The document discusses the ongoing groundwater cleanup at the NASA Moffett Field site, which has contamination from volatile organic compounds like trichloroethene. It provides background on the site, outlines recommendations from a 2004 EPA review to optimize the groundwater remedy, and discusses next steps like implementing approved recommendations and conducting a second five-year review in 2009. Optimization efforts include improving effectiveness, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the groundwater treatment systems while maintaining or improving cleanup progress and protecting human health.
Groundwater Update and Remedial Optimization Process Overview
1. Groundwater Update and
Remedial Optimization Process
Overview
NAS Moffett Field
Restoration Advisory Board Meeting
January 8, 2009
Alana Lee
EPA Region 9
2.
3.
4. MEW / NAS Moffett Field Site – Shallow TCE
Plume
Fairchild
Intel
Raytheon
NEC
SMI
Vishay/
Sumco
NASA
Navy
5. MEW / NAS Moffett Field Site Background
• Shallow A, A2/B1, B2, B3, C and deeper groundwater
zones – contaminated with volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), primarily trichloroethene (TCE)
• EPA Record of Decision - 1989
• EPA Oversight – MEW Admin Order - 1990, Consent
Decree - 1992, Navy FFA Amendment - 1993
• Soil cleaned up (excavation and/or soil vapor extraction)
• Groundwater cleanup continues using pump and treat
systems (carbon, air strippers, slurry walls).
• Current TCE in shallow groundwater
up to 40,000 ppb inside slurry walls and generally 100 to
10,000 ppb outside the slurrywalls
• Groundwater cleanup level is 5 ppb for TCE.
11. Cleanup Progress
Moffett The plume has
NASA
been stabilized.
Field
Interim remedial
Groundwater
cleanup measures
NAVY concentrations
began in 1982.
have been
reduced by more
than 75%.
MEW
Ten groundwater
treatment PRPs have
systems have
spent more than
treated over 2.8
$140 M on
billion gallons of
GTE cleanup
water and more
activities.
than 75,000
pounds of VOCs. Soil cleaned up. More than 36,000
cubic yards of soil excavated. Five
soil vapor extraction systems
operated.
12. VOC Mass Removed (through 2005)
Cumulative Cumulative
Groundwater VOC
Company Extracted & Treated Mass Removed
(gallons) (pounds)
Fairchild - 1 524,000,000 14,300
Fairchild - 3 437,000,000 20,850
Fairchild - 19 887,000,000 10,300
Intel 78,000,000 2,000
NEC 19,000,000 27
Raytheon 282,000,000 12,900
SMI 56,000,000 43
Vishay 12,000,000 319
RGRP S101 312,000,000 6,500
NASA 7,000,000 25
Navy 232,000,000 3,200
RGRP N101 549,000,000 6,500
Total 3,395,000,000 76,964
13. Superfund Redevelopment
Redevelopment to high
profile commercial campus
began in late 1990s and
continues today.
14. Modifications to Treatment Systems
Carbon
Carbon Carbon
Carbon
X
Oxidation Carbon &
Oxidation Air
Stripping
Carbon
Carbon
In response to community concerns, air strippers replaced with other systems
15. 2004 EPA Five-Year Review – Groundwater
Recommendations and Follow-up Actions
• Develop and implement optimization plan to improve the
effectiveness of the groundwater remedy at each facility and the
Regional Program
• Include additional wells in sampling network to further assess
contamination
• Evaluate extraction well network and pumping rates to improve
capture and maintain desired gradients
• Install new extraction wells to enhance mass removal and plume
capture
• Evaluate applicability of other cleanup technologies to expedite
mass removal and cleanup time
16. Groundwater Remedy Optimization
Optimization efforts include:
• Improving the effectiveness of the remedy in protecting
human health and the environment
• Improving efficiency
• Improving cost effectiveness while maintaining the same
or higher level of effectiveness
• Expediting progress towards site cleanup and closure
17. Some Optimization Recommendations
Optimization recommendations included:
• Modification to extraction rates
• Further evaluation of alternate technologies
• Re-location/replacement of extraction wells
• Conduct treatability/pilot studies of alternative
technologies
18. Next Steps
• Consider public input
• EPA Review Comments on Optimization reports
• Implement approved optimization recommendations in a
timely manner
• Optimization efforts included in Annual Reports
• EPA Second Five-Year Review - 2009