McColl

Description and History

The McColl site is an inactive refinery-waste disposal facility covering approximately 22 acres. The site consists of two distinct areas: the Ramparts Area, which is in the eastern portion of the site and is surrounded by developed property and residences, and the Los Coyotes Area, which is in the western portion and once had a portion of the Los Coyotes Country Club Golf Course overlying it. The Ramparts and Los Coyotes Areas each contain six waste sumps with depths up to 55 feet. Approximately 97,100 cubic yards of contaminated material (72,600 cubic yards of solid waste and 24,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil) is contained in the waste sumps. The waste is primarily an acidic sludge waste generated during the refining process for high octane aviation fuel during the 1940s. Drilling muds were placed over a few of the Ramparts sumps in the early 1950s. The Los Coyotes area was covered with soil in 1960 to build the Los Coyotes Golf Course. In 1968, homes were built in the area. Subsequently, complaints from residents near the site about odors and health problems initiated investigations by local, State, and Federal agencies. The Ramparts area was covered in 1983 by a temporary liner. Tar like waste continues to seep to the surface of the dirt cap. Access to the site is restricted by a fence and a security guard. There are more than 6,700 people living within 3 miles of the site. The distance from the site to the nearest residence is less than 100 feet.

All site work has been completed, and is being monitored to ensure that the remedy remains protective to human health and the environment. This phase of the process is considered Operation and Maintenance.

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Contaminants and Risks

Air, groundwater, and soil on site contain thiophene compounds, which can cause severe odors; sulfur dioxide, which can cause respiratory inflammation when inhaled; and various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene. The waste contaminating the air, groundwater and soil is a very acidic. People may face health risks from direct contact with the waste because of its acidic nature. Inhalation of emissions of sulfur dioxide and VOCs from the waste also can pose health threats. Low levels of inorganic chemicals, volatile, and semi-volatile compounds have been detected in the regional groundwater. Some of these compounds have also been detected in the soil.

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Who is Involved

This is being addressed through Federal, State, and potentially responsible parties' actions.

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Investigation and Cleanup Activities

Site cleanup is being addressed in three phases: initial actions and two long-term remedial phases focusing on cleanup of soil and waste and groundwater.

Initial Actions: Access to the site is restricted by a fence and a 24 hour security guard. A temporary cap was placed over portions of the site. Waste that seeps to the surface of the sumps that is exposed is periodically removed

Soil and Waste: In 1984, the EPA selected a cleanup remedy including excavation and disposal of wastes at an approved disposal facility. Groundwater monitoring wells were installed on site and sampled to determine whether the groundwater had been contaminated by the soil. A State court injunction in 1985 stopped the transfer of the contaminated soil. As a result of this injunction, the EPA revised the original study. The EPA issued a proposed plan in 1989 identifying excavation and thermal destruction as the preferred cleanup alternative. The EPA then conducted various treatability studies including rotary kiln incineration, low temperature thermal extraction, solvent extraction, and a trial excavation of the waste. Based on information gained from these studies, in mid-1993, the EPA again chose to revise its plan for cleanup; the EPA selected partial solidification of the tar waste in the sumps with a contingency remedy of RCRA equivalent closure. During 1994 and 1995 pilot and full scale treatability studies were conducted to determine if the solidification of the tar waste was a feasible alternative. In September of 1995, EPA selected the contingency remedy of RCRA equivalent closure for the sump wastes. The contingency remedy will include a RCRA equivalent cap over the sumps and a below grade soil bentonite slurry wall around the sumps. The design of the remedy was completed in March 1997.

Groundwater: In the early 1980s, a limited number of monitoring wells were installed on site. Samples from these wells produced no conclusive results. In 1986, the EPA conducted a groundwater investigation. Samples taken during the study indicated that thiophenes may have leached into the groundwater. A more comprehensive groundwater investigation began in 1990 to determine the nature and extent of the contamination and to identify cleanup alternatives. Results of this investigation indicate that while contaminants are entering the perched groundwater, they do not result in significant contamination of the regional aquifer nor do they present a threat to human health or the environment. The perched groundwater is not considered usable because there is not enough water to supply an extraction well. Only very low concentrations of contaminants have reached the regional aquifer. Although these compounds cause the groundwater to smell and taste bad, they do not present a threat to human health and the environment. Installation of the cap and slurry wall as described above will greatly reduce the rate of contaminant movement. Groundwater adjacent to the site is not used as a source of drinking water.

The construction of the cap and slurry wall were completed in May, 1998. The system for collecting and treating subsurface gases has also been completed and is fully functional and operational. Currently it runs intermittently due to the low levels of gases generated beneath the cap. Groundwater is monitored regularly to ensure that site contaminants have not migrated off-site.

A second Five Year Review was completed on September 25, 2007. This review summarized cleanup activities that have taken place and evaluated whether the selected remedy remains protective of human health and the environment. According to Superfund law, if a cleanup action takes more than five years to complete and/or leaves waste in place, the protectiveness of the remedy will be reviewed every five years. The review determined that the remedy is functioning as designed and is protective of human health and the environment. The document is available below.

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Cleanup Results to Date

The construction of the cap and slurry wall have been completed. The system for collecting and treating subsurface gases has also been completed and is fully functional and operational. Currently it runs intermittently due to the low levels of gases generated beneath the cap.

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Potentially Responsible Parties

Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) refers to companies that are potentially responsible for generating, transporting, or disposing of the hazardous waste found at the site.

Online information about the PRPs for the site is not yet available.

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Documents and Reports

Administrative Records
		Groundwater OU
Fact Sheets
	10/01/95	EPA Selects Contingency Remedy of Closure
	06/01/96	U.S. EPA Announces a Record of Decision for Groundwater at the McColl Superfund Site
	10/01/97	Community Update
	07/01/98	EPA Announces Intention to Delete the McColl Site from the National Priorities List
	06/01/02	U.S. EPA Announces Five-Year Milestone for the McColl Superfund Site Cleanup
	12/01/05	EPA Updates Groundwater Strategy at McColl
	06/12/08	FIVE-YEAR REVIEW COMPLETE
Images
		AERIAL PHOTOS BEFORE AND AFTER CONSTRUCTION
		PART 1
		PART 2
		PART 3
		PHOTOS
Records of Decision
	09/01/07	Second Five-Year Review Report for McColl Superfund Site, Fullerton, Orange County, CA
		First Five-year Review Report, McColl Superfund Site, City of Fullerton, Orange County, CA
		Groundwater ESD (9/2005)
		Groundwater ROD (1996)
		Pre-SARA, Original Analysis ROD (1984)
		Source OU ROD (1993)
Technical Documents
	09/30/02	McColl Superfund Site Five Year Review
	05/01/03	2002 Operations, Maintenance, & Monitoring Annual Report

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Community Involvement

Public Meetings:

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Public Information Repositories

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Additional Links

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Contacts

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