Document ID: EPA-HQ-SFUND-2005-0011-0174
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2020-09-25T04:00Z

Responsiveness Summary

Introduction
	
	A Notice of Intent to Partially Delete the surface and subsurface soils of the Queen City Farms Superfund Site was published in the Federal Register on July 14, 2020 (85 FR 42343).  The publication of this notice was intended to inform the public that EPA planned to partially delete the surface and subsurface soils at the Site from the National Priorities List and provide a 30-day public comment period on the proposed partial deletion.  The closing date for comments on the Notice of Intent to Delete was August 13, 2020.  Three written comments were received. These comments are available in the docket. EPA also attended a virtual meeting with one local citizen group to provide them with additional information regarding the proposed action.  In addition, all public comments were considered in EPA's final decision to delete the Site from the NPL.  

Responsiveness Summary

	The Responsiveness Summary has been prepared to provide responses to comments submitted to EPA during the 30-day public comment period regarding the Notice of Intent to Partially Delete (85 FR 42343) the surface and subsurface soils of the Queen City Farms Superfund Site.  The original comments are summarized below and available at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA - HQ - SFUND - 2005 -  0011, with the support materials under document type "Public Submissions".

 One commenter supported EPA's proposed partial deletion of soils from the NPL.

2a. One comment noted that the chlorinated solvents burned in the ponds may have produced dioxins and furans that were likely deposited on nearby soils. These compounds were not sampled for in the Remedial Investigation and may be present in undisturbed areas. The commenter requested that the deletion document note that the presence of dioxins and furans in undisturbed soils near the Final Containment Cell is unknown and, if residential use were allowed in this area, the area should be evaluated for dioxins in near surface soils prior to such approval .

Response:   The ROD limits the Final Containment Cell to industrial use.  In addition, the IC's in place restrict use Site-wide to industrial use.  

b. The commenter noted that the cleanup level for Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils was established in the ROD at 1 μg/kg (microgram per kilogram), the practical quantification limit as of 1994. Since the 2018 Five Year Review, the state of Washington's soil cleanup levels for PAHs have been revised. The commenter requested that EPA evaluate whether the ROD cleanup level for PAHs is still protective. If it's not, they requested that the confirmation sampling results from the Buried Drum area outside the Final Containment Cell be re-evaluated to see if that area still meets risk-based cleanup levels.

Response:  In January 2017, , EPA lowered the cancer potency factor for carcinogenic PAHs based on changes to the toxicity values for benzo[a]pyrene in its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. The information was used to inform the modification  to the state cleanup level. If the new cancer potency factor were applied, the level of risk associated with the ROD cleanup level of 1 mg/kg would be lower than that provided for in the ROD. As such, the ROD value continues to be protective.

 One commenter urged that the soils at QCF "not be de-listed".  He cited the unknowns identified in comment 2a above and potential future use of the land, both on-site and in the surrounding area. 

   Response: See response 2a above. .  The ROD limits the Final Containment Cell to industrial use.  In addition, the IC's in place restrict use Site-wide to industrial use.