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| Attebury Grain Storage Facility | Happy, Texas | |
| Swisher County |
Site Location
The Attebury Grain Storage Facility site is located in downtown Happy, Texas. The site consists of a release of carbon tetrachloride (CTC), 1, 2-dibromethane (EDB) and 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) to ground water. The ground water contamination extends off the grain storage property to several public and private wells.
Site History
The release of CTC is attributed to the use of this substance to extinguish a fire when the grain storage facility (elevator and bins) burned down in 1962. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducted a screening site inspection in May 2007. Samples taken on the inspection indicated a plume of contamination approximately ? mile wide and ? mile long in the Ogallala Aquifer, although the extent has not been fully characterized. CTC was detected in several wells drilled in the Ogallala Aquifer located east and southeast of the facility. One municipal well (City of Happy Well No. 3) was closed in 1991 because the concentration of CTC exceeded EPA?s Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 parts per billion (ppb).
Site Contamination/Contaminants
Concentrations of CTC in wells are as high as 44.2 ppb and 1, 2-DCA as high as 6.9 ppb. The potable water is in a relatively shallow aquifer (150 to 200 feet deep). In addition, EDB, 1, 2-DCA, and trichloroethene (TCE) have been documented in the source area. Soil vapor sampling in the source area indicates the presence of CTC at concentrations as high as 29.3 part per billion per volume (ppbv) (7 to 10 feet) to 4,270 ppbv (95 to 100 feet), indicating that CTC is still below the site.
Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment
CTC, EDB, and 1,2-DCA were detected in the Ogallala Aquifer, which is a drinking water source in the area. Five domestic wells and one municipal well contained concentrations of CTC that exceeded a health-based benchmark. In addition, there is the potential for the CTC to migrate in soil vapor into homes, posing a risk to nearby residents.
Response Activities (to date)
In 1991, the City of Happy closed Well No. 3 due to the presence of CTC above the MCL. In September 2006, TCEQ installed a filtration system on one private well that had CTC and EDB above MCLs. The remaining private well owners were notified by TCEQ of the ground water contamination discovered in the wells and are currently connected to the municipal supply.
Need for NPL Listing
The State of Texas referred the site to EPA because of contamination of CTC in public and private water supplies and risks associated with CTC in soil vapor. TCEQ and EPA evaluated other cleanup programs to determine if they could protect drinking water supplies, and no other viable options were available. The state has sent a letter of support for NPL listing.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
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 ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.