Figure 1. Area Map
PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
AIR FORCE PLANT 85
COLUMBUS, FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO
The U.S. Air Force Plant 85 (AFP 85) is a former aircraft production facility occupying approximately 420 acres in eastern Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Between 1941 and 1994, the plant produced aircraft parts, bombers, and missiles through government owned/contractor operated contracts.
The Air Force began evaluating environmental contamination at the site in 1984 under its Installation Restoration Program (IRP). Environmental monitoring conducted in former spill sites and waste storage areas through the IRP indicated that elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exist in the subsurface soils of isolated areas of AFP 85. In addition, elevated chromium levels were detected in groundwater samples and low levels of other metals were found in surface water and sediment. As part of their investigation of the plant, the Air Force also determined that several on-site buildings contain asbestos and probably contain lead-based paint.
In 1994, the Air Force ceased operations at the site, vacated and cleaned on-site buildings, and removed most processing material and equipment from the premises. Spills and releases in many areas were contained and the Air Force currently performs activities to prevent the continued release of contamination from the site. It does this by controlling the sources of contamination associated with chemicals formerly used at the site. In June 1995, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted an initial site visit and released a Site Summary in October 1995. Through the Site Summary, ATSDR identified additional on-site areas in need of investigation.
ATSDR has reviewed site information released since the 1995 Site Summary. Based on this review and current levels of environmental contamination associated with the site, ATSDR determined that the general public and future construction and utility workers should not be exposed to contaminated on-site subsurface soil, groundwater, surface water/sediment, air, or area grown food at levels associated with human health hazards. The general public is restricted by barriers from entering contaminated areas and ongoing cleanup activities continue to reduce environmental contamination. Environmental data also suggested that several remaining on-site structures may contain asbestos and lead-based paint. These structures, however, are not expected to pose health hazards for future uses that do not involve children or disruption of building materials. ATSDR concludes that AFP 85 poses No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
The Air Force plans to give the northern portion of the site to the Columbus Port Authority per congressional legislation and they plan to sell the southern portion. AFP 85 makes information on locations of site hazards (e.g., asbestos, lead-based painted building) to potential future site owners during its Invitation to Bid process. ATSDR agrees that use restrictions and the nonresidential zoning status accompany transfers of site property. If the zoning status changes to residential use, ATSDR recommends that further measures be taken. In the future, if exposures occur in areas where contaminant concentrations may pose a health hazard, ATSDR will review environmental monitoring data when available to determine if conclusions and recommendations contained in this report require modification.
2.1.1 Location and Site Description
The U.S. Air Force Plant 85 (AFP 85) is located in an industrialized area of the eastern portion of Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio (see Figure 1). The site, consisting of two noncontiguous parcels encompassing approximately 420 acres, is bordered to the north and east by the Port Columbus International Airport, to the south by the Defense Construction and Supply Center (DCSC) and other commercial, residential, and industrial properties, and to the west by commercial property and vacant land (see Figure 2) (USAF, 1996a).
The main industrial area of the plant consists of the approximately 270-acre parcel located along East 5th Avenue (see Figure 3). The main area is divided into northern and southern portions because of planned future uses. The Air Force identified 12 sites and an area of concern that may contain contamination associated with past hazardous waste handling or disposal practices (see Figure 3). In addition, several locations of former underground storage tanks used for waste oils and aviation fuels were reported on the property. Sites with documented contamination are described below. The site numbers correspond to locations in Figure 3.
Northern Portion
Figure 3. AFP 85 Industrial Area Map
Southern Portion
The Air Force also identified the Magnesium Chip Burning Site (Site 1), Rubble Disposal Site (Site 6), and the Process Tank Acid Spill (Site 7) as potentially contaminated sites, however, further record review and investigations failed to reveal hazardous materials associated with these sites. The Air Force removed five underground storage tanks from the N.E. Building No. 3 Fuel Tank Site (Site 9) and confirmed that the tanks' contents had not leaked into the surrounding environment.
Other site features include an operational wind tunnel and boiler house, several intact buildings, and an extensive stormwater drainage system. The intact buildings contain friable (easily crumbled) and nonfriable asbestos and probably also contain lead-based paint. The stormwater drainage system extends throughout the industrial area and discharges into Mason's Run and Turkey Run (USAF, 1996a).
In addition to the main industrial portion of the site, AFP 85 owned an open field lying west of the main part of the plant and along Steltzer Road which contained a Federal Aviation Administration-operated Instrument Landing System. An additional 56 acres west of the main plant once belonged to AFP 85 and was used as a radar test range (USAF, 1996a).
AFP 85 manufactured aircraft parts for military contracts. Between 1941 and 1950, the facility produced aircraft for the Navy under a contract with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. The plant relied on a manufacturing work force of over 24,000 employees in machining, metal finishing, electroplating, painting, and assembly capacities. Many of the operations involved the use of hazardous substances, explosive materials, x-ray equipment, and processing machinery (USAF, 1996a).
Production declined after World War II and Curtiss-Wright discontinued plant operations in 1950. In the late 1950s, the Navy acquired the property for use as the Navy Industrial Reserve Aircraft Plant, where, under the management of Rockwell International (known then as North American), it produced aircraft, bombers, and missiles until the late 1970s. By 1979 a diminished production schedule forced a reduction in the work force to 2,000 employees. The Navy transferred the plant in 1982 to the Air Force as AFP 85 for production of B-1B bombers. In 1988, McDonnell-Douglas assumed management responsibilities and expanded operations to include the manufacture of F-15 and C-17 aircraft parts (USAF, 1996a).
During plant operations, AFP 85 housed as many as 92 PCB transformers in vaults and substations. In 1994, 60 transformers were still in use, 30 had been removed, and two had been drained. Many production operations generated hazardous waste such as metal plating acids, cleaning solvents, paint strippers, and waste oils. Until 1988, hazardous wastes were accumulated in drums and stored at the James Road Hazardous Waste Storage Pad (USAF, 1996a). Over the history of the facility and during the course of normal activities, however, releases, leaks, and spills of waste materials occurred at various on-site locations, including the Fire Training Area, the Waste Water Treatment Plant, transformer sites, and the James Road Hazardous Waste Storage Pad.
Mason's Run is a stormwater stream fed by surface runoff. Stormwater runs from paved areas of the site (e.g., parking lots and roads) into the extensive stormwater drainage system for eventual discharge into Mason's Run. Until 1979, leachate containing sulfuric acid, ammonia, and copper had periodically entered Mason's Run. Air Force representatives instituted control measures that included the installation of an oil skimmer (with a floating boom and concrete weir) on Mason's Run and an underdrain system that diverted leachate away from the creek and toward a sump and holding tank for treatment (USAF, 1996a).
AFP 85 aircraft parts and bomber manufacturing operations ended in 1994. The Air Force and McDonnell-Douglas vacated and cleaned the on-site buildings and removed processing material and equipment from the premises. The Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) continues to employ 3,500 people in administrative functions in nonrestricted areas of buildings 3, 4, and a small part of building 7 (see Figure 3). DFAS also operates the site's heating plant. Ohio State University has an agreement with the Air Force to use the on-site wind tunnel. All site personnel are restricted from entering the industrial areas of site buildings and contaminated waste areas. A brick wall and locked gates separate the administrative buildings from the contaminated waste areas.
The Air Force began evaluating the site in 1984 under its Installation Restoration Program (IRP). The IRP is a U.S. Department of Defense program designed to identify, evaluate, and clean up environmental contamination resulting from past waste management practices on military property. The IRP, under the management of the Defense Environmental Restoration Program, follows rules and regulations outlined in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, also known as Superfund (USAF, 1996a). In January 1994, the site was proposed to be placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of sites to be investigated.
As a result of site investigation activities, the Air Force remediated several areas and proposed additional activities including the removal of soil from the James Road Hazardous Waste Storage Pad and the cleanup of PCB-contaminated soils at PCB Spill Site 3 to within 10 parts per million (ppm) (USAF, 1996a; Lewis, 1995b). In addition, the Air Force identified but did not fully characterize one new area, the Former Paint Stripping Pad, and several USTs removal areas located throughout the site (Tjoelker, 1995).
In addition to soil removal activities, the Air Force has taken protective measures to limit public access to the hazardous waste areas through the installation of perimeter fencing and guarded gates. Furthermore, the Air Force has liquidated most manufacturing equipment, emptied former processing buildings, and locked buildings to prevent access and potential exposure by personnel.
A fundamental aspect of the IRP is the involvement of the community. The Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) has been established for this reason, as it provides a forum in which the community members can be involved in the restoration process. Through the RAB, the public is given the opportunity to learn more about the restoration process, ask questions about procedures for cleanup, and advise those responsible for restoration. Another way the Air Force seeks community involvement is through newsletters and fact sheets that inform the community of site activities. Community members can also find information on site activities at the IRP information repositories located in the Columbus Public Library and the Whitehall Library. The information repositories each contain a copy of the plant's administrative record. The administrative record is the official legal record of the IRP decision process (USAF, 1996b).
ATSDR conducted an initial site visit of the AFP 85 from July 25 to 27, 1995, to collect information necessary to rank the site according to its potential public health hazard and to identify public health issues related to environmental contamination at the plant. ATSDR met with staff from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and representatives of the Air Force, the DCSC, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the city of Columbus, Redevelopment Department, the Port Columbus Airport, and the Columbus Health Department (USAF, 1996a). ATSDR prepared a Site Summary in October 1995 which identifies certain areas in need of additional investigations and issues requiring followup (ATSDR, 1995a).
The Air Force plans to give the northern portion of the site bordering the Port Columbus International Airport to the Columbus Port Authority per congressional legislation (USAF, 1996b). Through the coordinating efforts of the General Service Administration (GSA), the Air Force tentatively plans to sell the southern portion of AFP 85 in the fall of 1996 through an invitation bid process (Lewis, 1996). Any unfinished remedial activities will continue after the sale or transfer of the property (Lewis, 1995a). The Air Force has not identified potential buyers or uses for the southern portion of the site. According to the city of Columbus, Redevelopment Department, the AFP 85 site is zoned for nonresidential use (Brugman, 1995). For this reason, future uses will probably be similar to former industrial uses. Specific use restrictions intended to accompany the sale of the property are being developed (Lewis, 1996). After the sale of AFP 85 property, DFAS will remain on the site for an undetermined time period before moving to the DCSC property south of the site. No other interim uses are planned for the site (Lewis, 1995a).
AFP 85 is within the municipality of Columbus, Ohio. Using the area-proportion spatial analysis technique of a Geographic Information System (GIS), ATSDR determined that 21,011 people (including 2,561 children under the age of 7 years and 3,299 adults aged 65 and older) reside within a one-mile buffer zone of the site (see Figure 4). Approximately 3,500 people employed by the DFAS access site buildings 3, 4, a small part of building 7, and the heat plant (USAF, 1996a). An unspecified number of Ohio State University personnel continue to use the on-site wind tunnel.(1)
Figure 4. Demographics in a One-Mile Buffer Around AFP 85
AFP 85 overlies glacial outwash and Devonian limestone aquifers. An aquifer is a subsurface geological formation that conducts or transports water. Regional lower Devonian rocks are major sources of groundwater supply in western Franklin County (about 5 miles west of the site). The southwestern portion of the site is underlain by glacial outwash of well sorted gravel deposits which can yield 200 gallons of water per minute (gpm). The remaining portion of the site is underlain by thin layers of low yielding (25 gpm) glacial outwash deposits interbedded with glacial silty, sandy till. The black, fissile shale bedrock (Ohio-Olentangy Shale Formation) separates and limits water seepage from the more permeable overlying glacial deposit to the deeper limestone aquifer (USAF, 1994b, 1996a). The city of Columbus obtains its municipal water supply from surface water sources and the low yielding aquifer is not known to serve as a source for any other public water supply in the area (Lewis, 1996). There are not any private wells on or near the site (ATSDR, 1995b).
AFP 85 is located in the eastern edge of the central lowlands. The terrain is generally flat and lacks swamps, lakes, and relief (except near streams, glacial moraines, and resistant bedrock) typical of glaciated areas. The site lies within the Big Walnut Creek Drainage Basin. Surface water runoff and stormwater drainage from AFP 85 discharged into Mason's and Turkey Runs. Both creeks enter the AFP 85 site from the Port Columbus International Airport north of the site and flow south. Mason's Run is enclosed in a concrete culvert as it crosses the site. After leaving the site, Mason's Run becomes a 10 to 20 foot wide, sporadically vegetated creek. Turkey Run becomes a densely vegetative natural stream about one-foot deep and 10 feet wide. The creeks join and flow south through urban residential and industrial areas before reaching the Big Walnut Creek five miles downstream of the site (USAF, 1996a). Big Walnut Creek is a tributary of the Scioto River, which is the principal river in Franklin County. The Scioto River flows south through downtown Columbus and ultimately into the Ohio River.
Limited information is available on the biota and recreational use of the creeks. In the 1960s, several fish kills were reported along Mason's Run (USAF, 1996a). The fish were reported to be "small minnow type fish" (USAF, 1996b). A 1988 aquatic survey of Mason's Run suggested that there were higher population densities of benthic organisms upstream of the plant than downstream. The survey also attempted to characterize the fish population of Mason's Run, however, fish seining failed to obtain any fish. Because of low flow and obstructing vegetation, neither Mason's Run nor Turkey Run are believed to support fishing or swimming activities (Lewis, 1995b; Lewis, 1996). Big Walnut Creek serves as a popular fishing area, but it does not have any public swimming areas.
AFP 85 is not used for recreational purposes by the general public. Domestic trash (e.g., grass clipping and leaves) and an opening in the fence were found in the Steltzer Road parcel. Although these findings suggest that trespassing occurs on this parcel, limited, if any, site-related environmental contamination is likely to be present in this nonindustrial parcel (USAF, 1994a).
