are available from the 
docket. Because no hazardous substances remain at the Site above 
health-based levels, the five-year review requirement of Section 121 
(c) of CERCLA as amended, does not apply at this Site.


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    Dated: June 18, 1998.
William J. Muszynski,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region II.
[FR Doc. 98-20152 Filed 7-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U