Talk:Alkali Lake

At a recent meeting of the Friends of Alkali Lake many things were discussed.

There is a brief rundown of the History of the site on Wikipedia.

There was some confusion among the people about who owns the site. The dumpsite is currently surrounded by barbed wire and owned by Bayer CropScience, the successor to Rhodia who originally prodused the waste.

The dumpsite is 10.3 acres (4.2 ha) and contains 60 monitoring wells. There are an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million gallons of toxic waste at the site, and is called one of Oregon's worst toxic-waste dumps by the project manager at the DEQ.

Major Toxins are 2,4-D & MCPA herbicide residue containing chlorophenols and polymeric chlorophenoxyphenols; metallic chloride waste, paint and paint solvent; dioxins/furans (including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin); EPA Waste #K043. Annual testing for - 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4-D. 2-chlorophenol, MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, residue containing chlorophenols), MCPP(meta-Chlorophenylpiperazine, 2-(2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenoxy)Propionic Acid). Potential contamination of groundwater, soil, air, & food chain.

Oregon has paid over $2 million for monitoring and to acquire land surrounding the dump which comes from the regular budget for DEQ.

Some wanted an independent study to see if the DEQ is telling the truth but the DEQ reports tell us enough if people will read them.

According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, "The DEQ has determined that the contaminated plume is spreading from east to west, away from Hutton Spring and thus does not currently constitute a threat to the water quality in Hutton Spring". The plume can threaten the western snowy plovers.

The people are worried about themselves and the plume is not the primary threat for the people. It is the contaminates that are pushed to the surface by hydraulic pressure attach themselves to dust particles and become airborne. People can breath in this dust bringing contaminates into their blood stream like Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin(TCDD).

"Because trespassers on the site for an extended time could be exposed to unsafe levels of contaminants, DEQ has fenced the Chemical Waste Disposal Area, and posted warning signs." But the studies show that high levels of contaminates have left the fenced area.

"Bob Schwarz, (Jan 17, 2008) A risk assessment completed in 2005 concludes that risk to offsite residents and workers is well below safe levels. Risk to trespassers on the site is also at or below safe levels.

Original studied showed level extremely high outside the fence but exposure levels have been presumed low because few people visit the area, not because levels are not high.

So what is the HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

Map of area at page 145 to 148 of site including location of original site, wells and roads.

"Chemical analyses indicate that the primary contaminants in soil and groundwater are phenols, chlorinated herbicides, dioxins, and furans. Potential migration mechanisms are primarily windblown dust and groundwater movement, although sampling at the Site has not indicated significant migration via windblown dust. Groundwater monitoring has identified a well documented contaminant plume extending about 2,000 feet from the CWDA, but the plume has not expanded during the past 10 years."

"Chemical analyses indicate that the primary contaminants in soil and groundwater are phenols, chlorinated herbicides, dioxins, and furans. Potential migration mechanisms are primarily windblown dust and groundwater movement, although sampling at the Site has not indicated significant migration via windblown dust. Groundwater monitoring has identified a well documented contaminant plume extending about 2,000 feet from the CWDA, but the plume has not expanded during the past 10 years."

"Cumulative risks and hazards were also below DEQ target levels (Table ES-1). "

The rik is not low because the toxins are not dangerous or a threat but because exposure is low because of the remoteness of the site. If you examine the [OARs] which the DEQ uses you will see reference to exposure time to establish "Acceptable risk level for human exposure to individual carcinogens".

One problem is that once a victim in inhaled the toxins like Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin(TCDD) it remains in the body even after you leave the area. The problem with TCDD is that its affects are not immediate. TCDD is a Persistent Bioaccumulating Toxin [PBT] that has been related to cancer, diabetes and birth defects and many other health problems. Anyone exposed to these chemicals may develop problems years later. It is very difficult to tell how many have become ill or died or will become ill or die in the future.

It is in the interest of the DEQ to play down the toxicity of the site and difficult to prove the harm it has done They had made a bad situation worse. There i also little will or imagination to reduce the toxins through biodegredation.

DEQ links for Alkali Lake

DEQ Alkali Lake Disposal Site Summary Information

Environmental Cleanup Site Information (ECSI) Database Site Summary Report - Details for Site ID 291, Alkali Lake Disposal Site

Alkali Lake Risk Assessment (July 2005).pdf Eco/HH Risk Assessments 4.6071 7/26/2005 12/21/2017 213 pages

Fact Sheet-AlkaliLake-Aug-2015.pdf Fact Sheets 0.1900 8/1/2015 6/27/2016

Remediation Alt Rpt 8-15-06.pdf Reports 1.9536 3/10/2009, 13 pages

May 2011 Groundwater Report-Alkali Lake.pdf Reports 1.0728 9/7/2011 8/24/2015

September 2013 groundwater sampling report.pdf Reports 1.7122 8/18/2015 1/6/2017

2016 monitoring and maintenance rpt-complete.pdf Reports 4.1987 10/25/2016 1/6/2017

2007-04-25-Record of Decision-Alkali Lake.pdf RODs/Staff Reports