Issue:
The Chatham Barrel Yard is a State Superfund hazardous waste site which has contaminated groundwater, soil, and surface water off-site in southwest Escondido and in Felicita Park.
Summary:
According to official documents, the Chatham Brothers Barrel Yard is the largest site in our region contaminated with toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution. It was discovered in the 1980’s and designated as a ‘State Superfund’ site. During the past 30 years, the plumes of contamination have migrated in groundwater over a mile from the site and have polluted local domestic wells, groundwater, and Felicita Creek in violation of water quality standards established in the Basin Plan, and requirements in the MS4 permit. The contaminated plumes have migrated from the yard and are now under Felicita Park, existing homes, and farmland. This is a tragic situation that has not been resolved in the over 20 years of remedial action. Major cleanup efforts have occurred at the Barrel Yard itself, but no cleanup of contaminated groundwater has been done downstream/down gradient of the Chatham site. Several chemicals from the site are on the Proposition 65 list—a state list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Discharges to the surface water of Felicita Creek are continuing unabated in violation of water regulations, adopted remedial objectives, and the Basin Plan. Local residents have had beneficial and healthful use of their groundwater compromised. The contamination in the plumes has also been captured by domestic irrigation wells which discharge the contamination to land and air without treatment and creating another route of exposure. ENU has advocated for treatments systems on all contaminated irrigation wells.
The full Health Risk Assessment was completed in 1996 and many conditions have changed from that time. New homes are under construction and proposed on areas contaminated by the plumes. The plumes have migrated under more properties and new routes of exposure may occur with the new development plans. The potential for future actions by the county and city that could impact migration of the plume and/or exacerbate erosion through groundwater recharge, discharges, runoff or increased intensities and volumes of flows should be stopped.
And, the plume continues to migrate south toward Lake Hodges, and east and west into developed areas. As stated in official documents, “ Temporal changes in constituent concentrations dissolved in groundwater suggest water quality with the off-Yard plume is getting worse in the downgradient direction and will adversely impact groundwater that is not currently impacted. “
From June 2004 to March 2010 the plume of TCE has moved 600 feet further downgradient, Tetrachlorethylene (PCE) is 1,200 feet further downgradient, and 1,4 Dioxane is shown in multiple wells that did not have detectable limits before.
The Water Board stated in comments on the 5-Year remedy review in October, 2010, “Therefore, it appears that this remedial objective is not being achieved in the groundwater plume extending south from Hamilton Lane. Should this trend be allowed to continue, the plume may eventually discharge into Lake Hodges, a potable water supply for the City of San Diego. Such a discharge is unacceptable to this agency.”
ENU Position and Recommendations:
We agree that the current situation is unacceptable. Although cleanup operations have been underway for 20 years, we are still in this serious condition with discharges on-going. ENU does not feel that the current remedial strategy is working and strongly urge that additional measures be taken.
Responsible Agencies
- Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)
- Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board)
- County of San Diego
Terms to Know
There are many acronyms used frequently in this issue. We have created a special list of acronyms on our website [Here].
How YOU can Take Action
We urge all residents and users of Felicita Park who are concerned about this issue to communicate with Mr. Ahmad Aboughaida at Ahmad.Aboughaida@dtsc.ca.gov and let him know your concerns and ask to be added to the interested persons list to be kept apprised of actions on this site. Please send us a copy of your email at esconeighbors@gmail.com
There are two archives of Public and Regulatory documents related to the Chatham Site. Take a look at the following data bases related to contamination in the area.
Department of Toxic Substances Control records related to Chatham
http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/profile_report.asp?global_id=37490029
Regional Water Quality Control Board records related to Chatham
http://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/profile_report.asp?global_id=SL209094184
Summary of Site From GeoTracker
| Commencing in the early 1940s, Chatham Brothers Barrel Yard (Yard) was operated as a waste oil and solvent recycling and bulk petroleum facility. In later years, the facility handled chlorinated solvents and waste oil that were sent to the Yard mostly by local businesses in the area. These operations continued until 1981 when the Chathams sold the property, which eventually reverted back to the Chathams when the buyer filed for bankruptcy. In 1982, the California Department of Health Services (DHS), the predecessor agency of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and other governmental agencies became aware of the existence of hazardous chemicals at the Yard and began various phases of site investigation and remedial activities. The Yard was fenced in 1984. In June 1985, Chatham Brothers Barrel Yard Site (Site) was listed in the Bond Expenditure Plan making it a “State Superfund Site.” On January 23, 1986, DHS issued an administrative Remedial Action Order to the Chathams requiring them to complete the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study and identify the final cleanup options in a remedial action plan. The Chathams did not comply with the Order, claiming lack of funds. DTSC made a Determination of Non-Compliance and commenced a State funded remediation program. In 1986, a Site Remedial Investigation was performed to determine the nature and extent of soil contamination, and whether the groundwater contamination beneath the Yard existed. The soils inside the Yard were found to be contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds and metals. Ground- water contamination was found beneath the Yard. Forty cubic yards of contaminated soil was removed from different areas along Bernardo Avenue on April 21 and 22, 1987. Further soils and hydrogeologic investigations were conducted in 1988 and 1989 to define concentrations and quantities of soil contamination, and to determine whether groundwater contamination has migrated outside of the Yard. Groundwater contamination was found to have migrated outside of the Yard and soil contamination was determined to be a source of groundwater contamination. Commencing in March 1990, DHS conducted a Removal Action (RA) at the Yard to reduce the potential for further degradation of groundwater. The work included excavation, removal, and offsite disposal of 11,430 tons of highly contaminated soils; removal of 208 surface drums and 10 buried drums; and rehabilitation of a 5-foot diameter, 68-foot deep hand dug well located inside the Yard into a 12-inch diameter well. The RA, performed under an imminent or Substantial Endangerment Order issued in November 1989, was completed in June of 1990, and cost approximately $3 million. The soils at the Yard are now considered stabilized. Surface water contamination migration was decreased by the RA activities. Seven groundwater monitoring wells and three 100-foot monitoring wells were installed in September of 1990 and May 1991 to determine the extent of vertical and horizontal contamination. Groundwater contamination has been identified both inside and outside the Yard. In 1991, DTSC determined that significant VOCs contamination existed up to depths of 50 feet and 100 feet in the groundwater beneath the Yard. In December 1990, DTSC began sending Information Request Letters to approximately 180 Generator Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) who may have sent waste materials to the Yard. DTSC evaluated the responses of the 180 PRPs, and identified 96 to whom Special Notice Letters were sent. In January 1992, DTSC notified the 96 PRPs that they should form a steering committee to begin “good faith” negotiations to remediate the Site and to reimburse DTSC for past costs. As a result of these negotiations, an administrative Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order & Consent Order was signed. |