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UNlTIO ITATIIINYilltONMIHTAL "'OTICTION AQINCY

IIII:Q ION I

~. ' · ICIHNlDY flDliU.t. I UILOINQ, l OllON, MAIIACHUi rTTI ODCO

BY EXPRESS ~ .·. ~ ~

August 5, 1986

Ruaaell Brennlmln, Esquire Mur tha, Culli na, Richter 1nd Pinney Citypbce P.o. Box 31!'17 Hartford, CT 06103

R11 Liner..ater Switch Corpora tion, Woodstoc k , CT

De1 r Mr. Br ennemA n !

This l e tt u h in ntponu to you r le t ter ot Ju l y 10 , 1986 and Mr. Paul Simpso n 's l e t ter o t July 17, 1986, c once r ning EPA ' I i nv o lvement a t t he a bove-named property . These le tters tppear to focus on t hree i u uea : 111 EPA 's legll aut hority t o undertake raaponae actions on or about the Linemas ter property, ( 2) the fa c tual or technical b1aaa for EPA's res pons e r-actions on or tbout such property J and (J) coordination between EPA 1nd Connecticut O.partment of Environmental ­2Protection (DEP) in undertakin; reaponae actions. Your July 10 letter also requuted (1) that EPA terminate its) preliminuy u ..aament for removal action, 121 that a = meetin'J talite plece among the affected partha to diacu.. these iaaues and Linemaster'a poaaible involvenaent in reaponae = actions deemed neceuary by EPA on or about t he property, and ­(3) that EPA supply you with certain information. Thne ilsuea and requests are addressed belov.

11 I Lead Authority

section 10• of the Coraprehensive Environaental Resvonse, Compensation and Liability Act ICERCLA), 42 U.S.C . I 960., statea in relevant part1

{a) ( 1) Whenever tAl any hazardous substance is releued or there h a aubatantial threat of aueh a releaae int"' the environaent, or (B) there h a release or substantial threat of r eleue into' the environ!Mint of any pollutant or con­tallinant vhich m.ay present any iaminent and aubatantial danger to the pubUc health or welfare, the Preaident h authorhed to act, cons istent vith the national contingency plan, to r emove or arrange for the removal or , and provide for r el'lledial action re lat i ng t o auch hazardous substance , pollutant , or con tamina nt • •• (emphasis aupplhd) ' '

( b ) Whe never t he Preside nt ia author ized t o act purs uant t o a ubaection (a) of t hia aec t i on , or whenever t he President . haa r e ason to believe t hat a release has occurred or il about to oc c ur, •• • he may undertake auch inveatigatiOila,

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monitori~, surveys, testing, and other information gatherin•• as he may deem neceuary or appropriate to identify the · existence and extent of the release or threat thereof, the aource and nature of the ha'lardoua substances, pollutants or contam i nants invo lved , and the extent of danger to the public health or "elfare or to the environment ••••

(el ror the purposes of uaiatinQ in deumin i ng the n..d for resvonee to a release under thh title or enfo rcing the prOYiaions of this title, any person who stores, treats, or dhpoaea of, or where necessary to aacertdn facta not avail ­able at the facility where such hazardous substances are located, who generates, tranaporta, or otherwise handle• or hal handled, hazardous substances ahd l, upon raquaat of any officer, amployaea, or representative or tha Praatdant, duly daaignaud by tha President, or upon r aquaat of any duly d.. ignatad officer, employee, or rapraaantatha of the a State, vhtra approprhu, furnhh information ralati~ to auch aubatancaa and permit such parson at all reasonable tiaaa to have accaaa to, and to copy all recorda relating to auch aubatancaa • •••

At tha outaat, plea aa be advised that your autamant in tha July 10 latter that section 104 (a) of CERCLA and 40 CFR 300 .6 l(a) ra~J,uira an •tfMiinant and substantial an­dangarrrtent• t .. t ba mat prior to taking raapon.. actions ia incorrect to the extant that it ignoraa tha plain language of the atatuta and regulation that •a ralaaaa or substantial threat of ralaaaa• of a hazardous aubstanca ia all that 11 required prior to EPA takin\1 rasponaa actions. Plalla nota that. tha imminent and substantial danger langua~a appliaa whara than 11 a ralaaaa or aubstanthl threat of ralaaaa of •any pollutant or contuinant.•

Sine• July, 1984, pursuant to tha atatutory authority sat forth above, EPA haa bean conducting a a ita evaluation in cooperation with t.ha connecticut DEP on and about tha Linamaaur property. 'l'hia investigation has included a preliminary auaaarMnt (EPA rom 2070-12) 1 pursuant to 40 CFR 300.66(a)(3), that hu bean conducted by tha Connecticut DEP for EPA, and a alta inapaction (EPA Form 2010-13), pursuant to 40 CPR 300.66(a)(4}, that haa bean conducted by tha NUS Corporation a a the Field Invaatigation tum (FIT} contractor for EPA.

Aa a result of data genaraud by thil alta evaluation, on June 24, 1986, EPA'• Oil and Hazardous Materials section, in cooperation with tha connecticut DEP, initiated a praUainary aasasarMnt for removal actions, purauant to •o CPR 300.U. purauant to thil ..etion, EPA ravtawad readily available information and collected additional wall water aamplas from tha LineJ~~aaur property and fran homes in tha aurrounding ana on June 2•, and July 2, 1986 . EPA also idantUiad tha

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Li ne"'aau r pr operty • • a possible source of the r elease and threa t e ned cont i nued r eUa ae of haurdous aubstaneea, inc l ud i ng trichloroethylene , t o l ue ne and t. n na - 1 , 2 diehloroet.hylena. see docuMnta attached herewith. ·

In addition, EPA sent relevant infonnation to the Agency for Toxic subauneaa and Disuse Registry (ATSDR), an agency of the Health and Human Services Department . ATSDR ' a conclus i o ns indicated to EPA that an alternative water aupply wa s nacasury for soma residents living near the Linamuter switch property . sea ATSDR ••110 dated July ), 1986, attached herewith.

on the bash of the du.a noted above and the recommendat ions o f ATSDR EPA determined that there wat an IC: t ual or potential

1 c ontami nation of drinking vater supplies on the Linerauter property. sea 40 Ct'R lOO(b)( l ) a nd (2) . In addition , because the aigrat i o n rata of groundvate r in thh a rea 1• unknovn , the contaminat i on could increue to levels vh i ch vould present a aar i oua threat to the public haal th of nearby rasidanu . Thua , EPA determined that provis ion of an alternative vata r supply wa s appropriate i n the pres ent cue becau se it reduced the likelihood of human e xpos ure to contami nated vater. See 40 CFR 300( c )(8).

EPA made initial efforts to determine if Linemaatar would

,...-2 undertake provision of botthd waur to aUactad rasidanu of tha area. Although Linemutar raprasanted that it had = ) been providifllil and would continua to provide bottled ,water to its employees, it waa unclear whether it would do 10 for = other individuall. Given the axigancha of the circumstances, therefore, EPA deunnined that it would begin to provide ­such vater •aa aoon a a possible to prevent, minim he or mitigate tha threat to public health or welfare.• see 40 CFR 300.65(b)(4). If Linamuur at any tillla h willing to provide bottled vaur to individuals other than ita employees, EPA ia .ora than willing to dhcuu this pouibUity.

Plaaaa be advised that your raquaat in the July 10 latter that EPA •taminat(a)• the •pralhainary aasauraant• pursuant to 40 CFR 300.64(c)(4) and (5) h moot because tha •pra­U•inary aaaassmant, • a a sat forth above, has been completed.

( 2) Technical &aaaa

sene of the t e ch nica l data s upporting EPA'• decision to provide bottled water in the present ca.. haa already been providad to Linemuter by Hr. Tom Condon of EPA. AOditional technical data h attached ha rato (and liatad in Appe ndix A) i n response to to tha r equest ea t forth in your latte r o f July 10, 1986. plen e be advised t hat pursuant to 40 CFR part 2 a t !!.S · , EPA will continue to compl y with all reasonable requea t.-for auch data attar such data h validated and becomes ava ilabl e to EPA.

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(31 EPA and suu cooperation ~ EPA end the Connecticut DEP, as set forth a bove, have cooperated in undertakin9 investioationa on and about the Linemaster property . EPA will endeavor to continue to work in cooperation with the Connecticut DEP.

To the ..tent that. EPA and the State actions addreu cHfferent hghlatively mandated concerns, actions taken by the agencies may be different. To dltl, however, no inconsistent actions have been taken by either agency. The investigation of the Lina~..ur pro!L)arty required by the connecticut DEP admini­strative order is ailnilar in nature to the kind of investi ­gation that EPA 111ay seek f~r the purpo..a of deumininglocation, extent and nature of contamination on and about the property unoer section 104 of CERCLA. In add i tion, EPA's provision of bottled water is not inconsistent vith the connecticut order.

EPA n;reu that you or you r clhnta feel that camuni cationa among the three parties have not been adequate. EPA disagrees with this conclu sion, but h hopdul that future interactions vill be to the satisfaction of all partiu . r-Aa I indicated to you in our telephone conversation on ­2July 24, 1986, EPA is willing to m..t with npreaentativ.. of Linnaater. At this meeting, the iaauea outlined above and the possibility of Linemaater undertaking response actions = dee~~ed naceuary by EPA may be diacuued. EPA will invite = representatives from the Connecticut DEP to attend this •eeting. ­After revhwif'IQ this letter and the attached documents, plane call .. at (617) 223-0400 if you have any qu.. tiona and to arranQe tor a "'utually convenient "'aeting time. Techicd queatlons you may have prior to our meeting may be directed to Mr. TOCII condon at (617) 861-6100.

Yours truly,

~;J:,.~ Linda L. uju/..1Aaahtant Regional Counsel

cc. Paul E. Simpson, Linerusur svitch Corporation Ed Parker, connecticut DEP suaan sviraky, Waau Hanageftlent Divhon, EPA, Region I John R. Hoabea, Chief, Survailllnca Branch, EPA, Region 1 Edward J. Conley, Director, Environmental Sarvicaa

oivldon , EPA, Region 1 pamela Hill , Aaaociau Regional counaal , EPA Region I .-J

attachments (listad in Appendix A)

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(1)

( 21

( 31

(t)

(51

(61

(7)

) eel

(9)

(10)

( 11)

( 12)

(13)

114)

(15)

(16) "-.)

Memorandum from Jeffrey A. Lybarger, M.u., U.S. oepu·tmtnt ot ' Health and Human Services, to Marilyn DiSirio, EPA, dated June 13 1 1986 (3 pages) 1

MemonnduN trca Thomas Condon, EPAr to Hichad Deland, Regional Administrator, EPA, dated June 30 1 1986 (3 pagu)

Letter frao Thomu Condon, EPA, to Richard Pease, connecticut DepartMnt of Environmental Protection, dated June 27, 1986 ( 1 page) 1

MtNorandum fr0111 scott Clifford, EPA, to Don hrger, EPA, dated July 9, 1!186 (1 pagtll

Mtraorandum fran Moira Lataille, EPA, to Don Bargar, EPA, dated July 26, 1986 and attachments ( 16 pagu I 1

MhiOranduna ftan scott Clifford, EPA, to Don Berger, EPA, dated July U, 1986 and attachments (23 pagulr

Draft Hap of sample Locations, Linemuter Switch corp., !::NUS/ PIT Site Inapection December 19, 1985, Figure 1 11 page)J z Dnft LOCUS Plan, Linemutar Switch Corp., NUS/ FIT Site Inspection Deceaber u, 1985, Figure 2 (1 page)J = Draft Map of sample Locations, Linel'l\aatar switch Corp . , =­NUS Site Inspection December 19, 1985, Figure 3 11 page) ,

Draft Map of saaple Locations, Lin..aaur Switch Corp., EPA/TAT Site Inspection Jun 24, 1986, Figure 1 11 page)J

Dnft Map of Groundwater sample Locations, Linemaaur switch COrp., EPA/TAT Site Inspection Jun 24r 1986, Figure 2 (1 page) J

EPA Preli•i nary A..a..ment (Form 2010-121, Lin...aaur Switch COrp., July 31. 1986 129 pagealr

NUS/FlT Sample SuJNUry, December U, USSr NUS/FIT Site Inspection (211 pages)J

tPA Contract Laboratory program Inorganic: Analylia O.ta Package dated January 1, 1986 (45 pagea)J

EROO water Sample Analyses data package dated March 14, 1986 (169 pagea)J

Hittman Ebaaco A..oc:iates, Inc . , Contract Compliance screening ca.. No. 5588 data package, dated April 1, 1986 (213 pafi~U).