Mid-Atlantic Corrective Action

Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC

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• Status
• Background
• Contaminants
• Institutional Controls
• Documents and Reports
• Photos, Maps and Diagrams
• Reuse Information
• Questions

EPA ID: MDD003067121
Location:
55 Thiokol Road
Route 40
Elkton, MD 21921
Property Area: 500 acres
Congressional District: 1
Other Names: Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Thiokol Propulsion, ATK Elkton LLC
Last Update:: December 2012

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Bulletin Board

Status

• In 2012, EPA provided comments on the Long-term Groundwater Monitoring Plan, the Site-Wide Corrective Measures Study, and the Remedial Action Objectives Technical Memorandum identified outstanding data gaps. To address the data gaps, the Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC, in coordination with the Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. (Syngenta) and the Olin Corporation (Olin) submitted the Revised Supplemental Site Characterization Work Plan on November 15, 2015 Work Plan. EPA has reviewed the Work Plan and will be providing comment in January 2013. EPA anticipates that the Work Plan will be implemented in early 2013.


• On August 31, 2011, EPA conducted a site visit to evaluate current site conditions.
  
  
• Effective May 1, 2011, underwent a corporate reorganization resulting in a name change to Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC (ATK).

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Background

• On August 23, 2005, the State of Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) renewed and modified the ATK Controlled Hazardous Substances Storage and Treatment Facility Permit (Permit Number A-052).  The corrective action permit issued to ATK on October 8, 1989 remains in effect. The permit requires ATK to: 1) conduct sampling investigations of the groundwater and/or soil to verify if releases of hazardous waste/constituents have occurred or are likely to occur from six solid waste management units (SWMUs); 2) conduct a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) to characterize the subsurface conditions and nature and extent of releases based on the results of the sampling investigations; 3) implement minor corrective measures at three SWMUs; and 4) submit the results of an initial source identification trichloroethylene (TCE) groundwater investigation resulting from the contamination of two production drinking water wells detected in December 1984. 

• The initial investigations were conducted over a period of approximately four years at six of the SWMUs.  EPA’s final approval of five of the SWMU investigations issued in 1997 and 1998 identified the need for performing a site wide investigation of the soil and groundwater.  The approved recommended minor corrective measures required by the permit were previously implemented at the three SWMUs in 1986 and 1987. 

• The initial TCE source identification groundwater investigation and residential well survey was performed in 1987.  The investigation and survey were undertaken as a result of a consent agreement between ATK and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (MDHMH) entered on March 30. 1987.   Additional TCE groundwater investigations were performed in 1988 and 1995 based on recommendations of each earlier investigation and results from the groundwater monitoring program.  The 1995 investigation and the monitoring program results identified the need for further investigation in the southern area of the facility and a potential threat to residential wells not previously connected to public water supply during the 1988 residential well survey and sampling.  To address the findings of the TCE groundwater investigations and monitoring results, ATK implemented two interim measures.  ATK installed a groundwater pump and treatment system with a stripping tower in the 1980s and on July 1, 1998 installed additional capture wells and a second stripping tower.  The results of the monitoring program revealed that the second well containment system did not adequately captured the plume and the stripping towers are not effectively reducing the contaminant plume, thus was taken out of operation.  Additional characterization of the groundwater contamination was performed as part of the Supplemental Site-Wide Investigation (SSWI) in 2005.

• During the SSWI, on November 11, 2005, ATK excavated buried drums in the Still Bottoms Area Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) to remove the source of the chlorinated benzene groundwater contamination.

• In early 2005, the SSWI of the Pesticide Area AOC SWMU shallow groundwater on and off-site in the southern portion of the SWMU and the residential area adjacent to the property line of this area were sampled showed non-detections for shallow groundwater contaminants. 

• From January 2005 – March 2006, ATK implemented the Area A Burnfield TCE/Perchlorate in-situ reactive zone pilot test to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology as a remediation measure for this area groundwater contamination.  The findings of the pilot study were summarized in an August 21, 2006 report.  It is concluded in the report that the technology did not prove efficient for remediating the contaminant plume.  Alternative remediation options for this SWMU and the entire facility are currently under evaluation as referenced above in the Status Section.

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Contaminants and Risks

• At this multi-component corrective action facility, SWMU and site-wide investigations have identified pesticide, volatile organic, metal contamination in the soil, surface water, and groundwater. 

• A shallow and intermediate aquifer groundwater plume migrating from the central portion of the facility towards the southeast is contaminated predominantly with TCE and its degradation products and perchlorate at concentrations above Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and drinking water equivalent level (DWEL), respectively. 
  
  
• The potential risks posed by the identified contaminants are being evaluated as part of the review of the Corrective Measures Study and the Remedial Action Objective Report.

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Institutional Controls

• To be determined

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