Environmental Protection Agency officials said last week concerns about setting an expensive precedent is prompting them to move cautiously as they determine whether Barber Orchard should be placed on the National Priorities List for long-term clean-up.

“If Barber Orchard does qualify for the NPL, it will be the first agricultural site in the country,” said Jon Bornholm, the EPA’s remedial project manager for the site.

“There are other orchards that have high levels of lead and arsenic, but they can’t qualify because they can’t get past the ‘improper handling or storage’ qualifier.”

“We want to be careful so as not to set what could be an expensive precedent,” Bornholm said.

Bornholm was speaking to about 30 orchard residents who attended a public meeting at the Saunook Volunteer Fire Department. EPA officials scheduled the meeting to give residents a review of the status for getting on the list for long-term cleanup.

The Superfund site has already undergone an emergency cleanup of soil at 28 home sites. Other property at the 500-acre site could qualify for cleanup and monitoring if the site is placed on the NPL. A decision is expected sometime this spring.

According to Diane Barrett, an EPA community relations coordinator, Barber Orchard is more or less assured of being placed on the NPL unless something occurs during the public comment period that ends March 12.

“The hazardous ranking package was submitted Jan. 11,” Barrett said. “At this point it looks apparent unless someone can submit technical information that will make us reconsider the ranking.”

Once on the NPL, cleanup could take years to occur.

For now, EPA officials are in the “remedial investigation” phase of the process. Last week interviews with residents were conducted to inform them of the status of the project and to address any concerns they have, Barrett said. Well surveys and sampling locations are now being determined. Surface and subsurface soil samples will be collected, and 20 monitoring wells will be drilled into the area. The water and soil will be analyzed for the presence of pesticide and metals.

This information will help determine what the final cleanup process will entail if the site is placed on the National Priority List. EPA officials said it is way too early to even guess what process the cleanup might take.

Bornholm did warn residents, however, that in some other projects deed restrictions have been placed on properties, or that residents were told not to dig or play in yards.

Bornholm told residents, however, that he thinks the worst thing that could happen would be for the site not to qualify for help.

“I know some of you don’t want to hear this, but getting on the NPL is the only way to get funding for the cleanup. The worst-case scenario would be a no-action scenario,” he said.

 

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