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EPA Seeks Public Comment on the Proposed Plan for the SAPP Battery Superfund Site in Cottondale, Fla.

Release Date: 08/26/2011
Contact Information: James Pinkney, 404-562-9183, [email protected]

(ATLANTA – August 26, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting regarding the proposed plan for groundwater cleanup of the Sapp Battery Superfund Site in Cottondale, Florida. The public comment period for the proposed plan began August 25, 2011 and will extend until midnight September 25, 2011.

The public meeting will be held on September 7, 2011 at the Cottondale Community Center, 2666 Front Street, Cottondale, Florida, 32437 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

The EPA is proposing changes to the cleanup because the site conditions have changed since the EPA selected the original cleanup strategy in 1986. Natural Attenuation is underway and has resulted in significant improvements since the source of contamination was removed in earlier cleanups. Based on recent data and EPA guidance, the EPA proposes to use Monitored Natural Attenuation as the final cleanup approach. The Proposed Plan summarizes the site contamination, the goals of the cleanup and the cleanup approach that the EPA proposes for the site.

Public input is important and the final cleanup approach could be different from the proposed cleanup approach, depending upon new information or comments the EPA may receive from the public. The EPA's final choice of a cleanup approach will be documented in a Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment. The EPA's response to comments will be included with the ROD Amendment in the Responsiveness Summary. Once the ROD Amendment is signed, work will begin on the design of the selected remedy.

The Sapp Battery Superfund Site operated from the early 1970s until 1980. The 45-acre Site is located about five miles south of Cottondale, Florida and about 1,000 feet west of the intersection of State Route 231 and County Road 280 (Corbin Road). The improper disposal of battery casings and battery acid contaminated the groundwater, soil and surrounding wetlands. The EPA selected a remedy for the site groundwater, soil and wetlands in September 1986. The site soils and wetlands were cleaned up by emergency actions in 1980 and 1984-85, and by remedial actions in 1999-2001 (soils) and 2007-2009 (wetlands). The lead and battery acid from the cracked batteries caused significant groundwater contamination at the Site. Since the soil remedy was finished, groundwater contamination has improved significantly.

Comments can be provided to Erik Spalvins ([email protected]), Remedial Project Manager or to L’Tonya Spencer ([email protected]), Community Involvement Coordinator by email or mail at U.S. EPA, Superfund Remedial Branch, Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 or by phone at (800) 435-9233. Oral comments may be given at the public meeting.

The Proposed Plan can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/sf/images/nplmedia/pdfs/sapbatflpplan2011.pdf