Pawhuska High School ER
August 14 2017 - EPA Activation
62] East 15th Street, Pawhuska, A4U6
VAPOR SEEP / SCHOOL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
August 14 to 21, 201 7 OSC ,4dam A.dams
EPA Objectives: EPA responded at the request of Oklahom a to assess indoor and outdoor air quality relative to unknown vapor seeps at the north and south entrances/exits.
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00001
Pawhuska High School ER Toxicity Summary
i All air sampling results were BELOW screening levels used by the ll.S. Environmental Protection Agency for chemicals of concern,
T h e air sampling results were compared to the ERA Regional Screening Levels for residential air.
Screening levels are used when a situation is initially investigated /"to determine if potentially harmful levels of chemicals are present / that warrant further investigation.
The screening levels are developed using default exposure factors and toxicity factors associated with the chemicals of potential concern.
Exposure factors are things such as how much air a person breaths in a day.
Toxicity factors describe the harm a certain amount of a chemical could potentially cause.
. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00002
Pawhuska High School
ER Site Map
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Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00003
Pawhuska High School ER
** EP Task 1:
Air monitoring (dally)
Indoors (high school)
Outside
North Geothermal well area [NOT]
South Geothermal well area fSGT)
Sotthall field, right field
Air Monitoring
rVA-iOOOPiO/RD
4 Gas MuidRae Plus (Oxygen, VoiaNe Organic Compounds (VOC's), Hydrogen Sulfide, Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)}
Indoors - Breathing zone 3 to 5 feet above ground
Outside -- Breathing zone 3 to 5 feet above ground
NGT ~ Breathing zone ana 2 fee: above upper extent of NOTI arid NGT2 in excavations and 0 to 3 inches above ground surface at all other NGT locations.
SGT - Ground level to 3 inches above ground (no pits)
Softball Field - Ground level to 3 Inches above ground no pit}
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00004
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00005
Pawhuska High School ER- Air Monitoring
EPA Daily Air Monitoring (08/15 - 21 /17) for Volatile O rganic Com pounds (V O C 's):
High School Indoors (maximum V O C measurement during this period):
1.77 ppm
High School Outside {maximum measurements during this period):
* North Geothermal well (NGT) area (0 to 3 inches, no: including NGT 1 and 2) --- 3.83 ppm
NGT 1 and NGT 2 excavated pits (2 feet above seep) -
9,600 ppm
NGT 1 and NGT 2 excavated pits (breathing zone) -
78 ppm
* South Geothermal well (SGT) area (0 to 3 inches, not Inducing SGT 3) -
79 ppm
SGT 3 (0 io 3 inches) -
4,800 ppm
** High School Perimeter {0 to 3 inches) ---
2.08 ppm
Soffbail field, right field, previously plugged well -
9,400 ppm
Just north: of practice field, not a plugged well (0 to 3 inches) -
60,000 ppm
Not: LEL for methane is 50,000 ppm / TIV for methane is 1,000 ppm
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00006
Pawhuska High School ER Air Monitoring Guidance for Methane
National institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The Threshold Limit Value (TLV) established by the Am erican Co nference of Governm ental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is the level to which a worker can be exposed d a y after d a y for a working lifetime without adverse effects. The NIOSH TLV for m ethane is 1,000 ppm.
Methane - Characteristics and Hazards
Methane gas. Colorless, odorless gas that Is lighter than air, and flammable. * The explosive limits of methane gas are 5 to 15 %volume, which would be 50,000 to 150,000 ppm.
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00007
Pawhuska High School ER
EPA Task 2:
Air Sampling (8/1 7/1 7)
Indoors (high school)
Outside
.
NGT, so r, and
"
Background
Air Sampling - Sumrna Canisters
* 8 Hour samples collected at 3 io 4 feet above ground
** 6 Samples inside the high school
3 Samples sand 1 duplicate (concealed) sample outside
Methods of Sample Analysis
TO ] 8m -M ethane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, end Pentane
r* TO I S - 62 Volatile Organic Compounds (VO CPs)
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00008
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Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00009
Pawhuska High School ER Air Sampling Methods and Results
ERA Air Sampling (08/1 7/17) for gases (EPA Method !8M od /EPA EPA 25 Mod) and Volatile O rganic Compounds (VO C's), (Method TO-15 VOA EXT. List):
25 EPA Method 18 Mod/EPA EPA Mod includes methane, ethane, propane, butane,
and pentane: All results were non-detect excep t for m ethane in the sam ple and c o located duplicate sam ple between NGT1 and NGT2. Results were 12.31 ppm and 10.1 ppm respectively. Out of 5 volatile organic com pounds analyzed, only m ethane was detected.
Method TO-15 (for 62 volatile organic compounds (VO C's)):
Out of the 62 volatile organic compounds analyzed, 48 compounds were not detected during analysis. Fourteen compounds were above the Method Detection Limits (MDLs) for the analysis and below EPA Regional Screening Levels (RSL's).
TM EPA Regional Screening Levels (RSL's) are risk-based concentrations derived from standardized equations combining exposure information assumptions with the latest EPA toxicity data. RSLs are considered by the Agency to be protective for humans (including sensitive groups) over a lifetime.
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00010
Pawhuska High School ER Air Sampling Results
Air Sampling Results Summary
A n a ly te
M ethane D ichlo ro d ifiu o ro m ethan e Trichlorofluoro methane Pentane Acetone
Number of D e te c tio n s
2
M aximum D e te ctio n
12.31.
RSI
TLV
PEL
--
1000
...
10
0.000610
0.00238
...
10
0.002980
...
1000
...
10
0.021640
0.03389
...
10
0.011300
1.34711
...
M ethylene Chioride
1
0.000660
0.01813
Trans- 1,2-Dichioroethene
6
0.000650
...
200
Hexane
10
0.004530
0.02071
...
2-Butanone
10
0.002500
0.17634
...
Benzene
2
0.000270
0.00097
...
Heptane
10
0.001040
.102S
...
Toluene Octane m / p - X y ie n e 1,2,4-Trim ethyibenzene
10
0.000650
0.13800
3
0.000360
...
...
300
2
0.000230
0.00230
...
2
0.000210
0.00128
...
The additional 52 anaiytes w e re not detected at the repotting lim it.
RSL = Regional Screening Level TLV - Threshold Limit Value PEL = Perm issible Exposure Limit ppm - Parts Per M illion
Units
ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00011
Pawhuska High School ER Exposure Guidance Levels
EPA Regional Screening Levels (RSL's): Risk-based concentrations derived from standardized equations combining exposure information assumptions with the latest EPA toxicity data. RSIs are considered by the .Agency to be protective for humans (including sensitive groups] over a lifetime.
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL): Maximum allowable amount in a workroom during an 8-hour work day in a 40-hour work week.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): The Threshold Limit Value (TLV) established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is the level to which a worker can be exposed day after day for a working lifetime without adverse effects.
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00012
Pawhuska High School ER
Summary of EPA Response.
EPA Objectives: EPA responded at the request of Oklahom a to assess indoor and outdoor air quality relative to unknown vapor seeps at the north and south entrances/exits.
Indoors: Based on daily air monitoring (August 15 to 21,201 7) and air sampling results (collected August 17, 201 7), no hazardous air quality conditions have been found ' inside the high school.
Outdoors: Based on daily air monitoring (August 15 to 21,2017) and air sampling results (collected August 17, 201 7), the only hazardous conditions that w ere observed were at ground level at well (PW4) located on the north side of the p ractice football field. The hazardous conditions measured at PW4 w ere for V O C 's detected with a FID/PID measured on August 20 and 21,201 7 at ground level. V O C concentrations w ere d e tected up to 60,000 ppm on the FID and <2 ppm on the PID indicating that M ethane was likely present. The lower explosive limit for m ethane is 50,000 ppm.
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tiers 8&9
ED 002061 00171997-00013