News Release 06-08
US Army Corps Of Engineers
April 21, 2006 Immediate

Greg Fuderer
Telephone: (213) 452-3923
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FORD CITY SOIL STUDY TO BEGIN

LOS ANGELES— On Monday, April 24, 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin a Preliminary Endangerment Assessment (PEA) of eight two-acre, unused, vacant former drill sites in Ford City, Calif., on behalf of the Department of Energy (DOE), to determine the need for any further study or remedial action. The ultimate goal is approval of a clean closure of the sites and the transfer ownership of the property from DOE.

The first phase of the assessment will be an Ambient Study of soil in the vicinity of the eight former drill sites. The study will identify the types and concentrations of chemicals that result from natural “background” conditions, as well as any anthropogenic activities (e.g. automobile exhaust, residential chimney emissions, etc.) that are not related to the drill sites but may have impacted area soils.

The second phase consists of PEAs at two of the eight drill sites (DS-3A and DS-24) in Spring 2006. Subsequent phases of the work will evaluate the results of the Ambient Study and DS-3A and DS-24 PEAs. The Corps will apply results and lessons learned from these investigations to plan and conduct the evaluation of the remaining six drill sites. Evaluation of the remaining six drill sites is currently scheduled for November 2006, with any required remedial actions to follow in Spring– Summer, 2007.

Seven PEAs will be completed. Five PEAs will be prepared after the PEAs for DS-3A and DS-24 are completed. Due to extensive previous investigation and remediation at DS-26, this site does not require a formal PEA although additional assessment and possible remediation will be conducted.

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will conduct oversight of the assessments and any required remedial activities. Ultimately, the Army Corps and DOE will petition DTSC for a finding of “No Further Action” at these sites and for approval of a “Closure Report” which will be submitted upon completion of the assessments.

During the Ambient Study, hand tools such as shovels and trowels will be used to collect surface (less than three inches ground surface (bgs)) and subsurface (one and one-half to two feet bgs) soils from 22 locations along roadway shoulders in the vicinity of the eight drill sites. A statistical analysis of these 44 samples (22 locations, two depths per location) will provide baseline data against which site-specific sample results can be compared. The Corps will prepare and submit to DTSC a Technical Memorandum discussing results of the study within 60 days of completion of sampling.

The PEA sampling for DS-3A and DS-24 is currently scheduled for May 2006. Technicians will sample soil at 24 locations at the two drill sites for an extensive list of potential contaminants. At each sampling location a backhoe will be used to dig a three-foot-deep hole, and samples will be collected from depths of 0-0.5’ bgs, 1.5-2.0’ bgs, and 2.5-3.0’ bgs.

Results from the Ambient Study will be evaluated to determine whether concentrations of chemicals detected at DS-3A and DS-24 are at ambient levels or are elevated due to some site-specific activity. (Note that two of these six drill sites, DS-22 and DS-26 have had prior assessment and remedial activities; however, additional assessment of site conditions remains to be completed prior to receiving a No Further Action designation from DTSC).

A Work Plan Addendum will be prepared by USACE, and submitted to DOE and DTSC for approval, during Summer/Fall 2006 to detail sampling activities required to complete PEAs for the remaining six sites. Sampling at the remaining six drill sites is anticipated to occur in early November 2006.

Depending on results of the November 2006 activities, PEA Reports and Remedial Action Work Plans will be prepared, as appropriate, and submitted to DTSC to determine which sites are available for immediate transfer of ownership (i.e. “No Further Action”), and/or which sites may require additional assessment and/or remediation prior to transfer of ownership

For further information, please contact Greg Fuderer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Public Affairs Office, 213 452-3923.

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