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| Arkla Terra Property | Thonotosassa, Florida | |
| Hillsborough County |
Site Location
The Arkla Terra Property site encompasses approximately eight acres and is located at 11706 U.S. Highway 301 in Thonotosassa, Hillsborough County, Florida.
Site History
From 1976 through 2006, the site was primarily operated as an Underground Storage Tank (UST) refurbishing facility. Solvents, including tetrachloroethene (PCE), were used to clean the tanks prior to their repairs. Several companies operated at the facility, including Southeast Oil and Development Corporation which operated at the site from 1976 through 1988; Four Star Petroleum from 1982 to 1985; PS Equipment, Inc. from 1989 through 1994; Novadyne Corporation from 1986 through 1996; and Arkla Terra Inc. from 1993 through 2006. Solvents were reportedly used to clean tanks prior to repairing or dismantling. Aerial photographs of the site have shown more than 500 storage tanks on the property at one time, along with numerous other types of containers.
Site Contamination/Contaminants
Contaminants of concern associated with activities at the Arkla Terra property include PCE in soil, ground water monitoring wells, and private drinking water wells.
Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment
There is a contaminated ground water plume that contains concentrations of PCE above EPA?s Safe Drinking Water Act?s maximum contaminant level (MCL) and the State of Florida Primary Drinking Water Standard (FPDWS), which has migrated more than 7,500 feet into the adjacent residential area. The contamination is in the Floridian aquifer that is the primary source of drinking water for residents in the area.
Response Activities (to date)
The Hillsborough County Public Health Unit has sampled more than 200 private residential wells and found at least 78 wells contained PCE at levels exceeding the FPDWS standard. Based on the initial residential well sampling, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection installed commercial water treatment systems for affected residents, and it provided approximately one million dollars to Hillsborough County to extend water lines into the affected areas, connecting the residents to the municipal water supply. The state and the county continue to sample private drinking water wells in the area on an annual basis.
Need for NPL Listing
The State of Florida referred the site to EPA. The contaminated ground water plume has affected as many as 117 nearby private wells and is a potential threat to other potable ground water supply wells. The responsible parties are not financially viable companies, and the state does not have the resources to clean up the contamination. EPA has received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state.
[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.