Phase II -Union Pacific Trail
1 INTRODUCTION
SCS ENGINEERS
SCS Engineers (SCS) was retained by the City of Fullerton, Engineering Department to conduct a Phase II Site Investigation (Phase II) of the Union Pacific Trail Phase 2, West of Highland Avenue to Independence Park, Fullerton, California (the "Property''). A map showing the general location of the Property and surrounding area is provided as Figure 1. Investigation activities were conducted in accordance with SCS's proposal dated February 5, 2009.
BACKGROUND
A Phase I Environmental Assessment report by SCS, dated January 2009, indicated that the Property is approximately 2,610 linear feet long, 50 feet wide, and is proposed for development as a recreational trail. The Property is a former railroad right-of-way from which the rails have been removed, and the Property consists largely of a dirt and gravel former rail bed. Some historic railroad operations involved the use of chemicals. The most commonly reported contamination along rail lines includes metals, pesticides (such as lead arsenate), and constituents of oil or fuel. These chemicals have been associated with normal railroad operations and may be found anywhere along the line. For example, it is not uncommon to find arsenic present in the soil along a right-of-way from old railroad ties dipped in an arsenic solution, arsenic weed control sprays, and arsenic-laced slag used as railroad bed fill. Lubricating oil and diesel fuel can drip from trains. Other sources of contaminants associated with historic railroad operations may include creosote from ties and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (P AHs) from diesel exhaust.
Finally, rail cars carrying chemicals to and from industrial facilities along rail spurs may leak.
Evidence of possible chemical runoff ( asphalt, oil) was noted along the western portion of the Property adjacent to the Bob Heist Construction equipment yard. Erosion along other portions of the Property indicated that runoff has occurred from Scientific Spray Finishes, Inc., and Ventec Global Laminates (former site of Fullerton Manufacturing). In addition, there is evidence of a former dry cleaning facility where the Valencia Center is currently located. In light of the historic use of the Property and surrounding sites, there is a potential for soil contamination with metals, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (P AHs).
2 GEOLOGIC AND HYDROGEOLOGIC CONDITIONS
PHYSIOGRAPHIC SETTING
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Anaheim (1965, photorevised 1981), California 7 .5-minute topographic map, the Property is located in the coastal plain of Orange County at an elevation of approximately 13 5 to 150 feet above mean sea level. Site topography is generally flat with a slight regional slope to the west-southwest.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
II
I!
II
II
IJJ
DI
Phase II -Union Paclfic Troll SCS ENGINEERS
industrial/commercial land use scenarios. The metals results from this investigation are compared to the RSLs and CHHSLs in Table 2.
With the exception of arsenic, metals concentrations were well below the RSLs and CHHSLs for residential and industrial use as established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX and California Environmental Protection Agency.
With regard to arsenic, the US EPA has aclmowledged that in some cases, the predictive risk based models generate RSL levels that lie within or even below typical background. If natural background concentrations are higher than the risk-based RSLs, an adjustment of the RSL is probably needed. US EPA uses naturally occurring arsenic in soils as an example. Further, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has aclmowledged that the strict use of the arsenic RSL is impractical and has set acceptable levels in soil in the range of 8 to 12 mg/kg for school sites in California.
voes IN SOIL VAPOR SAMPLES
CHHSLs for shallow soil vapor have been established for residential and industrial/commercial land use scenarios. The soil vapor results from this investigation are compared to the CHHSLs in Table 4. Ethylbenzene was detected in the soil vapor at three locations, but no CHHSL has been established for this chemical.
6 CONCLUSIONS
On March 2, 2009, SCS conducted an investigation of soil and soil vapor for the Property located at Union Pacific Trail, west of Highland Avenue to Independence Park, Fullerton, California.
Based on the results of this investigation, SCS has concluded the following:
• There were no obvious signs of contamination ( odors, discolored soils, debris, and organic vapors) noted in soil samples collected during the investigation. • No organochlorine pesticides and P AHs were detected in the analyzed soil samples. • Detected concentrations ofTPH and VOCs in the analyzed soil samples are below available regulatory guidelines.
• Low concentrations of ethylbenzene (0.111 to 0.204 ug/L) were detected in soil vapor sample SVl, SV12, and SV14. There are no CHHSLs for ethylbenzene. However, the detected concentrations are very low and based on our experience with similar sites SCS is of the opinion that the detected concentrations are not a cause for concern. • All of the detected concentrations of arsenic are above the residential and/or industrial RSLs and CHHSLs for arsenic. However, as noted above, only one sample (B9 at 14.41 mg/kg) contained arsenic in excess of the generally accepted concentrations of 8 to 12 mg/kg established for California soils. Due to the intended use of the Property, this one detection slightly above the typical background range does not appear to be a concern. 6 Phase II -Union Pacific Trail SCS ENGINEERS
The remaining analytical data for metals are within typical background levels for soils in California. Based on this information, there has been no significant impact to the Property by heavy metals.
7 RECOMMENDATIONS
In summary, the results of this investigation have not identified any significant impact to the Property from the historical use of the Property or its adjoining sites. Based on this information, further investigation of the Property is not recommended. 7