The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 09101991 - EA.1 -- Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa FROM: ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE .^._ t �� SUPERVISOR NANCY C. FAHDEN, CHAIR .......... i County SUPERVISOR TOM TORLAKSON DATE: AUGUST 12, 1991 SUBJECT: STATUS OF COORS COURT HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE IN OAKLEY SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Accept the report from Dr. Wendel. Brunner of the Health Services Department on the Cooks Court Hazardous Waste Site. 2 . Direct the Community Development Department and County, Cou�nsed to investigate the possibility of a Deed Notification to", inform prospective purchasers of property about onsite- hazardous waste contamination. 3 . Direct the Health Services Department to maintain close contact with the State Department of Health Services to monitor the clean-up progress on the Cook Battery and other Superfund sites. 4. Direct the Health Services Department to work in the future with the State Department of Health Services in setting up effective Community Relations Programs which inform and seek input from area residents who are potentially impacted by designated hazardous waste sites. 5. Direct the Building Inspection Department to include in their on-going revision of the Land. Information -System,".,,-(,LIS) the ability for the Community Development, Environmental-'Healthi Public Works and Sheriff-Coroner Departments to place,%a`',!hold'' on any parcel for which they have development-'.restrict,£ on's and/or code enforcement concerns. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: XX YES . SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR xx RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S) : 0m, Supe visor ncy Fanden, Chair Supervisor Tom Torlakson ACTION OF BOARD- ON �PptPmhPr 10 1991 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS -- I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT . THI'S JS A , X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT TRUE AND CORRECT--COPY"-OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND• ENTERED ON" THE.. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE 'BOARD, OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Ori.g: Community Development Department (CDD) ATTESTED September 10, 1991 cc: Health Services Dept. , Dr. Wendel Brunner PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF Building Inspection Department THE BOARD OF. SUPERVISORS Health Services Dept. , Environmental Health AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Division Sheriff-Coroner Department BY a , DEPUTY RV:se ea:\EACCooks.bo Continued - Page Two FISCAL IMPACT None BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS At the Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC) meeting of June 24 , 1991, Dr. Brunner reported on the current status of the Cooks Court hazardous waste site. During the 1950 's and 19601s, the parcel located at 139 Hill Street in Oakley was used for an auto battery salvage and reclamation business. In the process, the site was contaminated with lead. The property was tested by the County Health Services Department (HSD) in 1985 and the State Department of Health Services (DOHS) was informed. The site was added to the California State Superfund list by the state in 1986, but given a low priority. The state allowed the residents who conducted the salvage operation to continue to live on the site with the agreement not to sell it until further investigation and possible remediation could take place in 1990. The owners violated the agreement and sold it in December 1987. The initial remediation effort took place in 1989 with the removal of about 640 tons of dirt. Due to the site's low priority status, thus lack of funds, no further clean-up was conducted at this time and the property was fenced off and signs were posted. In August of 1990, the state conducted additional tests at the site and discovered high levels of lead contamination in an adjacent lot behind the Cooks Court residential area. Apparently due to an oversight on the part of DOHS staff, however, the residents were not informed until April of 1991. The HSD recommendation to the state at the time was that the residents be advised to have blood lead testing and offered to provide the testing through the HSD. In May of 1991, the DOHS and HSD met and agreed to conduct an extensive lead sampling program in the area. The HSD has independently tested eight residents for blood lead levels. Despite the results showing that all eight fall under the level considered to be elevated (25) by the Centers for Disease Control, experts in the field believe this level to be too high. Therefore, the HSD has sent a public health nurse trained in environmental health hazards to each household where there are blood levels over tern. In addition, the HSD is maintaining close contact with the DOHS regarding the site characterization, clean-up plans, and possible health impacts to the residents. In order to help facilitate a more prompt response from the state and promote a better community relations program in the future for those residents living near a hazardous waste site, as well as to improve the County's warning system for detecting code enforcement violations and/or development restrictions on parcels of land, the EAC urges the Board to approve the above recommendations. RV:se ea:EACCooks.bo i ...... .oma Contra Costa County ''• _ �`'' Health Services Department •• s PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION Administrative Offices • .14 1, 1111 Ward Street �'p• - Martinez,California 94553 sr'9 COUK� TO: Supervisor Nancy Fanden Supervisor Tom Torlakson Environmental Affairs Committee FROM: Wendel Brunner, M.D' --� Assistant Health Services Director for Public Health DATE: June 24, 1991 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON COOK BATTERY HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE HISTORY The Cook Battery hazardous waste site at 139 Hill Street, Oakley was the location of an auto battery salvage and reclamation business during the 1950' s and 601s . Old batteries were salvaged, and in the process the property was heavily contaminated with lead, a toxic metal. In June, 1985 the Contra Costa County Health Services Department received an anonymous complaint about the property. Testing by the County Health Department showed high levels of lead contamination in the soil, and the State Department of Health Services (DOHS) was informed. In January, 1986 the site was 'added to the California State Super Fund list by DOHS . However,_ the site was deemed low priority at that time and no further investigation of the site was scheduled to begin until 1990 . In 1987 , the site was sold and additional lead contamination was uncovered. The DOHS then did lead sampling to characterize the site, and the Contra Costa County Health Services Department sampled soils from the, immediately surrounding neighborhood to determine if lead had migrated off site to pose a health threat to surrounding residents . In addition, the County Health Services Department tested water from 17 surrounding wells for lead . The County Health Department also 'contacted all of the residents adjacent to the site and recommended blood lead testing, which was made available free through the Health Services Department. None of the wells had lead levels exceeding Federal drinking water standards, and none of the residents had blood lead values above the levels set by the Centers for Disease Control for elevated blood lead. in children, including two children who had lived some months on the site . A372 0/89) including a 1-1/2 year old 'infant. That family has left the Cook site vicinity. The County Health Services Department is sending a public health nurse specifically trained in evaluating environmental lead hazards to each household where there are blood lead levels over 10 . B. Community Relations Program Every State Super Fund site is supposed to have a_ community relations program to inform the community about the site, the status of characterization and clean up, and to solicit community input. The State cancelled its community relations program on the Cook Battery site in November 1988, because of lack of funding. This cancellation contributed to a lack of prompt community notification. The Contra Costa Health Services Department is maintaining close contact with DOHS on this site. We are following the characterization of the site, the clean up plans, and particularly the possible health impacts on the community. We will be meeting. again with DOHS as soon as the soil lead samples from Cook' s Court are available to determine whether the Cook's Court area is appropriate for residential purposes Ipending more definitive clean up of the lead contamination in the area. WB:ah cc: Mark Finucane, Health Services Director