Published: February 1999

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

The United States Department of Energy announces the availability of a document relating to the investigation of the Brookhaven National Laboratory Inactive Hazardous Waste Site, Operable Unit III for public review

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of a document relating to the environmental restoration activities at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The Action Memorandum: Carbon Tetrachloride Tank Groundwater Removal Action is available for review at the libraries listed below. There is no public comment period for this document.

This action memorandum describes a removal action that is taking place on the site of BNL. A removal action is an accelerated cleanup response to a known or potential contamination source.

Carbon tetrachloride, a liquid solvent, has been detected in groundwater in a localized area on the BNL site. The source of the carbon tetrachloride contamination was an underground tank that once held this chemical. The tank was removed from the ground in April 1998. Residual contamination from inside the tank has contaminated the groundwater with carbon tetrachloride.

The carbon tetrachloride groundwater contamination is currently located near the former location of the underground tank and is not a human health threat.

The contaminated groundwater has been treated by removing it from the ground and pumping it through an activated carbon filter. The clean water was then released into the BNL sanitary sewer system. Additional groundwater sampling and characterization will determine if further pumping and treatment is necessary.

This action has addressed the highest concentrations of carbon tetrachloride. Further actions will be evaluated after completion of the additional groundwater characterization.

Located in Upton, N.Y., BNL is classified as an Inactive Hazardous Waste Site by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. BNL is on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List.

The Action Memorandum: Carbon Tetrachloride Tank Groundwater Removal Action can be found at the following libraries:

Longwood Public Library
800 Middle Country Road
Middle Island, NY
(516) 924-6400

Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library
301 WIlliam Floyd Parkway
Shirley, NY
(516) 399-1511

BNL Research Library
Upton, NY
(516) 344-3489

U.S. EPA, Region II Library
(212) 637-4296

For more information, contact:

Robert Simeone
U.S. Department of Energy
(516) 344-3141

Eloise Gmur
Brookhaven National Laboratory
(516) 344-6336