EPA v. GRANVILLE SOLVENTS SITE

Case summary

PURSUANT TO A SACM ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ON CONSENT ( AOC ) SEVENTY FOUR (74) POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES ( PRPS ) HAVE VOLUNTARILY AGREED TO CONTAIN AND CLEAN UP GROUNDWATER AND SOIL CONTAMINATION POSING AN IMMINENT AND SUBSTANTIAL ENDANGERMENT TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE AND A REIMBURSE U.S. EPA FOR 100% OF ITS PAST AND OVERSIGHT COSTS. THE GRANVILLE SOLVENTS SITE IS LOCATED AT PALMER LANE, GRANVILLE, LICKING COUNTY , OHIO. WITHIN A PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL AREA WHICH INCLUDES COMMERICAL AND LIGHT-INDUSTRIAL BUSINESSES NEARBY. DURING THE 1980S, THE NOW DEFUNCT GRANVILLE SOLVENTS, INC., OPERATED A SOLVENTS RECYCLING BUSINESS AT THE SITE. THE SITE IS SITUATED APPROXIMATELY 1/3 MILE SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN GRANVILLE. THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE OF GRANVILLE'S MUNICIPAL WELLFIELD IS LOCATED APPROXIMATLELY 1,000 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE ABANDONED GRANVILLE SOLVENT FACILITY AND CONSISTS OF THREE WELLS. THE WELLFIELD PROVIDES DRINKING WATER TO SEVERAL THOUSAND RESIDENTS IN THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE AS WELL AS DENSION UNIVERSITY, WHICH ENROLLS APPROXIMATELY 1,800 FULL-TIME STUDENTS PER YEAR. AN ADDITIONAL 250 PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE ARE CONNECTED TO THIS WELLFIELD SYSTEM. IN LATE 1993, THE STATE OF OHIO REFERRED THE SITE TO U. S. EPA FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION UNDER U. S. EPA'S SUPERFUND ACCELERATED CLEANUP MODEL ( SACM ) PROGRAM TO ADDRESS AN IMMEINENT AND SUBSTANTIAL ENDANGERMENT AT THE SITE DUE TO CONTAMINATION, INCLUDING HAZARDOUS VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ( VOCS ). ORIGINATING FROM THE SITE AND TRAVELLING TOWARD THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE'S MUNICIPAL WELLFIELD DRINKING WATER SUPPLY. IMMEDIATELY, THROUGH AN OPEN AND COOPERATIVE EFFORT, THE SITE'S SACM TEAM, U.S. EPA REGION'S SACM REGIONAL DECISION TEAM, THE STATE OF OHIO, AND THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE, JOINTLY DEVELOPED A SITE STRATEGY AND PLAN. PURSUANT TO THE PLAN, U.S. EPA ISSUED GENERAL NOTICE LETTERS AND INFORMATION REQUESTS TO ALL PRPS IDENTIFIED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SITE. , COLLECTED WASTE-IN INFORMATION AND DEVELOPED A WASTE-IN VOLUMETRIC RANKING, AND RELEASED THE INFORMATION AAND VOLUMETRIC RANKING TO THE PRPS WHO, IN-TURN, EXPEDITIOUSLY FORMED A PRP GROUP. BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS CONDITIONS AT THE SITE, THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE WAS FORCED TO SHUT-DOWN ONE OF ITS MUNICIPAL WELLS. HOWEVER, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF U.S. EPA AND IN COOPERATION WITH THE OHIO EPA AND THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE VILLAGE, THE PRP GROUP IMMEDIATELY AND VOLUNTARILY CMMENCED RESPONDE ACTIVITIES AT THE SITE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, U.S. EPA, WITH THE CONTINUOUS INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION OF THE STATE OF OHIO AND THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE, CONDUCTED ENFORCEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PRP GROUP WHICH LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENTRY OF THE AOC. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE AOC, THE PRPS HAVE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, AGREED TO DO THE FOLLOWING: 1. INSTALL A GROUNWATER PUMP AND TREAT SYSTEM TO HALT IMMEDIATELY, AND CLEAN UP, THE GROUNWATER CONTAMINATION EMANATING FROM THE SITE AND THEREBY ELIMINATE THE THREAT POSED TO GRANVILLE'S DRINKING WATER SUPPLY; 2. CLEAN UP SOIL CONTAMINATION AT THE SITE; 3. AS A SAFEGUARD, UPGRADE THE VILLAGE OF GRANVILLE'S MUNICIPAL WELLFIELD WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM TO ADDRESS POSSIBLE GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION; AND 3. REIMBURSE U.S. EPA FOR ALL OF ITS PAST AND OVERSIGHT COSTS. THE CLEANUP IS EXPECTED TO COST SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS.

Defendants (1)

• GRANVILLE SOLVENTS SITE

Facilities (1)

• GRANVILLE SOLVENTS PRP GROUP

  300 PALMER LANE, GRANVILLE, OH, 430230000

  Registry ID: 110000814735

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 106 — Imminent & Substantial Endangerment Order

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 1994-09-07Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 1994-09-23Enforcement Action Data Entered