Whirlpool groups says pollution plume stable

According to a report submitted Monday (June 24) to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, environmental consultants for Whirlpool claim that a plume of potentially cancer causing trichloroethylene (TCE) on and around its former Fort Smith manufacturing facility has stabilized and may actually be shrinking.

In a document detailing findings by consulting group ENVIRON, the firm told ADEQ that the "plume boundary is stable and has not moved since the last annual report."

To come to the conclusions, the firm took samples from numerous monitoring wells both within the plume area and outside of the plume area. But one well, known as MW-63, has actually show differing levels of TCE.

"While the values of TCE change with time, the overall trend is generally flat. Because MW-63 is located near the edge of the plume, this variation is to be expected. Changes in water levels and changes in biochemical conditions can affect the rate at which chlorinated compounds are degraded."

The report goes on to say that impacted groundwater, even outside the boundaries, are stable and has been since 2005.

"Since 2005, the TCE concentrations in the wells beyond the extent of the interpreted boundary of impacted groundwater have remained relatively stable, with historical concentrations generally below 5 ug/L (micrograms per liter), suggesting that the impacted groundwater is stable in the off-site area."

The report indicated that monitoring conducted during the Spring of this year showed 11 of 13 off-site wells contained TCE, while nine of those wells contained dichloroethene (cis1,2-DCE) and TCE. The report also stated that vinyl chloride was detected in four of the wells.

"All four of the most downgradient wells sampled during the Spring 2013 event contained cis-1,2-DCE, showing that breakdown is occurring within this area."

According to a publication from the Environmental Protection Agency, cis-1,2-DCE is not without side affects. A short term side affect of cis-1,2-DCE is "central nervous system depression."

Long term, the chemical has "the potential to cause liver, circulatory and nervous system damage from long-term exposure at levels above the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level)."

The MCL level for cis-1,2-DCE is 70 parts ber billion, according to ADEQ spokeswoman Katherine Benenati. At least one sample of cis-1,2-DCE was 380 ppb.

Fort Smith City Administrator Ray Gosack said the side affects sound similar to others associated with TCE.

"It sounds like it is basically the same health risks that TCE brings with it," he said. "I don't know that it is anything new or different that we haven't heard already."

In the report conclusion, ENVIRON said the results from the monitoring during the Spring of this year and Fall 2012 show "generally stable to decreasing trends for TCE concentration."

The firm also said "groundwater flow continues to be split by a divide located just south of Ingersoll Avenue, with groundwater north of the divide moving in a northeasterly direction and groundwater south of the divide moving in a generally southern direction."

That has homeowner Travis Westpfahl worried.

"I hope that they are right, that the levels are going down, but it makes you wonder about the flow to the creek and on to the Arkansas River. It makes you wonder if the levels are going down, where's the stuff going?"

Westpfahl, a plaintiff in one of the three lawsuits against Whirlpool for damage to property from the TCE contamination, said the situation just continues to be "a mess." The report and the assertion from Whirlpool that the TCE plume is stable, but also the discovery of other chemicals, worries him.

"To me, from what they told us about those chemicals before, it sounds like to me that when that stuff breaks down, it becomes some other toxic chemical. I don't know what to believe on it. I hate to be so cynical. I think they'd tell us anything."

Gosack said while ENVIRON and Whirlpool may be seeing stable or lowering levels of TCE on the site of the former factory, that is not the case in the neighborhood north of the facility.

"The concentrations off-site are not getting better on their own."

According to Westpfahl, he feels like Whirlpool is just stalling and not actually working to clean up the contamination.

"My thing has been would they want to live there? Would they build a house there? Of course, I'm sure they wouldn't."

That is why Gosack said Whirlpool must be made to solve the problem, and sooner rather than later.

"It demonstrates that something else needs to happen to reduce the concentrations of TCE, particularly off the Whirlpool site."

Whirlpool did not return a call seeking comment.

ADEQ spokeswoman Katherine Benenati said the agency received the report late last week and are still reviewing its contents. She said the agency would not make a statement on the reports findings until its review had been completed.