Table of Contents

Table of Contents. ii

List of Acronyms. iv

Summary. 1

I. Purpose and Health Issues. 3

II. Background. 3

A. Site Description and Scope of Assessment 3

B. Site History. 5

C. Recent Site Activities. 6

D. Previous ATSDR Reports. 6

E. Demographics. 7

F. Land and Natural Resource Use. 7

III. Discussion. 9

A. Types of Data Used. 9

B. Scope of Public Health Evaluation. 9

C. Chemical Contamination: Summary of Areas Evaluated at FNOD.. 10

1. Dominion Lands. 10

2. GE Lands. 12

3. TCC Property. 12

4. Offsite Area Evaluated—Respass Beach Potable Water Wells. 14

D. Evaluation Process. 14

E. Contaminant Screening, Exposure Analysis, and Toxicological Evaluation. 15

1. Dominion Lands. 15

2. GE Lands. 22

3. TCC Property. 24

4. Offsite Area Evaluated. 37

F. Nonordnance Physical Hazards Evaluation. 38

G. Ordnance Physical Hazards Evaluation. 39

Investigations and Removals. 39

Evaluation of Hazard. 41

H. Health Outcome Data Evaluation. 42

I. Child Health Considerations. 42

J. Community Health Concerns Evaluation. 42

IV. Hazard Category. 44

V. Conclusions. 45

VI. Recommendations. 45

VII. Public Health Action Plan. 46

VIII. ATSDR Site Team.. 47

IX. References. 48

Appendix A. Explanation of Evaluation Process. 56

Screening Process. 56

Determination of Exposure Pathways. 57

Evaluation of Public Health Implications. 57

Soil Ingestion. 58

Groundwater Ingestion. 58

Surface Water Ingestion. 58

Sediment Ingestion. 59

Noncancer Health Effects. 59

Minimal Risk Level (MRLs)—Developed by ATSDR.. 59

Reference Dose (RfD) - Developed by EPA.. 59

Calculation of Risk of Carcinogenic Effects. 59

Summary

The Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot (FNOD) site consists of 975 acres located at the confluence of the James and Nansemond Rivers in Suffolk County, Virginia. The site is a former US military facility where handling, processing, shipping, receiving, and decommissioning of ordnance items occurred from 1917 to 1960. Many site areas once contained, or may still contain, ordnance chemical residues, other chemicals, ordnance items, or explosives. A large quantity of trinitrotoluene (TNT) was discovered at the site area known as the TNT Burial Site.

Portions of the site are occupied by a local community college, Tidewater Community College (TCC). Other landowners and former landowners of portions of the site include the General Electric Company (GE) and Dominion Lands, a development company. The Respass Beach Community is a residential development several hundred feet east of the site.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reviewed available information to assess the public health implications of the site, as required by virtue of the site’s proposal for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL). On the basis of this information, ATSDR has made the following conclusions about the FNOD site:

1.             Past exposure to contaminants in soil at most areas was too small to result in adverse health effects. The levels of TNT and lead at the TNT Burial Site and lead at the James River Beachfront Area could theoretically have increased the risk of adverse health effects, but regular contact with the highest detected levels would have been necessary.

2.             Although contaminant levels have been decreased through site cleanup activities, some remaining elevated levels of TNT and lead could pose a risk in the future if small children have more regular contact with soil, as could happen if the area is developed for residential use.

3.             Past exposures to contaminants in TCC drinking water were too low to result in adverse health effects. No evidence that other site groundwater was or is currently used for drinking was found. Untreated groundwater is unsuitable for future drinking water purposes because of elevated levels of metals in groundwater at the Dominion Lands area  and elevated metals and TNT in groundwater at the TNT Burial Site on TCC Property.

4.             No adverse health effects are expected from past, present, or future exposure to surface water or sediments, from eating fish caught at TCC Lake or J-Lake, or from drinking private well water in the Respass Beach Community.

5.             Physical hazards are posed by the remaining open brick vaults, the World War II pier, and debris surfacing at beachfront areas.

6.             If appropriate clearance procedures are followed and enforceable land use controls are put in place, the risk of accidents involving ordnance will be minimized. However, a small chance of encountering ordnance continues to exist.

ATSDR has made the following recommendations about the site:

1.             Continue cleanup activities to address contaminants in soil at the TNT Burial Site.

2.             If areas are developed for residential use, test soils for lead and clean up if necessary.

3.             Do not use groundwater at the site for drinking water, unless the water is fully characterized and treated to ensure that drinking water standards are met.

4.             Address physical hazards by filling in open brick vaults, removing or restricting access to the World War II pier, and cleaning up debris or keeping access restrictions in place at the beachfront areas.

5.             Follow ordnance and explosives clearance procedures for expected future land use and set up appropriate, enforceable land use controls. Educate potential future landowners and occupants about hazards posed by ordnance materials and procedures to follow if ordnance is encountered.

I. Purpose and Health Issues

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot (FNOD) in Suffolk, Virginia for the National Priorities List (NPL) in January 1999 and listed it as final in July 1999. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is required by Congress to conduct public health assessments on all sites proposed for the NPL. In this public health assessment, ATSDR evaluates the public health significance of chemical contamination and ordnance at the site. ATSDR reviewed the available environmental contamination and ordnance data, likely exposure pathways, toxicological information, and community health concerns to determine whether adverse health effects are possible. ATSDR also evaluated whether actions are needed to reduce or prevent the potential for substantive site-related exposure and associated adverse health effects.

II. Background

A. Site Description and Scope of Assessment

The FNOD site occupies about 975 acres in Suffolk, Virginia, at the confluence of the James and Nansemond Rivers, as shown in Figure 1 [1 ]. The site is a former US military facility where handling, processing, shipping, receiving, and decommissioning of ordnance items once occurred. The site is bordered to the west by the Nansemond River, to the north by the James River, to the east by Streeter Creek, and to the south and southwest by developing areas of Suffolk, Virginia. The Respass Beach community is off the site just east of Streeter Creek. A portion of the FNOD property is currently used by the Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College (TCC), a two-year college. Some businesses occupy parts of a large building formerly used by the General Electric Company (GE) for manufacturing, a