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NPL Site Narrative for Capitol City Plume
CAPITOL CITY PLUME
Montgomery, Alabama
Federal Register Notice: May 11, 2000Capitol City Plume is located in downtown Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama, and consists of a plume of tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated ground water, the extent of which is unknown but underlies at least several city blocks. The site is being proposed to the NPL because of the presence of the contaminated ground water plume, which has affected several public water supply wells.
In September 1993, the Special Projects branch of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) began investigating a report of soil contamination at the RSA Energy Plant at the corner of Monroe and McDonough Streets in downtown Montgomery. After 17 months of investigative work, ADEM concluded that there are several zones of PCE-contaminated ground water in downtown Montgomery. The plume has been documented in the vicinity of Public Wells 9 West and 9 East in Montgomery's North Well Field and is suspected to extend southwest towards several monitoring wells at the RSA Energy Plant property.
The main contaminant of concern at this site is PCE. PCE is a man made substance that is typically used as a dry cleaning or degreasing agent. Other uses include an additive in printing inks, adhesives, glues, sealants, and polishes. The source or sources of the PCE contamination in the Montgomery area have not identified. Potential sources in the area of the North Well Field include a chemical wholesaler, airport maintenance shops, airport fueling areas, an auto repair shop, and a dry cleaner. As there is no known source of the PCE contamination, the site has been evaluated for NPL listing purposes as a ground water plume.
PCE concentrations in Public Wells 9 West and 9 East range up to 21.0 ppb. These concentrations exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PCE, which is 1.6 ppb. MCLs are health-based benchmarks established by EPA to protect humans from contaminants in drinking water. Public Wells 9 West and 9 East provided drinking water to approximately 1,400 people. Well 9 West was closed in 1992 after the contamination was discovered. Well 9 East was maintained for use as a standby well until 1997, when it was also closed due to the contamination and structural problems.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.