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EPA: Full risk assessment of PCB in Tanapag unnecessary
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Posted on Oct 25 2000
A full risk assessment on the polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in Tanapag village by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is no longer needed because the cleanup process being handled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will take care of any potential risk.
According to EPA Region IX, the Superfund risk assessment process was already used by the agency to establish the health-based cleanup goal of 1 part per million. “This risk assessment process made use of the latest scientific findings regarding the toxicity of PCBs and how Tanapag residents might be exposed,” EPA said in a fact sheet distributed to the community.
EPA performs risk assessments before conducting a cleanup of a site where long-term remediation is needed. This involves a determination of how people might be exposed during the process.
“If the situation were to change, however, because of new information or conditions that would lead us to look at long-term Superfund cleanup, then a risk assessment would be conducted,” EPA added.
The Environmental Chemical Corp., contractor of the Army Corps, is currently excavating the soil at Cemetery 2 which has high levels of PCB contamination. Treatment of the soil will begin in early 2001.
EPA believes that a thorough investigation of the groundwater should be conducted in Tanapag village and Cemetery 2 to address the concerns of the community.
Earlier, EPA has gathered samples of food which include clams, yams, taro root and chicken eggs. Results of the data gathered showed no levels of concern for PCBs on these food.
However, some of the land crabs taken within the vicinity of the cemetery showed that these contain PCBs. The Department of Public Health has already stopped the people from gathering land crabs until further tests are conducted. (LFR)
