This summary was last updated on June 1, 2001
After removing 121 tons of capacitors, 36,157 tons of contaminated dirt and treating 119,888 gallons of
water, work at Bennett's Quarry was completed in November of 1999. Viacom and the EPA have been monitoring the site, and the EPA has received and commented on Viacom's Longterm Groundwater Monitoring Plan. Tom Alcamo, EPA Project Manager, has stated that they do not fully understand the water system here. He is looking to implement flow measurements for Middle Spring, Mound Spring, & Stouts Creek, as well as
quarterly PCB sampling, storm event sampling, dye trace studies, and more frequent sampling before deciding what to do.
Apparently there are problems with water at Bennett's, and with the new road (SR 46) coming through, these problems may be exacerbated.
There have been changes in flow rates and PCB concentrations in water coming out of the springs scattered around the site. Middle Spring has increased flow and PCB concentration, moving from 2 to 13ppb. It is unusual that while the PCB level is high, the water is clear rather than turbid. It is also problematic that Stouts Creek has higher concentrations of PCBs downstream than it does coming out of the dump area. This could indicate that PCBs are migrating through the karst to springs farther downstream, though there could be other scenarios as well.
The EPA is "far from done" with Stout's Creek according to the EPA's Tom Alcamo. He is planning to do sediment and fish sampling in Stout's Creek, and is worried about how the new highway interchange will affect the groundwater level. He will consider pumping the surrounding quarries and/or creating a collection trench to divert water. The EPA has planned a Groundwater Investigation Plan which will:
- Define
site hydrology and recharge area,
- Define the relationship between groundwater elevations, water levels in quarry
pits and spring flows
- Study
the effect of the highway construction.
- Estimate mass loading to Stouts Creek.
Viacom has expressed reluctance to do much of this work, but the EPA is ready to go ahead and let the matter be decided in the courts.
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