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Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot
Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit DepotEPA ID: SC6170022762
Location: Port Royal, Beaufort County, SC
Congressional District: 02
NPL Status: Proposed: 08/23/94; Final 12/16/94
Project Manager
Documents:
- Site Profile
- Additional Site Documents including Five Year Reviews, Records of Decisions (ROD) and Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD).
- For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office (http://www.epa.gov/region4/foiapgs/submit.htm).
Site Background:
Parris Island MCRD is located on a barrier island off the South Carolina
coast, approximately 30 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia. The site
has been operated as a recruit training facility for the U.S. Marine Corps
since 1915 and consists mainly of administrative office buildings, training
facilities, family and recruit housing, building and vehicle maintenance
shops and community facilities. Parris Island MCRD lies within a system
of islands, marshes and interconnecting man-made causeways that form a
peninsula and consist of roughly 2,894 acres of dry land at the depot and
approximately 3,816 acres of salt marshes, tidal ponds and streams. Commercial
and recreational fishing activities are conducted in the vicinity of the
site. The surrounding area also serves as habitat for migratory threatened
and endangered species of wildlife (including the southern bald eagle,
the wood stork, the Eskimo curlew and the short-nosed sturgeon) and their
food sources. NPL listing of Parris Island MCRD was based on the potential
for surface water and human food chain contamination (potential contaminated
surface water runoff and/or migration of landfill leachate to adjacent
marshes and waterways).
Cleanup Progress: Studies Underway, Non-time Critical Removal Action
Implementation and Remedial Action Implementation
Based on evaluation of the results of studies and regulatory inspections between
1984 and 1994, the Parties identified 6 sites as requiring a full Remedial Investigation
(RI)/RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) and 14 sites as requiring screening or “site” investigations
(to determine if a full RI/RFI is warranted). A Site-Wide Master Work Plan
and Site-Specific Sampling & Analysis Work Plans for the 3 highest-priority
Operable Units (OUs) were submitted in 1996 and reviewed and approved by the
regulatory agencies. OUs 1, 2, and 3 included 3 landfills bordered by salt
marshes and tidal creeks.
- An RI/FS Report for OUs 1, 2, and 3 was submitted for review in March 1999 and it was determined to be sufficient
- OU1 - The baseline risk assessment for OU1 did determine that action was necessary. The remedy planned for OU1 was a presumptive remedy of consolidation of waste materials under a landfill cap, and Institutional Controls (ICs).
- OU2 - A baseline risk assessment for OU2 determined that there were no unacceptable levels of risk for either human health or the environment, and therefore the remedy for OU2 was No Further Action.
- OU3 - OU 3 was the first to have a decision selected. An Interim Record of Decision (IROD) for Site 3 was finalized and approved in September of 2000.
Since that time, the approval of RODs was suspended during negotiation
of a Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) and during a Post-ROD Authority
dispute between the Department of Defense and EPA. However, remediation
efforts went forward to the degree possible, ensuring that public participation
opportunities were available and comments/concerns were addressed.
FFA negotiations commenced in 1996. The FFA was finalized in 2005, and
was signed and made effective in 2006. During this same time frame,
the dispute was settled between EPA and DOD making Post-ROD roles and responsibilities
more clear. Now that disputes are settled and the FFA is in effect
(March 31, 2006), ROD signature has been obtained for all pending RODs
(OUs 1, 2, and 5 had RODs pending by that time).
Cleanup Progress Continues:
- OU1 and OU2 - The remedy for OU1 was implemented in September of 2003 and RODs for OUs 1 and 2 were eventually signed in September of 2006. The Interim Remedial Action Completion Report (RACR) was conditionally approved in 2007. The Long-Term Monitoring plan (LTM) has been submitted to EPA for review and approval. Groundwater and vegetation monitoring will be ongoing.
- OU3 - The Interim Remedial Action for Site 3 was completed in September of 2002. Remedial action required by the IROD has been implemented. Post-IROD sampling has occurred. This data, combined with other outstanding data has been run through a risk assessment to determine if any further action is necessary. The draft RA Report has been submitted for review by EPA in fall of 2008. As soon as this is finalized a Proposed Plan (PP) and Final ROD will be drafted. It is anticipated that no further physical construction will be needed, however, Land Use Controls (LUCs) will be implemented. Based on this assumption the PP for Site 3 has been drafted and submitted to EPA for review, however it will not be finalized until the Risk Assessment document is approved. An OU3 Final ROD is scheduled for late 2009.
- OU5 - OU5 (Site 12/SWMU 10) is Jericho Island, a barrier island of about 25 acres in size. The island was previously owned by a private citizen, who utilized the island as an unofficial residential waste disposal area. The USMCRD had to purchase the island in order to meet arc requirements for their rifle range training area. An RI/FS for OU5 was initiated in 1998 and completed during the dispute negotiations. A Proposed Plan was completed in 2005. Fieldwork at OU5 began late in 2005, however ROD signature was not obtained until October of 2006 due to the dispute and FFA negotiations. By early 2006, MCRD had remediated the waste, disposing of it via excavation and off-site disposal. Cleanup levels were set such that the result will be unrestricted use and unlimited exposure for all media except surficial groundwater. The excavation areas were restored to match adjacent healthy ecosystems. The monitoring plan was included in the RAWP. In the Fall of 2007, the Interim Redial Action Completion Report was conditionally approved. Monitoring of vegetation recovery is ongoing.
- OU4 – Also known as Site 45, OU4 is a reportable spill of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), which occurred at the dry cleaners in March, 1994, when a storage tank was inadvertently overfilled, spilling PCE into a concrete containment basin, which later flooded during a heavy rain event. PCE was released to the ground when the containment basin was drained following heavy rains. Base personnel excavated much of the PCE-saturated soil. Subsequent sampling detected limited soil contamination. However, total concentrations of chlorinated solvents in groundwater (including PCE and others) exceeded 1 ppm in two distinct plumes, located 7' and 14' bgs. Based on this information, the decision was made to implement a groundwater pump and treat system via a non-time critical removal action. The EE/IRWP was public noticed in October 1997 and finalized in December 1997. Implementation of the removal action began in Spring 1998. The Pump and Treat system experienced problems with build-up, which required the system to be repeatedly shut down for cleaning. Each time, the period of satisfactory performance got shorter and shorter, until the decision was made to discontinue the pump and treat remediation. Also, a treatability study using chemical oxidation was implemented but failed to yield usable results. As additional data was gathered, it became apparent that the plume had migrated beyond the original bounds. The site has now been evaluated under an extensive Remedial Investigation, to fully delineate the current location of the plume, and to prepare for a feasibility study to evaluate other remedial alternatives. The Original RI Report for Site 45 was conditionally approved in December 2005, contingent upon submission and approval of an RI Ammendment to fill additional data gaps for Site 45. Several other treatability study work plans were submitted in 2006. One treatability study was planned to look at the effectiveness of Emulsified Zero Valent Iron injections at the primary source areas of the plume, as well as a study on Flux Meters. During the additional RI investigation, a potential secondary source zone was found. Another treatability study using a modified Fenton’s Reagent is being planned for treatment in-situ near the secondary source zone. Some preliminary work has been completed. The USGS was called in to assist in determining the fate of the contaminated plume groundwater, effects of tidal influences on the plume waters, potential vapor intrusion concerns, and to answer questions regarding the secondary source zone. It was discovered that contaminated groundwaters at high tide were entering the storm water drains and exiting via the discharge pipe in the marsh over 1,000 feet away. Impacts to the marsh are being investigated. An RI Ammendment will be developed soon to address this additional data.
- OU7 (Site 9), OU8 (Site 16), OU9 (Site 27) and OU10 (Site 55) – Initially these sites are being addressed collectively under one Remedial Investigation. The Sites are co-located, and there appears to be cross-contamination of COCs. Sites 9 is a paint waste disposal area and 16 is a pesticide storage, mixing, and rinsate area. A fair distance removed from these two Sites is Site 55, a Fiber Optic Vault. The vault was found to contain floating fuels and contaminants (benzene, chlorobenzene, and pesticides). Site 27, a previous drum and excess material storage area (parking lot) is located some distance down-gradient from Site 55. The RI has been initiated, and preliminary results show floating fuels on top of the groundwater, benzene and chlorobenzene as well as pesticides at high concentrations in the groundwater, and these volatiles in areas of potential vapor intrusion concerns. A second round of sampling is being conducted to attempt to delineate the plume, and to look for potential sources (other than the obvious floating fuels) in either the groundwater or soils. Once the RI is completed a determination will be made as to whether or not these sites will continue to be processed collectively. Site 27 has been targeted for construction of a new motor-T facility, which has caused the urgency on behalf of the Navy/MCRD to be elevated, which in turn is impacting the effectiveness of the investigation.
A Five Year Review was approved in September 2005. The review found that two issues exist, which require follow-up actions. The two issues are, 1) Inadequate Land Use Controls (LUC), and 2) Subsidence at Landfills. Actions recommended to address these issues can be found in the report, and will be further negotiated and documented in future CERCLA documents, such as LUC Remedial Designs, Long-term Monitoring Plans, etc. The next Five Year Review will be conducted in 2010, and every five years after that, for as long as wastes which exceed acceptable exposure levels remains on-site.
For information about the contents of this page please contact Donna Bledsoe