EPA OKs Plan to Contain, Cap McColl Toxic Dump : Environment: Community and oil companies endorse building underground walls around the 22-acre site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday revealed an $80-million remedy for the McColl toxic waste dump that calls for containing the waste on site and ordered a coalition of oil companies to immediately begin work on the project.

The sprawling World War II-era aviation fuel dump, located in a residential section of northwest Fullerton, has languished on the federal Superfund list of the nation’s most dangerous sites for 11 years.

The EPA’s long-awaited decision is generally endorsed by the community as well as the oil companies, so it could untangle the bureaucratic, technical and legal quagmire at McColl that has frustrated Fullerton residents since the late 1970s.

The remedy for the 22-acre dump calls for containing the acidic oil waste in perpetuity instead of cleaning it up.

None of the material will be removed. Instead, the top half--or as much as technically feasible--will be solidified to stop tarry material from oozing to the surface, and underground walls and a cap will be built to hold it all in place.

“This is a major milestone for us to get to this point, especially because we hope and expect the oil companies to get out and start doing the work immediately,” said Jeff Zelikson, regional director of the EPA’s hazardous materials division.

The coalition of four oil companies that must pay for the project reacted favorably to the EPA’s order, but warned that some technical details may have to be ironed out. They have until Friday to respond to the order.

Shell Oil, Texaco, Atlantic Richfield and Union Oil, which dumped oil refinery waste at McColl, were designated by the federal government years ago as the parties responsible for the site.

“Our first impression is we are very optimistic,” said Bill Duchie, a Shell Oil environmental manager who represents the coalition. “We are in the process of reviewing the details of the order, but on first blush, everything looks good. I can’t tell you that in fact we are prepared to do it all, but we are very encouraged.”

David Bushey, president of the Fullerton Hills Community Assn., called the decision “quite favorable.” The residents believe the plan is far superior to an earlier option supported by the EPA, which was to excavate the waste and build an incinerator to burn it.

But Bushey, too, warned that some points of concern remain, mostly details about the stability of the cap and the aesthetics of the walls. The community group wants assurances from the EPA that enough waste will be hardened to ensure the cap will hold. Such caps can seal a site and enable it to eventually be turned into a park or golf course.

“Are we encouraged? Yeah, we are. What you have seen here is a result of a tremendous amount of work on everyone’s part,” Bushey said.

“Virtually all the issues that have ever been brought up have been addressed,” he said. “At this point, it’s time to hand it over to the oil companies.”

The dump, used for disposal of petroleum refinery wastes from 1942 through 1946, contains about 100,000 cubic yards of waste--the equivalent of thousands of truckloads. The highly acidic sludge contains large amounts of sulfur and cancer-causing hydrocarbons such as benzene.

Under the plan, a mix of cement, ash and lime will be injected into the top half of the waste to solidify it and turn it into a gravel-like form. The purpose is to stop tar-like waste from oozing to the surface as it has for years.

The dump’s bottom half will remain untouched since it is thought to be a rigid, almost impermeable layer of waste similar to asphalt. Holding everything in place will be slurry walls running 60 feet underground, retaining walls above ground and a 7-foot-thick clay and plastic cap.

The EPA order directs the oil companies to start design work immediately, and begin preliminary field work at the site in August. They are to initiate a pilot project to solidify waste in one of 12 large pits at McColl in December, and complete it by October, 1994.

If the pilot project works, the solidification method will be used at the remaining 11 pits. But if it fails, the agency’s backup plan is to cover all the waste with a cap and build the retaining walls. In that case, the EPA says, there is a greater risk that some waste will ooze to the top.

Solidifying waste is generally routine, but the EPA has never tried it at a site with large amounts of gaseous waste like McColl. It is not known if the process can work without releasing foul-smelling sulfur fumes into the community or producing excessive noise. Sulfur can cause serious respiratory problems.

“We hope and expect that it will work,” said the EPA’s Zelikson, “but we also wouldn’t be terribly surprised if it doesn’t.”

Bushey has warned his neighbors to expect some odors, noise and other inconveniences.

“There’s going to have to be some tolerance on our community’s part. We may have to endure some short-term inconveniences to achieve a long-term goal--getting the site cleaned up,” he said.

The project should be completed around the turn of the century, Zelikson said.

The EPA changed its mind twice over the past decade regarding its preferred remedy for the dump--once because of legal problems and once because of technical problems. But Zelikson said this plan is indeed final because no other options or experiments will be tried. If solidification fails, the site will simply be capped.

“I think we have it covered this time,” he said. “We’ve got what we think is a good compromise in terms of treatment of the waste. It’s the best we can hope to do.”

The EPA has been stumped for years on how to handle McColl since it contains an unusual mix of chemicals. The sulfur and organic compounds have combined to give off horrific odors even in small quantities, which made excavation unappealing to residents.

A resolution was delayed also because oil companies and the EPA have haggled over the cleanup options for about 12 years. The EPA’s plan now closely resembles what the oil companies proposed and only technical details are still being debated.

The oil companies believe the volume of waste the EPA wants solidified is too ambitious. But Duchie of Shell said the oil companies are pleased that Friday’s order is flexible on the volume and that the ultimate decision will be based on results of the effort at the first pit.

Zelikson said EPA officials will carefully monitor the oil companies. The most contentious point, he said, will come after the pilot project at the pit is complete, and the EPA and companies have to decide whether it succeeded.

“There is a lot of incentive on their behalf to have the test fail,” Zelikson said, because solidifying the pits would cost $40 million more than simply capping it.

If the oil companies balk at completing the work, the EPA will use federal Superfund monies for the project and then try to recoup the money through the courts later. If the companies don’t comply with the EPA’s order, they risk fines as high as triple the actual cost of the work.

Toxic Solution More than 55,000 cubic yards of oozing toxic waste at the McColl dump in Fullerton will be solidified to stop it from seeping to the surface. Work on one of 12 pits begins in December and will last 10 months. If successful, similar work will be done at the remaining 11 pits. Cost for the entire project is expected to reach at least $80 million. Decades of Dumping In the 1940s, sludge was poured into the pits. Later, mud produced by nearby oil-drilling operations was dumped to cover the highly acidic sludge. 1942-46: Sludge dumped 1951-62: Mud dumped Rising Problems Warm weather causes sludge to rise to the surface. It emits sulfurous fumes and contains cancer-causing chemicals. Complaints about odors and health problems began after homes were built nearby in the 1970s. Sludge and fumes rose to top Soft, tar-like sludge Hardened sludge Clay added in 1980s to help stop seeping Stopping the Sludge Twelve pits, from 17 to 55 feet deep, make up the McColl site. Combined, theycontain nearly 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated material, half of which needs to be treated. In the first phase, soft sludge in one pit will be solidified into an asphalt-like substance by injecting ash. Lime will be added to neutralize acidity. Ash, lime pumped in and mixed Drilling rig shaft Clean air pumped in Soft sludge Sealed steel box Emissions Gas treatment system Treated air pumped out Dirt Soft sludge: Includes tar, mud, clay and soil Hard toxic waste: Black asphalt-like material; will not be treated Contaminated soil Time Frame The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a group of oil companies to design a strategy for the project. Upcoming steps: * Designs to be drawn up immediately; initial field work begins in August. * Soft waste in one pit to be solidified beginning in December; must be completed by October, 1994. * EPA waits about two months to see if solidification works. * If successful, work begins on remaining pits. * If unsuccessful, companies cap the pits and build retaining walls. This could take four years to complete. Source: McColl Superfund Site Proposed Plan; Researched by CAROLINE LEMKE / Los Angeles Times