PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENTSaipan Capacitors
(a/k/a Tanapag Village (Saipan))
Tanapag Village, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Island
EPA Facility ID: MPD982524506
August 31, 2004
Location | Description | Range of Detected Concentrations (ppm) | Date of Maximum Detection | History of Soil Remediation | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sites A1 and YY | Site A is located in the playing field near the community church adjacent to the former Head Start building. Site YY is adjacent to Site A. Site A1 is located northeast of the building's concrete pad. | 0.102 - 2,917 | 8/8/97 | 49 tons (1992) 261.2 tons (8/21/97) 1,375 yd3 (11/00-4/01) | - In 1992, Site A1 underwent four rounds of excavation to a depth of 4.5 feet below grade in some places. Verification sampling indicated that the cleanup level of 10 parts per million (ppm) PCBs was achieved in all samples but one. Sampling detected 23 ppm PCBs, however, verification sampling found 3.6 ppm and 6.7 ppm PCBs from this location. During the third round of excavation, pipes that potentially contained asbestos were uncovered. The pipes were removed and loaded into hazardous waste drums. - Site A1 soil remediation includes excavations conducted at Sites A2 and A3 as well. In 1997, soil was removed to a depth of 4.5 feet in some areas. Removals ceased when the 10 ppm action level was reached. - In 2000 and 2001, four rounds of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. |
Site A2 | Included in Site A1 and located northwest of the of concrete pad | 0.293 - 3,066 | 7/9/97 | Included in Site A1 | - In 1997, a small portion of A2 was excavated to a depth of 2 feet. The remaining are was excavated to 1 foot and confirmatory samples were below the action level of 10 ppm. |
Site A3 | Included in Site A1 and located northwest of the of concrete pad | 0.277 - 1.86 | 6/30/97 | Included in Site A1 | - In 1997, after excavating to a depth of 1 foot, all confirmatory samples were below the action level of 10 ppm. |
Area B | Located 45 feet west of Site A | 0.23 - 4.9 | 1992 | N/A | - Sampling in 1992 found PCBs below the cleanup level of 10 ppm, therefore, no remediation was conducted. |
Area C | Located 35 feet north of Site A | 0.1 - 17 | 1992 | 4 tons (1992) | - In 1992, three confirmation samples showed PCBs at levels greater than the10 ppm action level. Three rounds of excavation were conducted until sample results were below the 10 ppm action level. |
Site E | Located northwest of the community church alongside a north-south street | 0.083 - 409 | 1992 | 2 tons (1992) 20.38 (7/16/97) 175 yd3 (11/00-1/01) | - In 1992, a 4 foot by 6 foot area was excavated to a depth of approximately 18 inches. Verification samples indicated that PCB concentrations were below 10 ppm inside the excavation. Results from samples outside the excavated area indicated further contamination above cleanup level south and west of the site. No further clean up was done before project suspension. - In 1997, samples indicated PCB levels above cleanup level on the south side of the site. Approximately 90 percent of the area was excavated to a depth of 18 inches. Confirmatory samples were all below the 10 ppm action level within the excavated area. - In 2000 and 2001, four rounds of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. |
Residential Property | Located in the western portion of the village | 6, 000 - 8,000 | 5/10/00 | N/A | - The residential property includes field log sample 59 in the EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Baseball Field | Located in a baseball field north of the former Head Start building | 0.670 - 0.75 | 5/5/00 | N/A | - The baseball field includes field log sample 14 in EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Sources: Woodward-Clyde 1995; ECC 1999; ECC 2002; EPA 2001 EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency N/A not applicable PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls ppm parts per million yd3 cubic yards |
Location | Description | Range of Detected Concentrations (ppm) | Date of Maximum Detection | History of Soil Remediation | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Site Z | Located in front of a dive store about 62 feet and across a street from the community center | 0.021 - 31,600 | 9/25/89 | 6.6 tons dioxin-contaminated soil (1992) 7.41 tons (7/18/97) 14 yd3(1/01) | - In 1992, after two rounds of excavation, a 9 by 6 foot area was deepened to 2.5 feet. Groundwater began to seep in and digging was discontinued. Verification samples indicated levels of PCBs greater than the clean up level of 10 parts per million (ppm) north, west, and inside the excavation area. No further action was taken. - In 1997, this site was excavated until concentrations were below the 10 ppm action level. The soil was tested for dioxin contamination and was found to have very dilute concentrations (orders of magnitude below permissible limit). - In 2001, two rounds of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. |
Site AA | Located about 80 feet from the community center | 0.120 - 25 | 9/25/89 | 450 yd3 (1/01-2/01) | - In 1992 samples were taken but not analyzed prior to project suspension. - In 1997, no contamination was found above the 10 ppm action level and no excavation occurred. - In 2001, three rounds of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met at Sites AA and CC. |
Site BB | Located about 100 feet from the community center | 0.049 - 3.47 | 7/8/97 | < 10 yd3 (1/01) | - In 1992 samples were taken but not analyzed prior to project suspension. - Nine samples were collected and analyzed in 1997. All samples were below the action level of 10 ppm and no excavation was required. - In 2001, one round of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. |
Site CC | Located near the sewage lift on the road to the community center | 0.305 - 12.4 574 (92) | 7/2/97 | 27 tons (1992) 74.1 tons (7/16/97) | - Site CC also includes Site Z. - In 1992, four excavations were completed to a depth of 1 to 2 feet. Verification samples from within the pit revealed levels below 10 ppm, however higher levels remained in the surrounding area when project was suspended. - Additional excavation of this site was conducted in July 1997. All areas were excavated to a depth of 18 inches and confirmatory samples collected were below 2 ppm PCBs. - In 2000 and 2001, excavation and sampling were completed with Site AA. |
Site RR | Located 50 feet inland from the water's edge along a road leading from Tanapag Village | 0.2 - 16 | 1992 | 2.2 tons dioxin contaminated soil (1992) 22.23 tons (7/18/97) | - In 1992, two excavations were conducted to a depth of 2 to 2.5 feet. These excavations removed PCBs to less than the action level of 10 ppm in soil. Dioxins were detected in a sample collected at the time of the excavations. - In July 1997, 22 tons of soil was removed in order to address the dioxin contamination. |
Sites SS/TT | Located south of the other beach sites in the village park | 0.067 - 226 | 9/29/00 | 1,000 yd3 (12/00-3/01) | - In May 2000, EPA identified 3 discrete samples above the clean-up criteria. - In 2000 and 2001, six rounds of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. |
South of Community Center | Located near the beach by the Community Center | 1.1 | 5/10/00 | N/A | - The area south of the Community Center includes field log 19 in EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Sources: Woodward-Clyde 1995; ECC 1999; ECC 2002; EPA 2001 EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency N/A not applicable PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls ppm parts per million yd3 cubic yards |
Location | Description | Range of Detected Concentrations (ppm) | Date of Maximum Detection | History of Soil Remediation | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cemetery 2 | Located between Tanapag Village and Garapan, across from Kim's Auto body, and 800 feet southeast of Tanapag Lagoon. Cemetery encompasses 2.3 acres and is still active (several graves have been added). | 0.56 - 25,929 | 8/18/97 | 543.72 tons (8/97) 149 tons (5/98) 7,800 yd3 (9/00-9/01) | - Cemetery 2 was heavily over grown with trees and shrubs in 1992. Thirteen capacitors were found with numerous debris. Most were removed, two capacitors were left in the east end under a berm. No sampling or further remediation was conducted. A 6-foot high steel barrier fence was erected to prevent people from contacting the material. - In August 1997, wingdings and capacitors were found throughout berms and two additional mounds. High levels of PCB contamination was confirmed in soil and concrete. Excavations were taken to the ground and no further. - In May 1998, soil was removed from Pile 1 for treatment. Soil had high organic content. - Between 2000 and 2003, excavation and verification sampling was conducted to achieve the cleanup goal of 1 ppm PCBs. Between October 2001 and June 2003, approximately 42,500 tons of soil excavated from throughout Tanapag Village was treated at Cemetery 2. |
Residential/ Private Property Residence | Included homes located near Cemetery 2 | 0.007 - 0.0.24 | 5/10/00 | N/A | - These areas include field log 38 and 27 in EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Outer Road - Cemetery 2 | Located along road by cemetery | 2.0 - 4.7 | 5/11/00 | N/A | - The outer road includes field log 28 in EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Handsome Garment Factory | Located south of the village at the garment factory | 0.005 - 0.017 | 5/11/00 | N/A | - The factory includes field log 44 in EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Sources: Woodward-Clyde 1995; ECC 1999, 2003; ECC 2002; EPA 2001 EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency N/A not applicable PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls ppm parts per million yd3 cubic yards |
Location | Description | Range of Detected Concentrations (ppm) | Date of Maximum Detection | History of Soil Remediation | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Site NN | Located in the northeast part of Tanapag Village, north of a home located along the West Coast Highway | 0.061 - 850 | 1992 | 3 tons (1992) 14.82 tons (7/31/97) 120 yd3 (11/00-9/01) | - In 1992, an area 6 by 6 feet was excavated to a depth of 1 foot Verification samples found contamination outside excavation area. No further remediation was done due to heavy rains and flooding. - As a result of sampling in 1997, soil from this site was excavated to a depth of 2 feet until measured concentrations were below 10 parts per million (ppm). - In 2000 and 2001, four rounds of excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. |
Sites MM, PP, and QQ | Located proximate to Site NN | less than 0.2 | 1992 | N/A | - Sampling in 1992 found PCBs at concentrations less than 0.2 ppm at these three sites. As a result, no remediation was conducted. |
Tanapag Village Samples | Included seven areas thought to have capacitors | 0.45 - 1.61 | 7/14/97 | N/A | - In 1997, soil samples were collected from seven areas located throughout the village thought to have contained capacitors. No remediation was conducted as detected PCBs were below 10 ppm. |
Site UU, Property 65, Residential/ Private Property | Included samples collected throughout the village | 0.004 - 367 | 1/01 | N/A | - Homes and private property include field logs 11, 42, 65, 55, 63, 56, 40, 57, 41, 52 in EPA's 2000 investigation and home sampling in 1992. - As part of Phase III removal actions at Property 65, potted plants were removed. Soil sampling below the plants was non-detect for PCBs. No excavation was conducted. - In 2001, at Site UU (property 42), planters contained elevated PCBs. Planters, debris, and soil were removed from the site. |
St. Lourdes Store | Located in the southern portion of the village near the beach | 0.008 | 5/9/00 | N/A | - The store includes field log 53 in EPA's 2000 investigation. |
Sources: Woodward-Clyde 1995; ECC 1999; ECC 2002; EPA 2001 EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency N/A not applicable PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls ppm parts per million yd3 cubic yards |
Biota | Number of Samples | Range of Detected Concentrations in parts per million (ppm) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Fish | 29 | Not found | Samples were collected from seven different fish species caught in Tanapag Lagoon offshore from the Tanapag Social Hall. Each sample ranged from 2 to 8 ounces. |
Clams | 4 composite | Not found | Intertidal beach clams were collected from the public beach by the Tanapag Social Hall. Four composite samples were created from the 127 clams (0.5 to 0.9 inches long) collected and combined. |
Chicken Eggs | 3 | Not found | Eggs were collected from free-range chickens that could have foraged anywhere throughout Tanapag Village. |
Land crabs | 8 (May 2000) 92 (December 2000) | 0.078 - 0.39 ppm Aroclor 1254 found in 5 of the 8 samples collected in May 2000. 0.005 - 0.96 ppm found in samples collected from Cemetery 2 and Tanapag Beach in December 2000. | Land crabs can be found anywhere in Tanapag Village but are prevalent near streams and in wetlands. In May 2000, samples were collected in Cemetery 2-an area known to be used for land crab collection. In December 2000, the sampling area was increased and land crabs were collected from Smiling Cove, Achugao Stream, Homestead 1, Homestead 2, and Cemetery 2. Samples collected in December 2000 were also analyzed for metals, which were found below available health-based concentrations. |
Taro Root and Yam | 3 taro root 3 yam | 0.000084 ppm found in 1 of the 9 taro root samples 0.000053 to 0.000229 ppm found in 6 of the 9 in yam samples | Taro root and yam samples were collected from near Cemetery 2 and the Tanapag Homestead Area. Each sample was analyzed in triplicate, yielding 9 results for both taro and yams. |
Source: EPA 2001 |
Exposure Situation | Time Frame | Exposure Yes/No | Exposed Population/Activity | Pathway | Actions Taken/Planned | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CONTACTING SURFACE SOIL | ||||||
Cemetery 1 Cemetery 1 is located near the center of Tanapag Village. Cemetery 1 consists of individual sites (C1, F, G, H, J, M, P, Q, EE, GG, HH, JJ, KK, and LL), residential/private property, a basketball court, and the Tanapag Elementary School. | Past Present/ Future | Yes Yes (Exposure is expected to be minimal because PCB levels in soil are now less than 1 ppm, due to remediation.) | Adults/Children: recreational activities such as gardening or playing at the school, basketball courts, or homes; visiting grave sites at the cemetery Adults: maintenance activities such as landscaping or digging graves | Incidental ingestion Dermal contact Dust inhalation | Remedial Actions Excavation, consisting of bulldozing soil into a large mound, and field sampling were conducted in 1992. Field sampling confirmed PCB levels in excess of 10 ppm throughout this area. Excavation and remediation were conducted at a number of sites in 1997. In most cases, soil was excavated to the action level of 10 ppm. Excavation (in 9 rounds) in 2000 and 2001 achieved the 1.0 ppm cleanup goal, except in one location in the northern sector. Further excavation and removal was not possible due to groundwater influx. | |
Community Church The Community Church area, located in the town center, includes individual sites (A1, A2, A3, B, C, and E), residential/ private property, a baseball field, and an area north of the former Head Start building. | Past Present/Future | Yes Yes (Exposure is expected to be minimal because PCB levels in soil are now less than 1 ppm, due to remediation.) | Adults/Children: recreational activities such as gardening or playing at the former Head Start building, former baseball field, or homes; attending church functions Adults: maintenance activities such as landscaping | Incidental ingestion Dermal contact Dust inhalation | Remedial Actions Excavation was conducted during July 1997. All PCB-contaminated soil over 10 ppm was removed from the site. In 2000 and 2001, excavation and four rounds of sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met. | |
Tanapag Beach Located along the western shoreline of the village, this area includes individual sites (Z, AA, BB, CC, and RR), and areas near the Community Center and the Orange Pavilion (Sites SS/TT). | Past Present/ Future | Yes Yes (Exposure is expected to be minimal because PCB levels in soil are now less than 1 ppm, due to remediation.) | Adults/Children: recreational activities such as playing on the beach or picnicking at the park Adults: repairing fishing nets | Incidental ingestion Dermal contact Dust inhalation | Remedial Actions Sites Z, AA, and BB: PCB levels were detected at or below 10 ppm, therefore, no remediation was conducted. Sites CC and RR: Areas were excavated and confirmatory soil samples collected were below 2 ppm. Dioxins were detected in a sample and an additional 22 tons of soil was removed in order to address the dioxin contamination. In 2000 and 2001, excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met at all sites (Z, AA, BB, CC). | |
Cemetery 2 Cemetery 2 is located approximately 0.75 miles south of Tanapag Village. Along with the cemetery, this area includes residential/private property and the Handsome Garment Factory. | Past Present/ Future | Yes Yes (Exposure is expected to be minimal because PCB levels in soil are now less than 1 ppm, due to remediation.) | Adults/Children: recreational activities such as gardening or playing at homes; visiting grave sites at the cemetery Adults: maintenance activities such as landscaping or digging graves | Incidental ingestion Dermal contact Dust inhalation | Remedial Actions Remediation activities for Cemetery 2 began in 1992. During August 1997 and May 1998 removal of PCB contaminated soil piles, which contained capacitor parts, was conducted. Between September 2000 and September 2002, approximately 7,800 cubic yards of soil and debris were cleared. The PCB action level of 1 ppm was achieved. | Cemetery 2 is an active cemetery. Several graves have been added since investigations began. |
Other Tanapag Village Locations This area consists of PCB contamination throughout Tanapag Village, including Sites NN, MM, PP, QQ, residential/private property (Property 65 and Site UU), and St. Lourdes Store. | Past Present/ Future | Yes Yes (Exposure is expected to be minimal because PCB levels in soil are now less than 1 ppm, due to remediation.) | Adults/Children: recreational activities such as gardening or playing at homes Adults: maintenance activities such as landscaping | Incidental ingestion Dermal contact Dust inhalation | Remedial Actions Site NN was excavated in 1992 and 1997 to achieve the 10 ppm action level for PCBs. In 2000 and 2001, excavation and sampling confirmed that the 1 ppm PCB action level was met at all sites Sampling in 1992 found PCBs at concentrations less than 0.2 ppm at Sites MM, PP, and QQ. As a result, no remediation was conducted. Planters containing elevated PCBs were removed from Property 65 and Site UU. | Samples from two homes (Property 65 and Site UU) were collected from planter boxes. Residents had unknowingly filled the planter boxes with PCB-contaminated soil. |
EATING LOCALLY OBTAINED FOOD ITEMS | ||||||
Entire Village | Past Present/ Future | Yes (minimal exposures) Yes (minimal exposures) | Adults and/or children who consume food items (e.g., land crabs, vegetables, or other food items exposed to soil) | Ingestion (Consuming local food items that have been in contact with contaminated soil.) | Several local food items (i.e., fish, clams, taro, yams, eggs, and land crabs) were collected and analyzed for PCBs (May 2000). PCBs were not detected in any fish, clam, or chicken egg samples analyzed. Very low concentrations of PCBs were detected in yams and taro. During initial sampling (May 2000), PCBs were detected in five of the eight land crabs sampled with a maximum concentration of 0.39 ppm. An additional 92 land crabs were sampled in December 2000 as a follow up to the May 2000 multi-matrix sampling effort. PCBs were found in land crabs collected from Cemetery 2 and Tanapag Beach areas, but at levels below those of public health concern. . | |
CONTACTING SURFACE WATER OR SEDIMENT | ||||||
Entire Village | Past Present /Future | No(surface water) Yes (sediment) No(surface water) Yes (sediment) | Adults and children participating in recreational activities such as swimming, wading, or fishing. | Incidental ingestion Dermal contact | Four surface water samples and six sediment samples were collected during May 2000. PCBs were not detected in any of the surface water samples. PCBs were found in two of the sediment samples (0.005 and 0.32 ppm). No further actions are planned. | Detected concentrations of PCBs in sediment were below the action level of 1 ppm and below levels of health concern. |
DRINKING OR USING GROUNDWATER | ||||||
Entire Village | Past Present/ Future | No No | No one exposed | No one exposed | A total of 21 groundwater samples were collected from monitoring wells and water supply wells in May 2000. PCBs were not detected in any of the samples collected. Additional monitoring wells have been/are being installed to further characterize groundwater. | No PCBs were found in groundwater, therefore, no exposures are occurring. This is considered an incomplete pathway. |
Notes: PCB polychlorinated biphenyl ppm parts per million |
0 meals/week (n = 383) | 1-2 meals/week (n = 275) | 3-5 meals/week (n = 290) | 5 + meals/week (n = 98) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | 1.83 | 1.84 | 2.24 | 2.71 |
90th percentile | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 |
95th percentile | 4.8 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 9.4 |
a in parts per billion. |
No. < 5 ppb serum PCB | No. >= 5 ppb serum PCB | Crude risk estimate | Adjusteda risk estimate (95% CI) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Land crab < 3 meals/wk 3 + meals/wk | 626 349 | 32 39 | 2.1 | 1.5 (0.9-2.8) |
Ever touched capacitors No Yes | 633 342 | 32 39 | 2.3 | 1.2 (0.7-2.2) |
Ever touched oil from capacitors No Yes | 841 134 | 55 16 | 1.8 | 1.1 (0.6-2.3) |
Ever bring capacitors home No Yes | 957 18 | 65 6 | 4.9 | 2.1 (0.6-7.0) |
Ever burn or use a burned capacitor No Yes | 958 17 | 66 5 | 4.3 | 1.7 (0.4-6.9) |
Ever touch soil near capacitor No Yes | 817 158 | 51 20 | 2.0 | 0.9 (0.4-1.7) |
Ever bring soil from cemetery home No Yes | 863 112 | 55 16 | 2.2 | 1.6 (0.8-3.3) |
Ever dig a grave in Cemetery 2 No Yes | 699 276 | 29 42 | 3.7 | 2.1 (1.0-4.3) |
Ever tend a grave in Cemetery 2 No Yes | 284 691 | 13 58 | 1.8 | 1.7 (0.8-3.6) |
a Reporting odds ratios from logistic regression to approximate the risk estimate, adjusting for age, sex, triglycerides, and cholesterol |
Subject Number | Total serum PCB1,Whole weight (ppb) | Congener-specific serum PCB2 (ppb) | Total PCB lipid adjusted (ppb) | Congener lipid adjusted(ppb) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16.5 | 20.3 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
2 | 16.6 | 12.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
3 | 9.7 | 6.6 | Not available | 0.5 |
4 | 9.4 | 11.9 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
5 | 12.0 | 7.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
6 | 14.0 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
7 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
8 | 10.0 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 |
9 | 20.0 | 20.3 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
10 | 24.8 | 34.7 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
11 | 9.0 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
12 | 9.7 | 8.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
13 | 9.3 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
1. June 2000 serum sampling: Total PCB, whole weight (as Aroclor 1260). National Medical Labs/ Smith Kline.
2. October 2001 serum sampling: Sum of PCB congeners. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means | ||
---|---|---|
PCB Total | PCB Congener | |
Mean | 1.38 | 1.41 |
Variance | 0.45 | 0.78 |
Observations | 12 | 12 |
Pearson Correlation Coefficient | 0.89 | |
Hypothesized Mean Difference | 0 | |
df | 11 | |
t Stat | -0.23 | |
P(T<=t) one-tail | 0.41 | |
t Critical one-tail | 1.79 |