![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Fields Brook
Site Information
- Ashtabula, OH (Ashtabula County)
- EPA ID# OHD980614572
- NPL Site Narrative
- NPL Factsheet
- CERCLIS listing
- Alias(es): N/A
Contact Information
Community Involvement Coordinator
Susan Pastor (pastor.susan@epa.gov)
312-353-1325 or 800-621-8431, ext. 31325
Remedial Project Manager
Leah Evison(evison.leah@epa.gov)
312-886-2064 or 800-621-8431, ext. 62064
Ohio EPA Contact:
Sig Williams, Project Manager
330-963-1210
regan.williams@epa.state.oh.us
Repositories
(where to view written records)
Ashtabula County District Library
335 W. 44th Street
Ashtabula, OH
Kent State Library
3431 West 13th St
Ashtabula, OH
Background
Fields Brook site, located about 55 miles east of Cleveland in the city and county of Ashtabula, Ohio, is a six square-mile watershed of a brook where up to 19 separate facilities have operated since 1940. Activities range from metals-fabrication to chemicals production. Fields Brook flows into the Ashtabula River, which flows into Lake Erie approximately 1-1/2 miles downstream of the site. Fields Brook sediment and soil from the Fields Brook floodplain/wetlands area are contaminated with a wide variety of contaminants including PCBs, chlorinated solvents and metals.
Site Updates | News Releases | Fact Sheets || Technical Documents | Five-Year Reviews | Legal Agreements
You will need the free Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Site Updates
Update - October 2009
A document called an Explanation of significant differences(PDF) (30pp, 1.4MB) was signed in September. This was done to clarify legal restrictions for two areas of the Fields Brook site--the Millennium facility and the former Acme Scrap Iron and Metals property--to ensure that they are restricted to industrial use. In the document, EPA also removed some restrictions at the previously cleaned up Conrail property.
A status review of the cleanup to date was completed in June. The Superfund law requires regular reviews of sites (at least every five years) -- where the cleanup is complete or where cleanup has been ongoing for at least five years -- but hazardous waste remains managed on-site. These reviews are done to ensure that the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. In particular, EPA looked at the Fields Brook channel and floodplain cleanup.
The review included:
- An evaluation of background information
- Cleanup requirements
- Effectiveness of the cleanup and any anticipated future actions
This was the second five-year review (PDF) (182 pp, 14.37MB) for Fields Brook. The previous review was done in June 2004.
Contamination found during routine monitoring in the part of Fields Brook that runs between Millennium and another area known as the Detrex facility has been cleaned up by the Fields Brook Action Group (several companies responsible for the contamination). This was done to prevent recontamination of downstream areas of Fields Brook and the nearby Ashtabula River. The river was cleaned up separately in 2008 under the Great Lakes Legacy Act. Fields Brook flows into the Ashtabula River and eventually into Lake Erie.
As part of this project, one section of the Fields Brook channel was rerouted to a clean area and additional sediment (mud) and soil were excavated. Final re-vegetation should be finished in November. Work in the State Road area of Fields Brook was completed over the summer.
The Fields Brook cleanup, which has been ongoing for more than 10 years, is comprised of four miles of brook and six industrial areas. Cleanup is ongoing in the area known as the Detrex Corp. facility. Two more "extraction" wells were installed in 2008 to pull out liquid containing high levels of volatile and semi-volatile contaminants such as trichloroethylene or TCE, hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorobutadiene from underneath the property. Because this liquid is so heavy, it has a tendency to sink when it enters ground water. An investigation which is expected to lead to expansion of the extraction system is underway and should be completed later this year. EPA is also overseeing another study by Detrex that involves a small area of additional contamination in a nearby tributary to Fields Brook.More sediment and soil removal in this area is expected in late 2009 or early 2010.
Cleanup at five other areas has been completed:
- Conrail in 1998
- Millennium Inorganic Chemicals TiC14 Facility in 1999
- Acme Scrap Iron and Metals/South Sewers in 2000
- North Sewers in 2000
- RMI Metals in 2001
News Releases
- EPA orders cleanup of new PCB contamination found at Fields Brook Superfund Site, News Release October 23, 2007
- Contamination release found at Fields Brook Superfund site, August 2, 2005
- EPA Reaches Agreement with Muskegon Development Co. August 2001
- EPA Proposes Plan for New Contamination Found at Fields Brook Site; Meeting May 10, 7 P.M. May 2001
Fact Sheets
- U.S. EPA Evaluates On-Site Treatment Proposal for Additional Contamination Found Last Fall (PDF) (160K) May 2001
- Substantial Progress Made in Industrial Cleanups; Additional Contamination Found in Brook & Floodplain (PDF) (167K) November 2000
- Majority of Cleanup Work to be Finished This Year (PDF) (179K), March 2000
- Project Update: Millenium Soil Cleanup Completed (PDF) (106K), December 1999
- Project Update (PDF) (212K) July 1999
- Project Update (PDF) (61K) November 1998
- Proposed Plan Summary: Fields Brook Superfund Site Source Control Operable Unit (PDF) (414K) July 1997
- Proposed Plan for Remedial Action: Fields Brook Superfund Site Floodplain/Wetland Area (PDF) (153K) November 1996
- Questions and Answers: Fields Brook Superfund Site Information Availability Session and Public Meeting, September 26, 1996 (PDF) (220K) November 1996
- Proposed Plan Summary: Fields Brook Superfund Site Floodplain/Wetland Area (PDF) (58K) November 1996
Technical Documents
- Explanation of significant differences(PDF) (30pp, 1.4MB) September 2009
- Action memorandum(PDF)(15pp, 621K)October 2007
- Explanation of significant differences(PDF) (31pp, 1.2MB) August 2001
- Explanation of significant differences(PDF)(34pp, 2MB) April 1999
- Explanation of significant differences(PDF)(17pp, 967K) August 1997
- Record of Decision(PDF)(73pp, 2.8MB) September 1997
- Record of Decision(PDF)(137pp, 5.7MB) June 1997
- Record of Decision (PDF)(128pp, 6.3MB)September 1986
Five-Year Reviews
- Second five-year review (PDF) (182 pp, 14.37MB) June 2009
- First five-year review (PDF) (211pp, 5.4MB) June 2004
Legal Agreements
- Administrative Order : Docket No. V-W-08-C-883 (PDF) (16pp, 650K) October 2007