July14,2017AmyHadiarisPollutionControlAgency520LafayetteRoadNorthStPaul,MN55155RE:CommentsonFordAreaCComprehensiveSiteHistory&InvestigationReportIIDearMsHadiaris:FriendsoftheMississippiRiver(FMR)isalocalnon-profitcommunity-basedorganizationthatworkstoprotectandenhancethenaturalandculturalassetsoftheMississippiRiveranditswatershedintheTwinCities.Wehave2,300activemembers,andmorethan6,500annualvolunteerswhocaredeeplyabouttheriver’suniqueresources.FMRhasengagedPaulWotzkaofLandandWaterConsultingtopreparetheattachedcomments.WeappreciatetheopportunitytoprovideinputatthisjunctureandlookforwardtocontinuingtoworkwiththeMPCA,Fordandotherstakeholdersonthisimportantmatter.Sincerely,

WhitneyL.ClarkExecutiveDirector

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CommentsonAreaC–ComprehensiveSiteHistoryandInvestigationReportII,May2017

Introduction

ThepurposeofthesecommentsistoreviewtheadequacyoftheInvestigationReport,highlightsalientissuesfoundtherein,andmakerecommendationsforimprovementsinmonitoring,analysis,andremediationofAreaCforthebenefitofhumanandaquatichealth.

Overall,thereissignificantunderstatedwaterqualitycontaminationatthesiteandasignificantriskoffuturecontaminationtogroundwaterandtheMississippiRiverthatisnotadequatelyaddressedintheReport.Specifically,theInvestigationReport:1)ignorestheriskofintactbarrelscontainedwithinthepileofindustrialwaste2)inappropriatelyappliessurfacewaterstandardstogroundwatercontaminationidentifiedatthesite3)poorlyevaluatesthecomplexitiesofgroundandsurfacewaterinteractionandthecloseconnectiontowaterqualitycontaminationatthesite4)useswaterqualityanalyticalmethodswithreportingandmethoddetectionlimitssignificantlyhigherthanapplicablestandardstherebyminimizingpotentialcontamination5)inadequatelyinvestigatescontaminationduetoverylimitedsamplingbothintermsoffrequencyofsamplesandnumberofparametersanalyzedfor,intheMississippiRivernearAreaCconductedforcommonlydetectedcompoundsemanatingfromthewastepile.

WastePileFromtheInvestigationReportandthe3DvisualizationmodelprovidebyArcadis,thedimensionsoftheindustrialwastepilewithinAreaCanditslocationonthefloodplainoftheMississippicanbedetermined.Utilizingthistoolandresultsfromsamplingsoilcontaminates,theoverallmassofcontaminationofthepilecouldbeestimated.Inaddition,Figure9bforTrench2andFigure9cforTrench3,identifyintactbarrelsfrominvestigationofAreaCconductedin2015.BasedontheseobservationsandotherinvestigationswithintheReport,thenumberofintactbarrelslockedwithinthepileofindustrialwastecouldalsobeestimated.Thedeterminationsofthetotalmassofcontaminationandthenumberofintactbarrelscontainedwithinthepilewouldprovidea“ballpark”numberinordertoestimatetotalcontaminationstillcontainedwithinthepileandanestimateoftheriskoffuturecontaminationfromthepile.Also,fromthe3Dvisualizationmodel,itcanbedeterminedthatthebottompartoftheindustrialwastepile,whichcontainsthehighestconcentrationsofpollutants,willbeinundatedduringa10-yearfloodfromtheMississippiRiver(elevation707ft)andthatthe50and100-yearfloodelevationswillinundatealmosttheentirewastepile.Frommappingconductedonthe4milesoftunnelsunderneaththeTCAPsite,thephysicaldimensions,slopesandelevationsofthetunnelscouldbeaddedtothe3Dmodelinordertoanalyzegroundwaterflowanddirectionintothepilefromtunnel1Aandinteractionwithsurfacewater.Thetunnelswillactaspreferentialflowpathsforgroundwateranalogoustoagriculturaldraintile.Waterflowingin

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tunnelsisconduitflowandcanbemeasuredbytypicalsurfacewatermeasurements-velocityinft/secandvolumesincfs–tocalculateloadingofpollutantsandtherebybetterunderstandthefluxofcontaminantswithintheSt.PeterAquifer(seepicturesandtunnelmapbelow).

ThalliumasanexampleWaterQualityParameterthatisanUnderstatedRisk

intheInvestigationReport

ThalliumConcentrationsinGroundwaterThalliumisusedasanexampleofawaterqualityparameterthatisobservedatmuchhigherlevelsthanHRLstandardingroundwater(15timesgreater).LowerlevelsofthalliumarenotdetectedbecausetheMDL(relativezeroforlaboratorywaterqualityanalyses)forthalliumis3timesgreaterthantheapplicableHRLstandard(1.7to2.1vs.0.6).ThisblindspotinthewaterqualityanalysesforthalliumleadstoanincompletepictureofitsbehavioringroundwaterunderneathareaC.Itshouldalsobenoted,thatbackgroundlevelsintheSt.PeteraquiferintheTwinCitiesareaareapproximately0.014ug/L,whichisover700timeslessthantheobservedconcentrationsinSt.PeterwellsinAreaC,basedona1999MPCAbaselinestudyofaquifersinthemetropolitanarea(https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/metro-rpt.pdf).Thalliumhasbeencalledthe“poisoner’spoison”sinceitiscolorless,odorless,andtasteless.Itcanbeabsorbedthroughtheskinaswellasingestedandinhaled.Thallium’schemicalpropertiesarecompiledinthefollowingfactsheet:http://www.health.utah.gov/enviroepi/appletree/Lehi/thallium.pdf.Areviewofresearchthathasbeenconductedonthalliuminaquaticecosystemscanbefoundhere:http://espace.inrs.ca/830/1/R001272.pdf.ForthesecommentstotheAreaCInvestigativeReport,itisimportanttoemphasizethatthalliumisextremelytoxic,andhasmultipleroutesofexposurethatcanimpacthumanandaquatichealthincludingadsorptionthroughtheskinandabioconcentrationfactorinfreshwaterfishandplantsof100,000.TheHealthRiskLimit(HRL)forthalliumis0.6[ug/L].HRLsarepromulgatedbytheMinnesotaDepartmentofHealthforgroundwatercontaminantsbyestimatingthelong-termexposurelevelthatisunlikelytoresultindeleteriouseffectstohumans.HRLs strictly incorporate factors related to human health (Minn. R., Pts. 4717.7100 to 4717.7800). Uncertaintyandotherexposurepathways,suchasshowering,cooking,andinhalationofwatervapor,areaddressedthroughtheuseofsafetyfactors.HRLsaretheappropriatestandardstobeappliedtoallgroundwaterconcentrationsofThalliumfoundinAreaC.Observedconcentrationofthallium,usingEPAMethod6010,rangedfrom2.4to10ug/LinamultitudeofwellsatdifferenttimeswithinAreaC.Inaddition,thalliumhasbeendetectedatleastonceinStPeterAquiferwellsAMW30and31northof

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AreaCandonewellinthePlattevilleformation.Theseobservedconcentrationsare10tonearly20timeshigherthantheHRLof0.6[ug/L].Non-detectionsofthalliumneedtobeviewedwiththeunderstandingthattheMDLforthalliumanalysesisbetween1.7-2.1[ug/L],whichis3timesgreaterthanstandard.ThesporadicnatureofthalliumdetectionscaneasilybeexplainedbythehighMDLorrelativezeroofthelaboratorymethodusedinrelationtotheHRL.Thisblindspotinobservableconcentrationsshouldnotbeusedtounderstatethepotentialriskofthalliumconcentrationtohumanandaquatichealth.AsimilaranalysisshouldbeconductedonothercommonlydetectedwaterqualitycontaminantsfoundatareaCincludingPAHs.AtableliketheonebelowshouldindicateRLs,MDLs,rangeofdetectedconcentrations,frequencyofdetection,andanyblindspotsincontaminantlevelsduetoanalyticalwaterqualitymethodsused.AnalysisofobservedwaterqualityconcentrationsversusstandardscannotaccuratelybecompletedwhenthereisalargeblindspotbetweenapplicablestandardsandobservedconcentrationsduetohighRLs/MDLs.

ThalliuminWater–concentrationsin(ug/L) Concentration CommentMatrix-LabMethodUsed Water EPAMethod6010LabReportingLimit(RL) 10 IdeallyRLis2-10XMDL;

observedconcentrationsbetweenRLandMDLareflaggedwitha“J”suffix

LabMethodDetectionLimit(MDL) 1.7to2.1 Mustbe<RLObservedConcentrationRange 2.1to10 St.Peteraquifer/riverparcel

overburdenflaggedwitha“J”suffixbecauseobservedconcentrations>MDLbut<RL

ApplicableStandard:Groundwater(HRL) 0.6 Whenastandard<MDL,thensampleswithconcentrationsbetweentheMDLandthestandardarenotknown

OtherLaboratoryMethodsforthesameMatrixwillhavedifferentRLsandMDLs

1.0 MDHhasaRLforthalliumof1.0forEPAMethods6020and200.8(drinkingandnon-potablewater).Presumably,aMDLwouldbe2-10timeslowerandthereforebelowtheHRLgroundwateror2Bsurfacewaterstandards

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ThalliumconcentrationsinsurfacewaterPage8-16oftheInvestigationReportstatesthefollowingconclusionwithrespecttometalsdetectedinMississippiRiversampling:SurfaceWater.MetaldetectionsinthesurfacewatersampleshavebeenisolatedandatconcentrationsbelowtheirrespectiveWQSs.AreviewofsurfacewatersamplingresultsintheInvestigationReportindicates,however,thatthalliumwasnotanalyzedinanyofthesamplestaken.Therefore,itisnotknowniftherearedetectableconcentrationsofthalliumintheMississippiRiverwithrespecttothe2Bsurfacewaterstandardforthalliumof0.56[ug/L].Finally,whatismissingfromtheanalysisofthalliumconcentrationsatAreaCiswhetherornottheyarefromFord’smanufacturingprocessesincludingtheminingandmanufacturingofglassthatwasconductedatthesitefrom1915-1958.FordshouldsharedatawiththeMPCAonthalliumusageandwasteproductsfromitsautomobileandglassmanufacturingoperation.

GroundwaterandSurfaceWaterInteractionwithinAreaCTheentireFordTCAPsiteisunderlainbyanetworkof4milesofsilicasandminingtunnels,andothertunnelsandshaftsfortraffic,steam,oil,gas,cableandsewer:

Thesetunnelsserveaspreferentialflowpathswhengroundwaterelevationsreachthetunnelfloors:

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OtherimagesofTCAPTunnelsfilledwithwatercanbefoundat:https://www.substreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Mine-Cart-Power-Supports-CSUSBTREET.org_.jpgMostimportantforAreaCistheoutletoftunnel1A,whichdirectlyentersintotheindustrialwastepile.Silicasandtunnel1AfunctionsasconduitforSt.Petergroundwaterintothepilewhenevergroundwaterelevationsexceedthetunnelfloor.Becausethereisanetworkofinterconnectedtunnels,withoutadetailedsurveyofdimensions,elevationsandslopesofthetunnels,itisimpossibletostatetheactualimpactofconduitanddiffusegroundwaterflowintothepile.However,thisuniquefeatureunderneathAreaCneedstobeevaluatedinordertounderstandthepotentialinundationoftheindustrialwastepilefromgroundwaterthroughthispreferentialflowpath.WateralsoflowsthroughthepileduetotheinfluenceoftheMississippiRiver.Whenfloodingoccurs,tailwaterelevationfromLockandDamwillriseandinundatethepile.Arcadis’s3Dvisualizationmodelindicatesthatduringtypicaltailwaterelevations(689feet),theMississippiRiverwouldtouchthelowestpartofthepile.Atthe10-yearfloodelevation(707feet),thebottomportionofthepilewillbeinundatedwhichcontainsthehighestconcentrationsofpollutants.MississippitailwaterelevationswillcontrolthewaterlevelunderandwithinthepilewhenitisgreaterthanthegroundwaterelevationoftheSt.PeterandhasthepotentialtoalterorreversegroundwaterflowdirectionbackintotheSt.Peteraquifer.AdramaticchangeindirectionofgroundwaterflowhasbeendocumentedintheInvestigationReport(seepages357-358,451-53).Thisgroundwaterandsurfaceinteractionneedstobeunderstoodingreaterdetailinordertobetterassesstheriskofcontaminationfrompollutantsleachingfromtheindustrialwastepileintothe

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MississippiRiverandSt.PeterAquifer.HistorictailwaterelevationforLockandDam1areavailableat:http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/data/LockDam_01.Data.htmlInsum,waterqualitysamplingthroughoutthe30-yearhistoryhasbeensporadicatbestandnotcorrelatedtothehydrologicandhydrogeologicalcomplexitiesofthesiteandthereforeleavesaincompletepictureoftherisktoaquaticandhumanhealthduetoexistingandfuturecontaminationfromthewastepile.

Recommendations

Ø ConductaHealthConsultationStudyofthesiteforthallium,PAHs,andothercommonlydetectedcompoundswiththeMinnesotaDepartmentofHealth(MDH)andotherexpertsonhydrology,hydrogeology,andtoxicology

Ø Determinethetotalmassofcontaminationcontainedintheindustrialwastepileandestimatethenumberofintactdrumsandbarrelsofcontaminants

Ø AddthemapoftunnelsunderneaththeTCAPsitetotheArcadis3DvisualizationmodeltobetterunderstandthehydrologicandhydrogeologicalcomplexitiesofAreaC

Ø ContractwithananalyticallabthatprovideslowerMDLsandRLsofcommonlydetectedcontaminantsinordertounderstandtheirbehaviorwithinthecomplexitiesofthehydrologyandhydrogeologyofthesite

Ø ConstructatableofcommonlydetectedpollutantsfoundinAreaClistingMDLs,RLs,observedconcentrationranges,frequencyofdetections,andapplicablegroundwaterandsurfacewaterstandards

Ø UseappropriateMDHpromulgatedHRLgroundwaterstandardstoevaluatepollutantconcentrationsfoundingroundwater

Ø UseSoilLeachingValuesversusSoilReferenceValuestoevaluatetherisksforcontaminatedsoiltocontaminategroundwater

Ø Usecontinuousdatamonitoringtechnologytogainabetterunderstandingof:1)theinfluenceofthetailwaterelevationstogroundwaterwaterlevelsatthesiteand2)theinfluenceoftunnel-conduitanddiffusegroundwaterflowintothepile

Ø Conductadditionalwaterqualitysamplingofgroundwaterandsurfacewateratthesitewiththenewunderstandingdevelopedfromthecontinuouswaterquantitymonitoring

Ø ConductsamplingoftheMississippiforcommonlydetectedcontaminantsemanatingfromtheindustrialwasteattimeswhentheconcentrationswouldbeexpectedtobethehigheste.g.baseflowor7Q10flowsiftheyoccur

Ø Conductsamplingoffishtissueandaquaticvegetationformetalsandotherpollutantsthatmaybioconcentrateorbioaccumulateindifferentpartoftheecosystem

Ø FordshouldsharedatawiththeMPCAonitshistoricusageofcommonlydetectedpollutantsatthesite,inparticularpollutantslikethallium,which

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mayhavebeenusedduringthemanufacturingofglassatthesitefrom1915to1958.

Ø Acknowledgetheverycomplexhydrology,hydrogeology,andwaterqualitybehavioratthesite

Ø GraphhistoricaltailwaterelevationfromLockandDam1andcomparethemtothelocationoftheindustrialwastepileandthegroundwaterelevationsoftheSt.PeterAquifer

Ø GraphparameterscontainedinthefieldnotesattheendoftheInvestigationReportfordissolvedoxygen,pH,andtemperatureofgroundwaterinordertobetterunderstandthechemicalreactionsoccurringwithinthepileofindustrialwaste

Ø AcknowledgetheinherentvulnerabilitiesofcontaminationatthesiteduetothelocationoftheindustrialwastepileinthefloodplainoftheMississippiRiverandtunnel-conduitflowofSt.Petergroundwaterintothepile

Ø Acknowledgethelargeunknownrisksthatareposedbyintactbarrelsanddrumsofindustrialwasteatthesitethatmaynotyetbeleaking

Ø ThetoppriorityofthefeasibilitystudyforremediationofAreaCshouldbetheremovalofthepileofindustrialwaste.Completeremovalofthepileandcontaminatedgroundwaterwouldeliminatefuturemonitoringandinvestigatorycosts

Ø Absentcompleteremovalofthepileofindustrialwasteandcontaminatedgroundwater,remedialactionalternativesforsoilsinclude:§ Removal§ Consolidation§ Disposalinindustrialwaste/hazardouswastelandfill§ Soiltreatment

• Incineration(on-siteoroff-site)• Bioremediationofsomecompounds

Ø Absentcompleteremovalofthepileofindustrialwasteandcontaminatedgroundwater,remedialactionalternativesforgroundwater:§ Monitoring§ Deedrestriction§ Physicalcontainment§ Hydrauliccontainment/collection

• Extractionwells• Extractionwellswithreinjection

§ Treatment• Biological• Activatedcarbon• Airstripping• Aeration• Oxidation• Ionexchange• Reverseosmosis• Solarevaporation

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• DischargetoPOTW• Ultravioletoxidation• Biological/activatedcarbon

§ Treatmentbygroundwaterdisposal• Reinjection/rechargeoftreatedwater• Dischargetosurfacewateroftreatedwater• DischargetoPOTWofsomecontaminatedwater• DischargetoRCRAfacilityofsomecontaminatedwater.

ConclusionThenearly40-yearhistoryofinvestigationandmonitoringoftheindustrialwastepileunderAreaChasonecommontheme-theadage“dilutionisthesolutiontopollution.”Extensiveeffortshavebeenmadetodeterminethedimensionsandcontentofthepilewhilenoefforthasbeendirectedtoactualcleanup.TheimpliedhopefromtheInvestigationReportisthatthepollutionemanatingfromthepilewillcauseminimaladverseeffectsonhumanoraquatichealthandthattheMississippiRiverandtheSt.PeterAquifer,whicharetherecipientsofthispollution,willdilutethepollutantsfrom80yearsofmanufacturingtosuchlowlevelsthatitwillbedeemedharmlessbyregulators.WestronglydisagreewiththisapproachandthroughthecommentsabovewehaveendeavoredtoshowtheflawsofthisapproachintheInvestigationReport.WebelieveriskstohumanhealthandtheenvironmenthavenotbeenproperlyevaluatedandweareconcernedthatthereportimproperlyunderstatestheseriousnessofpollutionproblemswithinAreaC.First,thefloodplainoftheMississippiRiverisaverypoorplaceforuncontainedindustrialwastetoreside.Additionally,thefloodplainlocationwithalargetunneloutletfromaseriesofminedtunnelsfromamajoraquiferdrainingdirectlyintothepile,significantlycomplicateseffortstounderstandpotentialriskstohumanandenvironmentalhealthandleadsustoconcludethatthewasteshouldberemoved.Obviously,the90,000cubicyardsofconstructiondebristhatwasdeliberatelyplacedontopoftheindustrialwasteposessignificantchallengestoremovingthewastebutwedon’tbelievethisexcusestheresponsibilitytopermanentlycleanupthesite.While,inourcommentsabove,wehavesuggestednumerousadditionalstepsthatshouldbetakentoproperlyinvestigatepotentialrisksposedbytheindustrialwastelocatedwithinAreaC,wewouldsubmitthatratherthanexpendingmoreresourcesoneffortstocharacterizetherisk,Fordshouldnowbegininvestigatingthemethodsandcostsassociatedwithremovingthewasteandfullyremediatingthesite.FordandtheMPCAmustacknowledgethatcontinuousinundationofthepilebythe10-yearorgreaterfloodsalongwithdirectconduitflowintothepilefromthetunneloutletduetorisinggroundwaterelevations,will,overtime,washallofthe

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contaminantsintotheMississippiRiverandSt.PeterAquifer.Webelievethisisirresponsibleandunacceptable.FordshoulddeveloparemediationplantoremovethewastepileandtreatcontaminatedgroundwaterwaterandrestorethispartoftheMississippiRiverGorge.Fordhasalonghistoryasagoodcorporatecitizeninourcommunity.Leavingapileofindustrialtoxicwaste,leachingcontaminantsintotheMississippiRiverandgroundwaterwithinaNationalParkwouldbeastainonthecompany’slegacythatshouldbeavoidedbyfullyremediatingAreaC.