Fact Sheet (1994)
Permit Modification Sherwin-Williams
Company The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends
to modify a permit issued to the Sherwin-Williams Company under the authority
of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) to the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA). The proposed modification will add a requirement
that Sherwin-Williams begin cleanup of soils at the more heavily contaminated
properties in the area, and it provides for immediate and future interim
measures. The original RCRA permit that EPA seeks to modify was issued to
The Sherwin-Williams Company April 16, 1991, in a joint action by EPA and
the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The portion of the
permit issued under EPA authority contains requirements for the investigation
and eventual remediation of releases from the facility. The portion issued
under KDHE authority contains requirements for the post-closure care of
a hazardous waste land disposal facility.
Contents of the Permit Modification
The permit modification contains certain minimum cleanup requirements, similar
to those described at previous public meetings. They are summarized as follows:
All properties within the target area that were not sampled previously
will be sampled. Sherwin-Williams will remove contaminated soils at those
residential properties within the target area that contain lead above 1,000
parts per million (ppm), down to a maximum depth of 18 inches. (One thousand
PPM is the same as one-tenth of 1 percent, or 0.1 percent.) Clean soil
will be brought back into the properties, and a grass cover will be established.
Measures will be taken to prevent recontamination of cleaned properties.
Sherwin-Williams will submit for EPA approval a detailed workplan for
completing the work required by the permit modification.
Permit Modification Process
EPA is pursuing the permit modification under the provisions of
40 CFR 270.41. The basic procedures for modifying a permit
are as follows:
EPA drafts the permit modification and assembles the
administrative record that supports the modification. The draft
permit modification and administrative record are available for
public review at the Coffeyville Public Library, 311 West 10th
Street, during normal library operating hours.
EPA then seeks public comment on the proposed permit modification.
The 45-day public comment period began July 18 and ends August 31.
During this period, the public is encouraged to submit any comments
to EPA on the permit modification, in writing. Comments will be
considered only for those parts of the permit being modified.
Sherwin-Williams is developing a workplan for implementing the
cleanup required by the permit modification. The workplan may also
be reviewed at the Coffeyville Public Library.
EPA will make a final decision on the permit modification after the
close of the public comment period. If EPA decides to issue the
modification, it will, at the same time, issue a written response to
all comments received during the public comment period. If no
commenters request a change in the permit modification, then
the modification will become effective immediately upon issuance.
Otherwise, the modification will become effective 30 days after
issuance.
Within 30 days after issuance of the modification, any person
who filed comments on the draft modification, or commented
during the public hearing on the permit modification, may petition
the Environmental Appeals Board to review issues addressed in
their comments. Any person who failed to file comments or failed
to participate in the public hearing on the draft modification may
petition for administrative review only to the extent of the changes
from the draft modification to the final modification.
Submitting Public Comments
Comments on draft permit modification should be mailed to:
Mark Matthews
WSTM/RCRA
U.S. EPA Region 7
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
All comments must be received by August 31, 1994. Questions
may be addressed to Mr. Matthews by calling him at 913-551-7635.
Additional information may also be obtained by calling Dale Armstrong,
Region 7 Office of Public Affairs, at 913-551-7003, or Region 7's toll-free
Environmental Action Line, 800-223-0425.