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BMI-Textron
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Photo of BMI-Textron site.
- Additional Site Photos
- Site Video
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: FLD052172954Location: Lake Park, Palm Beach County, FL
Lat/Long: 26.793700, -080.073800
Congressional District: 23
NPL Status: Proposed: 06/24/88; Final 08/30/90
Affected Media: Ground water
Cleanup Status: Deleted from the NPL: Physical cleanup activities have been completed
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Continued use - industrial and commercial
Site Manager: Carmen Santiago-Ocasio (santiago-ocasio.carmen@epa.gov)
Site Background
The BMI-Textron site is located within Tri-City Industrial Park in the southwest section of the Town of Lake Park, Florida. The site occupies approximately 3.4 acres. The site is bordered to the north, east, and west by a mix of commercial and industrial businesses, including a sign manufacturer, a stone wholesaler, a custom cabinet shop, and an electrical contractor. Single-family homes are located directly south of the site. The Trans Circuits Superfund site is located one block northwest of the site. The site remained in use during the site’s remediation.
BMI began manufacturing operations in Lake Park in 1969. Textron Inc. acquired BMI in January 1981 and began operating at the site as BMI-Textron. The facility manufactured chromium-backed glass plates used in the production of electronic components. Liquid waste containing cyanide from the etching process was disposed of on-site through a combination of percolation ponds and drain fields for four years under a permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Wells at the facility monitored compliance with the permit.
Threats and Contaminants
In 1983, FDEP issued a violation notice to the facility after sampling the compliance wells and subsequently confirmed cyanide contamination of the soil and ground water. In 1986, FDEP found elevated concentrations of fluoride in the soil and ground water. In 1992, BMI-Textron investigations performed under EPA oversight identified ground water contaminated with arsenic, cyanide, fluoride, and sodium.
In regard to use of the site in 1994, the Record of Decision (ROD), the cleanup plan for the site, determined there was no risk to human health based on the "then current use" of the site. The site Remedial Investigation had determined the wells suitable for drinking water use in the vicinity and downgradient of the site were not contaminated from site operations. The ROD determined ground water was the only possible medium available for human contact with contamination on-site and off-site.
A future, hypothetical worst-case exposure scenario for ground water was also considered. In the scenario, use of contaminated ground water for drinking water purposes by future residents was considered. The combined cancer-causing and non cancer-causing risks associated with such use were determined to be unacceptable, and therefore a cleanup plan was required.
Site Cleanup Plan
The overall goal of the cleanup plan selected, described in the 1994 ROD, was to clean up contaminated ground water to drinking water standards. As the cleanup approach, EPA chose natural attenuation of contamination (i.e., the use of natural processes to break down contaminants) with ground water monitoring to ensure drinking water standards are being met. The selected cleanup approach involved:
- Quarterly ground water monitoring for one year including submission of quarterly monitoring reports.
- Annual ground water data review and monitoring frequency by EPA for the remaining two years.
- Use of existing institutional controls to protect against possible exposure to contaminants of concern (i.e., requirements for obtaining well permits from FDEP).
- Use of existing wells for ground water monitoring to ensure natural attenuation was occurring (a total of 30 wells existed on and off-site).
- Site security (fenced area and locked gate).
Cleanup Progress
Primary site cleanup activities at the site included the excavation of cyanide-contaminated soils, as well as the monitored natural attenuation of ground water contamination.
In 1984, BMI-Textron excavated soil from an abandoned percolation pond formerly located at the center of the north end of the site. BMI-Textron removed approximately 680 cubic yards of cyanide contaminated soil and transported it to a hazardous waste facility regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
In 1990, BMI-Textron removed chromium and cyanide contaminated soils from the other percolation pond.
Following a Unilateral Administrative Order issued to BMI-Textron in 1994, BMI-Textron initiated ground water monitoring to ensure that ground water contaminants are naturally attenuating and degrading.
Institutional controls require BMI-Textron to notify anyone wishing to install a well within the impacted area that the State of Florida, Palm Beach County Health Department and the South Florida Water Management Department require a "Consumptive Use Permit" and "Water Well Construction Permit".
In 2002, EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List since EPA had determined that PRPs had implemented all appropriate response actions.
A Five-Year Review of the remedy was performed in June 2000 in accordance with EPA policy. The review concluded the selected cleanup approach remained protective of human health and the environment. Sampling data from ground water monitoring reports demonstrated that natural attenuation of contamination had occurred.
Between January 31, 2001 and February 15, 2001, BMI-Textron’s contractor, Arcadis, Geragthy & Miller, completed a final site inspection and closeout activities to ensure all associated equipment and items used to complete the site cleanup plan were removed from the property and properly disposed of or properly abandoned.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by PRPs with oversight by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
In 1984, BMI-Textron and FDEP entered into a Consent Order to remove contaminated soils at the site.
In November 1986, BMI-Textron was issued an order to develop a ground water cleanup plan.
In 1988, FDEP issued an additional consent order to: remove contaminated soil from percolation pond two, install an impervious surface cap over percolation pond three, and implement a ground water monitoring plan.
In June 1992, BMI-Textron entered into an Administrative Order by consent with the EPA to conduct a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study.
In October 1994, EPA issued BMI-Textron a Unilateral Administrative Order to conduct the ground water monitoring.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the BMI-Textron site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notices and information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
- BMI-Textron Reuse Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pg, 584K, About PDF)
Fact Sheets
Future Work
EPA, in concurrence with the State of Florida, has determined all appropriate responses under the Superfund law have been completed, and no further response actions under the Superfund law are necessary. Therefore, EPA deleted the site from the NPL in 2002.
Water well permitting regulations continue to be administered through the South Florida Water Management Department, the Palm Beach County Health Department and FDEP.
Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Lake Park Library529 Park Ave.
Lake Park, FL 33403
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (9 pp, 375K, About PDF)
- Deletion (PDF) (5 pp, 118K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.