Economic growth, increased global population, and total industrial output cause people to explore natural resources that might degrade the environment if not checked properly. Today, the world faces the challenge of pollution, which is a serious issue of debate. For instance, pollution has an adverse effect on the quality of life of humans since it is a cause of many ailments. Leave alone the dangers of global warming; environmental pollution is one of the leading causes of contraction of communicable diseases such as cholera, malaria, and others. The need for environmental protection stems from the fact that clean environments sustain future generations. Several organizations, mostly humanitarian, take the issue of the need to protect the environment with much seriousness. Global governments also champion the need to protect the environment through their concerted effort to sensitive their citizens on the usefulness of such programs. This paper analysis the involvement of one company, AVCO Lycoming Site situated in Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It reports the background of the hazardous waste site, what agencies involved in the process, what pollutants exist at the site, the extent of contamination, the number of people harmed and with what diseases, what studies were done on the site and people, and what the clean-up consisted of. The paper demonstrates the need for a strategic partnership among humanitarian, governmental, and private bodies in fighting the negative effects of pollution.
The Background of AVCO Lycoming Site
Williamsport in Lycoming County of Pennsylvania is home to AVCO Lycoming waste management site. The site specializes in the production of aircraft engineers and has done so for more than five decades (Superfund Site, n.d). Literature reports that the plant has a reputation as a waste treatment center from the early 50s where it reclaims a solvent for petrol called Varsol. Officials of the site report that poor practices of housekeeping resulted in the contamination of the site. The plant sits on a 28-acre piece of land, a former site for manufacturing activities of the early 90s. The activities of manufacturing at the site included a silk plant, a die and tool shop, a sandpaper plant, a sewing machine factory and a bicycle-manufacturing firm (Superfund Site, n.d). However, AVCO Company started its aircraft engine manufacturing process at the start of the 1950s. The activities of the site caused the contamination of groundwater at the well-field close to the site, off-site downgradient wells as well as on-site monitoring wells. In 1990, the company benefited from the National Priorities List of the Superfund Program.
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Reports further indicate that trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminates wells used in monitoring the site such as one that is 3000 feet to the southwest of the plant and the off-site downgradient wells (Superfund Site, n.d). Groundwater found shallowly beneath the surface of the site also has chromium pollutants. This polluted water is a scare to the wells located within the region such as a municipal well existing only 3000 feet southwest of the plant, which preserves backup water for the residents during drought seasons. In addition, the region has several private wells, which serve approximately 2500 individuals out of the 34000 that live within a distance of three miles from the plant (Superfund Site, n.d). In addition, the pollutants threaten the safety of water through its proximity, only three miles, with environments of pristine streams, which include a trout stream. Completion of the process of construction of the site was in 2002, and the plant now engages in pumping and treating groundwater to remove all the pollutants.
Agencies Involved at the Site
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is a major agency involved at the AVCO Lycoming Site (Superfund Site, n.d). Literature reports that AVCO and EPA reached a CERCLA Administrative Order on Consent in June 1988. The consent directed that AVCO involve itself in the conduction of a RI/FS (remedial investigation/feasibility study) that would determine the types of contaminants and the extent to which they had polluted the site (Amato and Oo, 2002). In addition, the consent required the company to establish alternatives for use as remedial actions. However, prior to this move, PARDER, Pennsylvania Department of Environment and Resources required that the company (AVCO Lycoming) complete an investigation and cleanup of groundwater at the site in 1985 (Amato and Oo, 2002). According to Superfund Site (n.d), the firm complied with the requirements and started with an evaluation of the off and on-site contamination of shallow groundwater, the installation and regular sampling of the wells that harbored groundwater, and the installation of two off-site and three on-site treatment facilities and recovery wells (Superfund Site, n.d).
The results of the RI/FS led to an issuance of a Record of Decision (ROD) by EPA in 1991, which called on AVCO to extract, treat, and discharge the contaminated water beneath the site into the Lycoming Creak found only a few miles away (Superfund Site, nd). However, the ROD only paid attention to a shallow aquifer found under the facility. The year 1992 saw a modification of the ROD using an ESD (Explanation of Significant Differences) document, which altered the timeframe given for the cleanup process and specifying the time of discontinuing the pumping to the recovery well. There was an issuance of a new ROD, which modified the cleanup of the shallow aquifer. Specifically, this new ROD demanded attention to three issues. First, there was a need for air sparing, which involved an injection of air into the ground to cause gassing off the contaminants (EPA, 2007). The second issue was the need for an extraction of soil water as a way of removing pollutants within the vapor. Lastly, a need existed to perform a precipitation of in-situ metals, which entailed an injection of molasses into the water underground and render the hexavalent chromium inside it non-toxic (EPA, 2007). However, the fact that the levels of groundwater within the aquifer were too high meant that the company did not perform both the soil vapor extraction and air sparing methods of cleanup.
A ROD amendment occurred in 1999, and its purpose was to deal with the contamination of underground water (Superfund Site, n.d). This new plan for cleanup contained a program for the extraction and treatment of groundwater found inside the shallow aquifer underneath the site, and a reduction in hot spots. There was a construction of additional wells used in extraction in 2002, which would then help in dealing with hot spots. In fact, EPA has come up with a first Five-Year Review and a Preliminary Close-Out Report that highlighted the how the company met the performance requirements. However, there is a constant monitoring of the underground water as well as the off-site groundwater remediation (Superfund Site, n.d). Literature further indicates that another Five-Year Review was completed in 2007, and it directed a conduction of vapor intrusion at the site among other minor adjustments. However, the firm only initiated the program of vapor intrusion in 2010, and it concluded that the method was not an issue at the site (EPA, 2007). However, the methods remain a necessity for different areas covered by AVCO.
The Pollutants that Existed at the Site
Information on the pollutants at the site indicates that TCE is the main pollutant of concern (Superfund Site, n.d). According to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR), TCE is classified as a volatile organic compound (ATSDR, n.d). ATSDR further notes that TCE has a sweet odor as well as a sweet burning taste in addition to being a nonflammable colorless liquid in nature. The chemical is a component of spot removers, correction fluids for typewriters, paint removers, and adhesives as well as having a use as a solvent in the removal of grease from metal components. Studies indicate that TCE does not occur naturally, but is common in ground and surface water because of the effects of manufacturing and disposal of the chemical (ATSDR, n.d). The chemical causes developmental and neurological effects on humans, and EPA classifies it as carcinogenic to humans.
Chromium is another pollutant within the site, and according to ATSDR, the chemical occurs naturally within volcanic gases and dust, soil, plants, animals, and rocks (ATSDR, n.d). The chemical exists in different forms within the environment such as chromium (0), chromium (IV) and chromium (III) that are the most common (ATSDR, n.d). Chromium compounds have no distinct odor or taste, and chromium (III) is a critical nutritional element while the remaining two are products of industrial activities. According to ATSDR, chromium produces immunological, respiratory, and renal problems though it has no association with the causes of cancer (ATSDR, n.d).
The Levels of Contamination at the AVCO Lycoming Site
There is no data on the exact levels of contamination of groundwater at the AVCO Lycoming Site. However, information to indicate that the pollutants affected ground water both at the site and off the site is rampant (EPA, 2007). For instance, the shallow aquifer storing ground water underneath the site was the primary water resource polluted by chromium and TCE. The rest of the water wells and resources off-site could have had the effect of pollutants through the leaching of the chemicals and through surface water, which eventually percolates to the underground water table. The numbers of people who risked the effects of the pollutants could also be an important metric for the extent of pollution. For instance, literature on such metrics indicates that the pollutants ended up in both public and private water wells that served as many as 34000 residents within the area (Superfund Site, n.d). The fact that TCE results from manufacturing practices such as those of AVCO Corporation could indicate the levels of pollution emitted by the company. For instance, the company deals in the production and repair of aircraft engines, which means that it relies heavily on products that have TCE additives (EPA, 2007). Therefore, it is noteworthy that ground and surface water at the site had significantly high levels of contamination, especially by TCE.
The Number of People that TCE and Chromium Contaminates Affected in the AVCO Site
Data indicates that 34000 residents of Lycoming County in Pennsylvania who live within three miles of the site are at the highest risk of the effects of the pollution (Superfund Site, n.d). Specifically, the groundwater in the shallow aquifers within the region have the highest levels of pollutants, especially that beneath the site. Literature also indicates that TCE and chromium have adverse health effects on individuals, which means that they exposed the identified number of people to the danger of contracting deadly infections. Both EPA and ATSDR classify TCE as carcinogenic, which means that the affected people risked the contraction of cancer (ATSDR n.d). In addition, the chemical has related developmental effects on people; it affects individuals during the organ developmental stage such as during infantry and has additional neurological issues (ATSDR, n.d). According to ATSDR, chromium, though naturally occurring and an essential nutritional element, has side effects on humans. For instance, the chemical affects vital organs such as the immunological system, the renal system made up of kidneys and the urinary system, and respiratory organs starting from the nose to the lungs (ATSDR, n.d).
Studies Done on the Site and People
EPA initiated the Superfund program that it would use in cleaning up the most polluted sites in the US, which resulted from issues such as oil spills, environmental emergencies and natural disasters (EPA, n.d). The program targeted, apart from the mentioned sites, places of heavy industrial histories that were candidates of oil spillage among other issues. At the AVCO Corporation, EPA first required the company required the company to conduct an RI/FS that would determine the types of pollutants that existed within the ground water resources near the site. There is no evidence to argue that the company and EPA conducted studies on people to determine the likely effects of the contaminants. The RI/FS established that TCE was the main pollutant scare for the water resources in the region based on its significantly high levels within the water and the likely health effects on humans. In addition, legislations required that the company involve in a constant monitoring of the levels of contaminants in its ground water, which is why the company established the monitoring wells both on and off-site (Superfund Site, n.d).
The Cleanup Process
The process of cleaning up the AVCO site entailed nine critical steps, each informing the other. The steps required a collaborative approach among the officials from both EPA and AVCO Corporation. First, EPA directed that the company undertake a preliminary assessment of the site (EPA, n.d). The process required that the company review historical data related its manufacturing processes as well as evaluating the potential for an emission of toxic substances into the environment. Further reports indicate that EPA determines the likelihood that the sites pose health threats to the population as well as the environment and if such hazards need an immediate concern or if a need exists to collect additional information about the site (EPA, n.d). The next step was listing the site on the National Priorities List (NPL), which is typically a source of information that determined sites requiring an immediate cleanup. The list contains sites that have the worst hazardous waste emissions rates that Superfund identifies. EPA bases the list on the score that a site receives from the system of Hazard Ranking (EPA, n.d).
The third step of the cleanup process was to conduct a RI/FS, which EPA determined as characterization of the site (EPA, n.d). According to sources, the step entailed an evaluation of the extent and nature of contamination at the AVCO site as well as an assessment of the likely threats to the environment and humans. The process further entails an appraisal of the likely cost and performance of the options of treatment developed for the site. The next step in the cleanup process was to come up with the remedy decisions, the Records of Decision (ROD) (EPA, n.d). The purpose of ROD was to determine which of the alternatives to the cleanup process was appropriate for the AVCO Corporation Site. EPA, during this stage, issues the company with the ROD after recommending the chosen remedy as well as presenting a plan for the cleanup contained in a document known as the Proposed Plan for public comment (EPA, 2007). EPA then issued a final ROD after the period of public comment.
The RD/RA (Remedial Design/Remedial Action) was the next step in the cleanup of the site (EPA, 2007). The company developed and implemented detailed plans for the cleanup during this stage. For instance, it developed engineering specifications and drawings for the cleanup during the remedial design phase (EPA, n.d). It then followed up the process with the remedial action phase, which entailed the real construction and implementation of the cleanup process on the site. Next, AVCO and related agencies proceeded to the construction completion stage, which entailed the communication of the milestones reached by the site to EPA. Specifically, the stage communicated to the agency about the completion of the process of cleanup even while it had not attained the final levels of cleanup (EPA, n.d). The next stage in the cleanup process was the post-construction completion, which the firm undertook to ensure that the works to clean up the site continued to sustain the environment and health. Specifically, the firm undertakes routine monitoring of the wells to check the levels of contamination as a means of checking the effectiveness of the cleanup process. In addition, the company laid down guidelines that it would use to ensure that the cleanup processes continued to be effective in supporting health and environmental protection. AVCO remains on the NPL of EPA, since it has not yet completed the rest of the steps required to justify a deletion from the list (EPA, n.d).
In conclusion, the realization that manufacturing processes have negative impacts on the environment and humans is a critical issue for governments and organizations. This paper has demonstrated a strong partnership between the federal government of the US and AVCO Corporation in cleaning up the site occupied by the firm. Specifically, the paper has demonstrated the role of EPA in ensuring healthy and safe conditions for humans and the environment through laying down directions on processes of cleanup. EPA, as the paper has demonstrated, identified the AVCO site as requiring to feature on the NPL and support for cleanup. AVCO, a manufacturer and repairer of aircraft engines in Lycoming, PA, needed to collaborate with EPA and PARDER to attain the levels of cleanup desired for safety. The process identified TCE and chromium as the main contaminants of underground water both in the shallow aquifer under the site and in the wells off and an on-site. The contaminants, especially TCE, risked the health of some 34000 residents of the Lycoming County who lived three miles from the site. For instance, the paper has identified TCE as a carcinogenic and related to neurological issues. In addition, as much as chromium could be beneficial to human health, it has an association with renal, neurological, and respiratory problems in humans. Bearing in mind such findings, EPA, PARDER and AVCO set out to clean up the site through seven critical stages (two of them are yet to be completed since EPA recommended nine of them) that would clean the site of the contaminants. As much as data on the levels of contamination and the types of complications with which residents suffered from because of the contaminated water is hard to find, EPA continues to monitor the cleanup activities of the company to ensure its effectiveness.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (n.d). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry . Atsdr.cdc.gov . Retrieved 23 May 2017, from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
Amato, M. S., & Oo, S. P. (2002) Investigation of Public Involvement in Long-Term Stewardship Sites of the Superfund Program.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (n.d). Superfund Cleanup Process | US EPA . Retrieved 23 May 2017, from https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cleanup-process
EPA (2007). Addendum to the Avco Lycoming Superflind Site Five-Year Review Report Dated September 24, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2017 from https://semspub.epa.gov/work/03/2138056.pdf
Superfund Site (n.d). Superfund Site: AVCO Lycoming (Williamsport Division) Williamsport, Pa. Cumulis.epa.gov . Retrieved 23 May 2017, from https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.topics&id=0300699#Why
