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HEALTH CONSULTATION

TITANIUM WIRE CORPORATION
FRACKVILLE, WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP,
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


CONCLUSIONS

The PADOH and the ATSDR conclude that the Titanium Wire Corporation site (the site) is not a threat to public water supply wells in Frackville Borough. From this standpoint, the site is not a public health hazard.

PADOH and ATSDR conclude that the historical contamination of private wells with tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and lead is not likely to cause adverse human health effects. Therefore, the private wells that are contaminated with PCE and lead are not a public health hazard. Even so, steps should be taken to reduce the levels of lead in one of these wells to the EPA action level for lead of 15 µg/l. Further testing of these wells is necessary to discover if contaminant levels have changed.

PADOH and ATSDR conclude further that people who live in approximately 12 homes across Morea Road from the site are at some risk of being exposed to contaminants in groundwater beneath the site. The homes in question use private wells as water supplies. PADOH and ATSDR conclude that the site is an indeterminate public health hazard with respect to these homes.


RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. Resample the two private wells that were found to be contaminated with PCE and lead in the 1991 Site Inspection. PADOH is working with PADEP to do this sampling.

  2. Sample the 12 private wells across Morea Road from the site and analyze the water for volatile organic compounds, lead and manganese.

  3. Prepare additional Health Consultations (HCs), as needed, based on the results of the sampling recommended above. PADOH and ATSDR will prepare the HCs when the sampling results become available.

REFERENCES

  1. NUS Corporation. Preliminary Assessment of Titanium Wire Corporation. January 22, 1991.

  2. Personal Communications with Mr. John McNeal, Operations Superintendent, Pennsylvania American Water Company. March 5, 1998.

  3. Roy F. Weston, Inc. Letter to James Hargett, USEPA Site Assessment Manager, from Ray Moffett concerning Frackville industrial groundwater site file review. December 16, 1997.

  4. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Preliminary Public Health Assessment for Metropolitan Mirror and Glass Company, Incorporated. Frackville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Atlanta: ATSDR, January 12, 1994.

  5. NUS Corporation. Site Inspection of Titanium Wire Corporation. October 22, 1991.

  6. Ecology and Environment, Inc. Expanded Site Inspection of Titanium Wire Corporation. August 1994.

  7. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Memorandum to Paul Fosko from John Mellow concerning the Expanded Site Inspection. August 15, 1994.

PREPARER OF REPORT

Mark A. Lavin, B.S.


CERTIFICATION

This Health Consultation for the Titanium Wire Corporation site was prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the Health Consultation was initiated.

Roberta Erlwein
Technical Project Officer, SPS, RPB, DHAC

The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC), ATSDR, has reviewed this Health Consultation and concurs with its findings.

Richard Gillig
Chief SPS, SSAB, DHAC, ATSDR

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