Break Other

COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC

BENNINGTON VERMONT COMMUNITY RELATIONS SUPPORT

Prepared for

US Environmental Protection Agency

Contract No 68-W9-0003

Work Assignment No C01097

TES6

ALLIANCE Technologies Corporation

An ALLIANCE - Technologies Corporation

Richard Leighton February 26 1991 Regional Project Officer US Environmental Protection Agency Waste Management Division JFK Federal Building Room 2203 Boston Massachusetts 02203

Reference Contract No 68-W9-0003 TES 6 Work Assignment No C01097 Tansitor Electronics Inc Bennington Vermont Community Relations Support

Subject Deliverable Community Relations Plan

Dear Rick

In accordance with the reporting requirements of the subject Work Assignment enclosed is one copy of the Community Relations Plan (CRP) for the Tansitor Electronics site This submittal satisfies the second deliverable requirement for this Work Assignment

Please note that this final CRP incorporates the comments received from EPA (dated February 4 1991) regarding the draft CRP prepared by Alliance

At the request of the WAM Terrence Connelly four bound copies and one unbound copy of the CRP have been delivered directly to him

Questions regarding this submission should be directed to the Alliance Project Manager Naida Gavrelis at (508) 970-5757 ext 5145 or me

Sincerely yours

Peter Spawn Regional Manager

PSkm

Enclosure

cc Terrence ConnellyEPA Work Assignment Manager Jill E RobbinsTES-6 Contracting Officer (letter only) Jack Lewis JrAlliance TES-6 Contracts Manager (letter only) Naida GavrelisAlliance Project Manager

COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC

BENNINGTON VERMONT COMMUNITY RELATIONS SUPPORT

r bull M i ^war^

Prepared for laquobullpound US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Waste Management Division JFK Federal Building

Boston Massachusetts 02203

Work Assignment No CO1097

EPA Region I

EPA SiteFacility ID No VTD000509174

Contract No 68-W9-0003 (TES-6)

Alliance Document No A90-638

Alliance Project No 1-635-176-0-1BC3-0

Alliance Project Manager Naida Gavrelis

Telephone No (508) 970-5600

Subcontract No NA

Subcontractor Project Manager NA

Telephone No NA

EPA Work Assignment Manager Terrence Connelly

Telephone No (617) 573-9638

Date Prepared February 19 1991

ALLIANCE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Boott Mills South

Foot of John Street Lowell Massachusetts 01852

(508) 970-5600

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

A Overview of Community Relations Plan 1

B Site Background 2

C Community Background 8

D Development of the Community Relations Program 13

A90-63Stxt ii

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC SITE

BENNINGTON VERMONT

A OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN

This community relations plan has been developed to identify issues of community concern

regarding the Tansitor Electronics Inc site (the site) in Bennington Vermont and to

present suggested community relations activities to be conducted by the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) during the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RIFS)

activities at this site The community relations program outlined in this document is intended

to keep local officials and residents informed of the investigations and provide opportunities

for involvement in the process This community relations plan has been prepared in order to

assist EPA in implementing a community relations program that is specifically tailored to the

concerns and needs of the Bennington community EPA conducts community relations

activities to ensure that the local public has input to the decisions about Superfund actions

and is well-informed about the progress of those actions

The community relations plan is based on interviews with local officials and with Bennington

residents several of whom live in the vicinity of the site and on information contained in

EPA site files In-person interviews were conducted in Bennington on November 15 and 16

1990 Community and site background information was compiled with the assistance of the

Bennington Chamber of Commerce and through reference to the literature cited at the end of

this report

Present community interest in activities related to the Tansitor Electronics site appears to be

relatively low There is a general consensus among community members including abutters

that Tansitor has been a good and conscientious neighbor throughout its years of operation

Furthermore Tansitor has been a large employer of local residents While several residents

have private drinking water wells in close proximity to the site no private wells have become

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contaminated to date Residents are therefore satisfied that any site contamination is

contained and does not pose a risk to their health or jeopardize their well-being The level of

concern may change if private drinking wells were to become polluted There appears to be

moderate interest in the impact that site contaminants may have on nearby wetlands

The following sections are presented in this Community Relations Plan

Site Background Community Background Development of Community Relations Program Appendix A List of Officials Key Contacts and Interested Parties and Appendix B Information Repositories and Suggested Meeting Locations

B SITE BACKGROUND

1 Site Description

The Tansitor Electronics site is located on a 36-acre parcel of land in the Town of

Bennington Vermont The site lies in a valley between the Green Mountain and the Taconic

Mountain ranges approximately 10 and 5 miles from the Massachusetts and New York State

borders respectively The Tansitor property is bounded by West Road (Route 9) to the south

Houran Road and commercial property to the east privately owned woodland to the north

and agricultural and residential land to the west Tansitor Electronics also owns the wetland

area south of West Road (across the street from the plant) Bennington Center is located

approximately 35 miles to the east of the site (see Figure 1)

The property on which the site is located has been occupied by Tansitor Electronics Inc

since 1956 Tansitor was founded by Mr Alfred Torrisi and subsequent owners have been

Hammond and Kennedy Manufacturing and Aerotron Inc The present owner of the site is

Waycom Holding Ltd of Bracknell England The company currently employs

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TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

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4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

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the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

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2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

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Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

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Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

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lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

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Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

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To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

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Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

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Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

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evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

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Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

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REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

An ALLIANCE - Technologies Corporation

Richard Leighton February 26 1991 Regional Project Officer US Environmental Protection Agency Waste Management Division JFK Federal Building Room 2203 Boston Massachusetts 02203

Reference Contract No 68-W9-0003 TES 6 Work Assignment No C01097 Tansitor Electronics Inc Bennington Vermont Community Relations Support

Subject Deliverable Community Relations Plan

Dear Rick

In accordance with the reporting requirements of the subject Work Assignment enclosed is one copy of the Community Relations Plan (CRP) for the Tansitor Electronics site This submittal satisfies the second deliverable requirement for this Work Assignment

Please note that this final CRP incorporates the comments received from EPA (dated February 4 1991) regarding the draft CRP prepared by Alliance

At the request of the WAM Terrence Connelly four bound copies and one unbound copy of the CRP have been delivered directly to him

Questions regarding this submission should be directed to the Alliance Project Manager Naida Gavrelis at (508) 970-5757 ext 5145 or me

Sincerely yours

Peter Spawn Regional Manager

PSkm

Enclosure

cc Terrence ConnellyEPA Work Assignment Manager Jill E RobbinsTES-6 Contracting Officer (letter only) Jack Lewis JrAlliance TES-6 Contracts Manager (letter only) Naida GavrelisAlliance Project Manager

COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC

BENNINGTON VERMONT COMMUNITY RELATIONS SUPPORT

r bull M i ^war^

Prepared for laquobullpound US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Waste Management Division JFK Federal Building

Boston Massachusetts 02203

Work Assignment No CO1097

EPA Region I

EPA SiteFacility ID No VTD000509174

Contract No 68-W9-0003 (TES-6)

Alliance Document No A90-638

Alliance Project No 1-635-176-0-1BC3-0

Alliance Project Manager Naida Gavrelis

Telephone No (508) 970-5600

Subcontract No NA

Subcontractor Project Manager NA

Telephone No NA

EPA Work Assignment Manager Terrence Connelly

Telephone No (617) 573-9638

Date Prepared February 19 1991

ALLIANCE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Boott Mills South

Foot of John Street Lowell Massachusetts 01852

(508) 970-5600

RECYCLED PAPER ALLIANCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

A Overview of Community Relations Plan 1

B Site Background 2

C Community Background 8

D Development of the Community Relations Program 13

A90-63Stxt ii

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC SITE

BENNINGTON VERMONT

A OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN

This community relations plan has been developed to identify issues of community concern

regarding the Tansitor Electronics Inc site (the site) in Bennington Vermont and to

present suggested community relations activities to be conducted by the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) during the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RIFS)

activities at this site The community relations program outlined in this document is intended

to keep local officials and residents informed of the investigations and provide opportunities

for involvement in the process This community relations plan has been prepared in order to

assist EPA in implementing a community relations program that is specifically tailored to the

concerns and needs of the Bennington community EPA conducts community relations

activities to ensure that the local public has input to the decisions about Superfund actions

and is well-informed about the progress of those actions

The community relations plan is based on interviews with local officials and with Bennington

residents several of whom live in the vicinity of the site and on information contained in

EPA site files In-person interviews were conducted in Bennington on November 15 and 16

1990 Community and site background information was compiled with the assistance of the

Bennington Chamber of Commerce and through reference to the literature cited at the end of

this report

Present community interest in activities related to the Tansitor Electronics site appears to be

relatively low There is a general consensus among community members including abutters

that Tansitor has been a good and conscientious neighbor throughout its years of operation

Furthermore Tansitor has been a large employer of local residents While several residents

have private drinking water wells in close proximity to the site no private wells have become

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contaminated to date Residents are therefore satisfied that any site contamination is

contained and does not pose a risk to their health or jeopardize their well-being The level of

concern may change if private drinking wells were to become polluted There appears to be

moderate interest in the impact that site contaminants may have on nearby wetlands

The following sections are presented in this Community Relations Plan

Site Background Community Background Development of Community Relations Program Appendix A List of Officials Key Contacts and Interested Parties and Appendix B Information Repositories and Suggested Meeting Locations

B SITE BACKGROUND

1 Site Description

The Tansitor Electronics site is located on a 36-acre parcel of land in the Town of

Bennington Vermont The site lies in a valley between the Green Mountain and the Taconic

Mountain ranges approximately 10 and 5 miles from the Massachusetts and New York State

borders respectively The Tansitor property is bounded by West Road (Route 9) to the south

Houran Road and commercial property to the east privately owned woodland to the north

and agricultural and residential land to the west Tansitor Electronics also owns the wetland

area south of West Road (across the street from the plant) Bennington Center is located

approximately 35 miles to the east of the site (see Figure 1)

The property on which the site is located has been occupied by Tansitor Electronics Inc

since 1956 Tansitor was founded by Mr Alfred Torrisi and subsequent owners have been

Hammond and Kennedy Manufacturing and Aerotron Inc The present owner of the site is

Waycom Holding Ltd of Bracknell England The company currently employs

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TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

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4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

A90-638txt

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the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

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2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

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Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

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Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

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lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

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Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

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To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

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Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

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Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

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evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

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Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

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REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC

BENNINGTON VERMONT COMMUNITY RELATIONS SUPPORT

r bull M i ^war^

Prepared for laquobullpound US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Waste Management Division JFK Federal Building

Boston Massachusetts 02203

Work Assignment No CO1097

EPA Region I

EPA SiteFacility ID No VTD000509174

Contract No 68-W9-0003 (TES-6)

Alliance Document No A90-638

Alliance Project No 1-635-176-0-1BC3-0

Alliance Project Manager Naida Gavrelis

Telephone No (508) 970-5600

Subcontract No NA

Subcontractor Project Manager NA

Telephone No NA

EPA Work Assignment Manager Terrence Connelly

Telephone No (617) 573-9638

Date Prepared February 19 1991

ALLIANCE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Boott Mills South

Foot of John Street Lowell Massachusetts 01852

(508) 970-5600

RECYCLED PAPER ALLIANCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

A Overview of Community Relations Plan 1

B Site Background 2

C Community Background 8

D Development of the Community Relations Program 13

A90-63Stxt ii

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC SITE

BENNINGTON VERMONT

A OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN

This community relations plan has been developed to identify issues of community concern

regarding the Tansitor Electronics Inc site (the site) in Bennington Vermont and to

present suggested community relations activities to be conducted by the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) during the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RIFS)

activities at this site The community relations program outlined in this document is intended

to keep local officials and residents informed of the investigations and provide opportunities

for involvement in the process This community relations plan has been prepared in order to

assist EPA in implementing a community relations program that is specifically tailored to the

concerns and needs of the Bennington community EPA conducts community relations

activities to ensure that the local public has input to the decisions about Superfund actions

and is well-informed about the progress of those actions

The community relations plan is based on interviews with local officials and with Bennington

residents several of whom live in the vicinity of the site and on information contained in

EPA site files In-person interviews were conducted in Bennington on November 15 and 16

1990 Community and site background information was compiled with the assistance of the

Bennington Chamber of Commerce and through reference to the literature cited at the end of

this report

Present community interest in activities related to the Tansitor Electronics site appears to be

relatively low There is a general consensus among community members including abutters

that Tansitor has been a good and conscientious neighbor throughout its years of operation

Furthermore Tansitor has been a large employer of local residents While several residents

have private drinking water wells in close proximity to the site no private wells have become

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contaminated to date Residents are therefore satisfied that any site contamination is

contained and does not pose a risk to their health or jeopardize their well-being The level of

concern may change if private drinking wells were to become polluted There appears to be

moderate interest in the impact that site contaminants may have on nearby wetlands

The following sections are presented in this Community Relations Plan

Site Background Community Background Development of Community Relations Program Appendix A List of Officials Key Contacts and Interested Parties and Appendix B Information Repositories and Suggested Meeting Locations

B SITE BACKGROUND

1 Site Description

The Tansitor Electronics site is located on a 36-acre parcel of land in the Town of

Bennington Vermont The site lies in a valley between the Green Mountain and the Taconic

Mountain ranges approximately 10 and 5 miles from the Massachusetts and New York State

borders respectively The Tansitor property is bounded by West Road (Route 9) to the south

Houran Road and commercial property to the east privately owned woodland to the north

and agricultural and residential land to the west Tansitor Electronics also owns the wetland

area south of West Road (across the street from the plant) Bennington Center is located

approximately 35 miles to the east of the site (see Figure 1)

The property on which the site is located has been occupied by Tansitor Electronics Inc

since 1956 Tansitor was founded by Mr Alfred Torrisi and subsequent owners have been

Hammond and Kennedy Manufacturing and Aerotron Inc The present owner of the site is

Waycom Holding Ltd of Bracknell England The company currently employs

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TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

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4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

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the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

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2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

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Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

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Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

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lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

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Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

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To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

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Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

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Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

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evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

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Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

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REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

A Overview of Community Relations Plan 1

B Site Background 2

C Community Background 8

D Development of the Community Relations Program 13

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC SITE

BENNINGTON VERMONT

A OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN

This community relations plan has been developed to identify issues of community concern

regarding the Tansitor Electronics Inc site (the site) in Bennington Vermont and to

present suggested community relations activities to be conducted by the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) during the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RIFS)

activities at this site The community relations program outlined in this document is intended

to keep local officials and residents informed of the investigations and provide opportunities

for involvement in the process This community relations plan has been prepared in order to

assist EPA in implementing a community relations program that is specifically tailored to the

concerns and needs of the Bennington community EPA conducts community relations

activities to ensure that the local public has input to the decisions about Superfund actions

and is well-informed about the progress of those actions

The community relations plan is based on interviews with local officials and with Bennington

residents several of whom live in the vicinity of the site and on information contained in

EPA site files In-person interviews were conducted in Bennington on November 15 and 16

1990 Community and site background information was compiled with the assistance of the

Bennington Chamber of Commerce and through reference to the literature cited at the end of

this report

Present community interest in activities related to the Tansitor Electronics site appears to be

relatively low There is a general consensus among community members including abutters

that Tansitor has been a good and conscientious neighbor throughout its years of operation

Furthermore Tansitor has been a large employer of local residents While several residents

have private drinking water wells in close proximity to the site no private wells have become

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contaminated to date Residents are therefore satisfied that any site contamination is

contained and does not pose a risk to their health or jeopardize their well-being The level of

concern may change if private drinking wells were to become polluted There appears to be

moderate interest in the impact that site contaminants may have on nearby wetlands

The following sections are presented in this Community Relations Plan

Site Background Community Background Development of Community Relations Program Appendix A List of Officials Key Contacts and Interested Parties and Appendix B Information Repositories and Suggested Meeting Locations

B SITE BACKGROUND

1 Site Description

The Tansitor Electronics site is located on a 36-acre parcel of land in the Town of

Bennington Vermont The site lies in a valley between the Green Mountain and the Taconic

Mountain ranges approximately 10 and 5 miles from the Massachusetts and New York State

borders respectively The Tansitor property is bounded by West Road (Route 9) to the south

Houran Road and commercial property to the east privately owned woodland to the north

and agricultural and residential land to the west Tansitor Electronics also owns the wetland

area south of West Road (across the street from the plant) Bennington Center is located

approximately 35 miles to the east of the site (see Figure 1)

The property on which the site is located has been occupied by Tansitor Electronics Inc

since 1956 Tansitor was founded by Mr Alfred Torrisi and subsequent owners have been

Hammond and Kennedy Manufacturing and Aerotron Inc The present owner of the site is

Waycom Holding Ltd of Bracknell England The company currently employs

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TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

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4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

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the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

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2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

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Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

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Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

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lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

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Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

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To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

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Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

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Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

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evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

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Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

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REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC SITE

BENNINGTON VERMONT

A OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN

This community relations plan has been developed to identify issues of community concern

regarding the Tansitor Electronics Inc site (the site) in Bennington Vermont and to

present suggested community relations activities to be conducted by the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) during the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RIFS)

activities at this site The community relations program outlined in this document is intended

to keep local officials and residents informed of the investigations and provide opportunities

for involvement in the process This community relations plan has been prepared in order to

assist EPA in implementing a community relations program that is specifically tailored to the

concerns and needs of the Bennington community EPA conducts community relations

activities to ensure that the local public has input to the decisions about Superfund actions

and is well-informed about the progress of those actions

The community relations plan is based on interviews with local officials and with Bennington

residents several of whom live in the vicinity of the site and on information contained in

EPA site files In-person interviews were conducted in Bennington on November 15 and 16

1990 Community and site background information was compiled with the assistance of the

Bennington Chamber of Commerce and through reference to the literature cited at the end of

this report

Present community interest in activities related to the Tansitor Electronics site appears to be

relatively low There is a general consensus among community members including abutters

that Tansitor has been a good and conscientious neighbor throughout its years of operation

Furthermore Tansitor has been a large employer of local residents While several residents

have private drinking water wells in close proximity to the site no private wells have become

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contaminated to date Residents are therefore satisfied that any site contamination is

contained and does not pose a risk to their health or jeopardize their well-being The level of

concern may change if private drinking wells were to become polluted There appears to be

moderate interest in the impact that site contaminants may have on nearby wetlands

The following sections are presented in this Community Relations Plan

Site Background Community Background Development of Community Relations Program Appendix A List of Officials Key Contacts and Interested Parties and Appendix B Information Repositories and Suggested Meeting Locations

B SITE BACKGROUND

1 Site Description

The Tansitor Electronics site is located on a 36-acre parcel of land in the Town of

Bennington Vermont The site lies in a valley between the Green Mountain and the Taconic

Mountain ranges approximately 10 and 5 miles from the Massachusetts and New York State

borders respectively The Tansitor property is bounded by West Road (Route 9) to the south

Houran Road and commercial property to the east privately owned woodland to the north

and agricultural and residential land to the west Tansitor Electronics also owns the wetland

area south of West Road (across the street from the plant) Bennington Center is located

approximately 35 miles to the east of the site (see Figure 1)

The property on which the site is located has been occupied by Tansitor Electronics Inc

since 1956 Tansitor was founded by Mr Alfred Torrisi and subsequent owners have been

Hammond and Kennedy Manufacturing and Aerotron Inc The present owner of the site is

Waycom Holding Ltd of Bracknell England The company currently employs

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TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

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4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

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the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

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2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

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Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

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Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

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RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

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Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

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To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

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Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

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Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

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RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

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Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

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REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

contaminated to date Residents are therefore satisfied that any site contamination is

contained and does not pose a risk to their health or jeopardize their well-being The level of

concern may change if private drinking wells were to become polluted There appears to be

moderate interest in the impact that site contaminants may have on nearby wetlands

The following sections are presented in this Community Relations Plan

Site Background Community Background Development of Community Relations Program Appendix A List of Officials Key Contacts and Interested Parties and Appendix B Information Repositories and Suggested Meeting Locations

B SITE BACKGROUND

1 Site Description

The Tansitor Electronics site is located on a 36-acre parcel of land in the Town of

Bennington Vermont The site lies in a valley between the Green Mountain and the Taconic

Mountain ranges approximately 10 and 5 miles from the Massachusetts and New York State

borders respectively The Tansitor property is bounded by West Road (Route 9) to the south

Houran Road and commercial property to the east privately owned woodland to the north

and agricultural and residential land to the west Tansitor Electronics also owns the wetland

area south of West Road (across the street from the plant) Bennington Center is located

approximately 35 miles to the east of the site (see Figure 1)

The property on which the site is located has been occupied by Tansitor Electronics Inc

since 1956 Tansitor was founded by Mr Alfred Torrisi and subsequent owners have been

Hammond and Kennedy Manufacturing and Aerotron Inc The present owner of the site is

Waycom Holding Ltd of Bracknell England The company currently employs

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TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

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4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

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RECYCLED PAPER

the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

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2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

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Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

TANSITOR ELECTRONICS INC 8DPERFUWP SITE

Tansitor Electronic- Inc Site Community Relations ALLIANCE

Figure 1 Bennington Area Map ( - see figure 2)

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

A90-638txt

RECYCLED PAPER ALLIANCE

Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

A90-638txt 6

RECYCLED PAPER A ALLIANCE

4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

A90-638txt

RECYCLED PAPER

the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

A90-638txt 8

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

approximately 185 people but is known to have at one time employed over 300 Tansitor

manufactures electrolytic tantalum capacitors the major components of which are silver

tantalum and palladium Their operations include pelletizing tantalum powder into

electrodes sinterizing the pellets in vacuum furnaces using dilute acids and assembling the

electrodes in tantalum aluminum and silver casings (EPA 1990a) Wastes known to be

generated in these processes include metal plating solutions cleaning solvents

non-chlorinated and chlorinated degreasers (111 trichloroethane) and corrosive solutions

(EPA 1990a)

Development on the property consists of a manufacturing facility an etch house office space

parking lots a fire pond a tennis court and a baseball field Several dirt access roads lead

from the buildings to the perimeter of the property The majority of the property however is

undeveloped wooded or open land (see Figure 2)

The surrounding area is a sparsely populated mix of rural residential and commercial land

The nearest residences are located less than 800 feet from the Tansitor production facilities

The EPA determined that approximately 1500 people are serviced by drinking water wells

within a 3 mile radius of the site (EPA 1990b) The Johnson Company the environmental

contractor to Tansitor determined however that less than 400 people were serviced by wells

downgradient of the site (Johnson 1989)

2 Local Environmental Characteristics

The surface of the Tansitor property slopes to the southeast (ERM 1989) Surface water

flowing across the site drains into the fire pond which in turn discharges via a culvert into the

wetlands south of West Road (see Figure 2) The wetlands are drained by Browns Brook

which empties into the Hoosic River and eventually into the Hudson River The Vermont

Nature Conservancy determined that no endangered species inhabit areas at or immediately

A90-638txt

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Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

A90-638txt 6

RECYCLED PAPER A ALLIANCE

4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

A90-638txt

RECYCLED PAPER

the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

A90-638txt 8

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Baseball Field

Fowler Tansitor Property Property

Sugar Maple NOT TO SCALE Inn Property

Property Boundary Woodlands

Dirt Road Wetlands

Underground Culvert Disposal Area

Tansitor Electronics Inc Site Community Relations

ALLIANCE Technologies Corpo-alon

Figure 2 Site Map

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

A90-638txt 6

RECYCLED PAPER A ALLIANCE

4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

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the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

A90-638txt 8

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

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Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

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REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

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APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

downstream of the site (ERM 1989) The site is located directly south of Whipstock Hill

Because of this and the fact that the property is located in a valley between two mountain

ranges large quantities of ground water pass through the vicinity of the site Surface soils

consists of glacial tills typical to southern Vermont

3 Disposal History

Disposal at the site was limited to an area (approximately 500 sq ft) at the northeastern

comer of the site (EPA 1989) (see Figure 2) EPA estimates the equivalent of 117 drums of

process waste were disposed on the Tansitor property between 1956 and 1979 (EPA 1990b)

The Johnson Company reports that some of the disposal occurred prior to Tansitors purchase

of the property There is also some indication that waste was disposed into the fire pond or

directly into the culvert leading to the wetlands south of West Pond

The primary constituents of the process waste include plating waste containing nickel and

copper organic solvents and degreasers such as 111-trichloroethane (TCA) 11shy

dichlorethane (11-DCA) and nn-dimethylformamide and certain metals and acids (EPA

1990a) Elevated concentrations of TCA 11-DCA and several other volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) were detected in surface soils collected from the large disposal area

VOCs are a group of chemical compounds that are charcterized by their tendency to

evaporate into the air from water and soil The Vermont Department of Environmental

Conservation (VT DEC a division of the Agency of Natural Resources formerly the Agency

of Environmental Conservation) has sampled tap water from the Tansitor facility and four

properties in the vicinity of the site Laboratory analysis detected organic compounds once in

the Tansitor samples but these results could not be reproduced and they were considered to be

laboratory error No contaminants have been detected in the residential wells

A90-638txt 6

RECYCLED PAPER A ALLIANCE

4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

A90-638txt

RECYCLED PAPER

the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

A90-638txt 8

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

4 History of Site Investigations

The VT DEC initially inspected the site in October 1982 Initially VT DEC inspectors

determined that the aesthetics of the site needed to be improved (ERM 1989) In June- July

1983 the VT DEC notified Tansitor that the solid waste piles and drum remnants disposed on

site had to be removed and that soil samples should be collected from the disposal areas

(ERM 1989) In November 1985 Tansitor reported the findings of the sampling to the VT

DEC elevated levels (parts-per-billion) of 15 VOCs were present in the soils but no

significant quantities of contaminants were detected in the Tansitor well Three months after

the findings were submitted (5 months after Tansitor s sampling) the VT DEC detected the

aforementioned elevated concentrations of organic compounds in the Tansitor well and in a

surface water seep slightly north of the fire pond The VT DEC suggested that the disposal

area be studied more extensively (ERM 1989)

A Site Inspection report issued in January 1987 by the VT DEC indicated a potential problem

existed at the site EPA completed a Hazard Ranking evaluation in September 1987 in order

to determine whether enough contamination was present to include the site on the National

Priorities List (NPL) a list of the nations most contaminated hazardous waste sites

Placement on the NPL not only prioritizes a site for federal funding under EPAs Superfund

program but also makes professional assistance more readily available to those responsible for

cleaning up the site The Tansitor site was found to exceed the acceptable hazard limits and

in June 1988 EPA proposed the site for listing on the NPL On October 4 1989 the

Tansitor site was officially listed as a Federal Superfund site (EPA 1990a)

In September 1990 EPA entered into an Administrative Order of Consent with two

potentially responsible parties (PRPs) Tansitor Electronics Inc and Siemens Corporation

Both companies have owned or operated the facility during the known period of improper

hazardous waste disposal The agreement requires the two parties to pay the cost of a

Remedial InvestigationFeasibility Study (RIFS) to determine the extent of contamination at

A90-638txt

RECYCLED PAPER

the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

A90-638txt 8

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

the site and best possible means to clean it up The RIFS activities are scheduled to

commence in the spring of 1991

C COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

1 Community Profile

The Town of Bennington was incorporated in 1749 Approximately 16700 people live in

Bennington but the town serves as the urban center for the 36000 residents of Bennington

County The Town of Bennington encompasses an area of approximately 23000 acres Of

this 3400 acres are used agriculturally 825 are used industrially and 6500 are undeveloped

forested areas The remainder of the area is used presumably as residential and commercial

space (Chamber of Commerce)

The economy of the Bennington area relies heavily on manufacturing industries (33 percent of

income) Major corporations working out of Bennington include Eveready Battery Johnson

Controls Inc and Stanley Tools Retail sales comprise approximately 23 percent of the

economy recreational sales comprise 18 percent and agriculture and dairy farming comprise

only 2 percent (Chamber of Commerce) Local educational institutions include 15 public

schools three private secondary schools two 4-year colleges and one community college

The Town of Bennington is governed by a Town Manager and a Board of Selectors The

Board of Selectors meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month A seven-member

Conservation Commission has recently been established to address various local

environmentalecological concerns

A90-638txt 8

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

2 History of Community Involvement

In general there has been a low level of interest in the Tansitor Electronics site Residents

interviewed generally view Tansitor as a good and trustworthy neighbor Nearby residents

first learned about the site contamination approximately 5 years ago when a Vermont

environmental group conducted a door-to-door canvas alerting residents that they lived on a

toxic waste site Residents interviewed were initially alarmed A public meeting was held

at that time at which Tansitor and state environmental officials were present The individuals

interviewed who attended the meeting stated that Tansitor was very frank regarding past

disposal practices and that the community showed no antagonism toward Tansitor Overall

after the meeting these residents felt confident that site contaminants were contained

Residents were further comforted knowing that Tansitor and the State would continue to

monitor their wells

Bennington residents in general gained most of their knowledge concerning the Tansitor site

through the news media Local newspapers have reported on the Tansitor site issues since the

mid-1980s when site contamination was first detected Town officials indicated during

interviews that they have not received any inquiries regarding Tansitor from Bennington

residents

3 Key Community Concerns

Officials and residents interviewed in Bennington indicated that the Tansitor site is a

relatively minor concern to the community Community members especially site neighbors

are certainly concerned about the potential for contamination of private residential wells but

the absence of well contamination to date has satisfied residents that the Tansitor pollution

problem is not an imminent threat to their health In general citizens interviewed ranked the

contamination associated with Tansitor operations low compared to other environmental

problems in Bennington Greater concern was voiced over solid waste issues in general the

A90-638txt 9

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Burgess Landfill site and the fight against the Half-Moon coal burning facility in nearby New

York with its associated air pollution problems Furthermore citizens appeared to be more

concerned about the local economy and jobs than environmental problems Certain

individuals interviewed also ranked educational concerns higher than environmental problems

Most residents interviewed have lived in Bennington for many years and are content to

remain there Many residents interviewed expressed a deep interest in maintaining open land

and preserving wildlife in the area

As the results of the remedial investigation become available the level of concern may

change if the findings are significant A summary of the current key community concerns is

presented below

Contamination of Private Residential Drinking Water Wells and Related Health

Risks Clearly the neighbors of Tansitor whose wells are in relatively close proximity

to the site are concerned about the potential contamination of their wells However as

mentioned earlier since testing to date has not revealed any private well

contamination residents are not overly alarmed One resident did express some lack

of confidence in the sampling data produced by Tansitor Neighbors undoubtedly

want to be kept informed of the results of the comprehensive testing which is to take

place during the Remedial Investigation Residents interviewed are concerned that no

connections to town water are readily available should their wells become

contaminated Most neighbors questioned who would be responsible for adequately

treating their well water or supplying another source of water (ie bottled water or

access to the town water supply)

There is also reasonable concern that the ground water hydrology of the area has not

yet been defined well enough to be certain of what direction contaminated ground

water is flowing Some outliers of the immediate site area are therefore somewhat

concerned about potential contaminant migration and its effect on their wells

A90-638txt 10

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Impact on Wetlands and Wildlife Both town officials and residents expressed a fair

amount of concern regarding the impact of site contaminants on the wetlands located

in close proximity to the site and on the wildlife that inhabits the area Wetlands are

located directly across the street from the Tafisitor site An unnamed stream flows

through thelaquose wetlands and off in a southwesterly direction to Browns Brook One

resident had heard that there are rfo living creatures in ihcse wetlands and that

everything is black and smells not necessarily a result of Tansitor pollution

Impact on Pond There is a swimming pond on the Sugar Maple Inn property

(southwest of Tansitor) While sampling results to date have revealed no

contamination the potential for future contamination is of concern to some area

residents

Loss of Jobs Tansitor has been a major employer in Bennington for many years

Residents interviewed are concerned that the cost of the investigation and clean-up

might result in financial hardship for Tansitor and may ultimately lead to the loss of

jobs Residents are generally sympathetic to Tansitor and their plight of having to pay

now for waste disposal practices generally accepted at the time of their occurrence

Receipt of Information Pertaining to the Superfund Process Both town officials

and residents expressed an interest in learning more about the Superfund process One

town official stated that the public in general does not understand Superfund and that

this lack of knowledge may in part account for the relatively low level of concern

regarding a site like Tansitor Residents interviewed assumed that the Tansitor site

was placed on the Superfund list based exclusively on the detection of high

contaminant concentrations The intricacies of the Superfund process for example the

other factors independent of chemical levels that are used to rank a hazardous waste

such as Tansitor (eg proximity of the site to private residential wells and the current

A90-638txt 11

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE ft

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

lack of access to the town water supply) are not well understood by all community

members

Over-Reaction on the Part of Environmental Officials One resident stated and

others alluded to the fact that there are other environmentaLpraquo-WCTn^far greater tamplaquon

the Tansitor site boiTf withirTandOutside of Vermont

bull Oversight of the Remedial Investigation While the general consensus was one of

trust in Tansitor and their ability to honestly and openly reveal the results of their

investigation a few individuals questioned EPAs exact role and were interested in

learning what measures would be taken to oversee the PRPs work These individuals

appeared satisfied by the response provided by EPA describing the oversight

requirements of the process and EPAs option to assume sole responsibility of the

remedial investigation if EPA is dissatisfied with Tansitors work

bull Impact of Remedial Actions Several individuals inquired about how the site would

ultimately be cleaned up Both town officials and residents were unfamiliar with the

various clean-up alternatives that are generally used to remediate a site such as

Tansitor A specific concern was voiced over the ultimate fate of site contaminants

A few residents also expressed concern about the potential for creating more of a

problem by stirring things up during the remedial investigation

Decrease in Property Values One resident interviewed expressed concern about how

the existence of a hazardous waste site in the neighborhood may impact the resale

value of property in the area

bull Use of the Fire Pond Some concern was voiced over the potential contamination of

the fire pond The rural fire department has used the pond in the past Town officials

questioned the ramifications of carrying this water off-site

A90-638txt 12

RECYCLED PAPER Afe ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Community Image One resident stated that since Bennington sees itself as a tourist

community the citizens are certainly concerned about their image given the presence

of three Superfund sites in town (Tansitor the Bennington Landfill and the Burgess

Landfill)

D DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

1 Objectives

Interviews and discussions with local officials and residents revealed that there is a relatively

low interest in the Tansitor site but a moderate desire to be kept informed of site activities

The community relations program should be gauged according to the communitys need for

information and its interest and willingness to participate in the remedial process The

community relations program should provide a means to keep the entire community informed

of major developments at the site and aware of opportunities for involvement in the

Superfund process The overall goal of the community relations program is to maintain an

open line of communication between EPA and affected community residents

The community relations program at the Tansitor Electronics site has the following objectives

bull To provide the public with accurate information regarding site activities It is

important that the community be kept informed of the progress and major milestones

of the site investigations The community relations program will establish and

maintain regular communication between residents town officials and EPA

Information is to be accurate up-to-date and understandable in order to maximize the

credibility of EPA and other agencies involved in the program Seemingly

disinterested residents may show greater interest if the results of the investigation are

readily available

A90-638txt 13

RECYCLED PAPER A4 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

To educate community members about the Superfund process and the role of

EPA The Bennington community members interviewed expressed an interest and feel

the need to learn more about Superfund Efforts should be made to describe the steps

involved in the remedial investigation and the criteria used to determine if and how

the site should be remediated

bull To support the interpretation of technical information Concise and easily-

understood information should be made available to all residents and officials on the

schedule of technical activities their purpose and their outcome Community

relations staff should attempt to identify special situations or concerns where more

specialized information may be required or where certain types of information are

needed by single individuals or groups

The community relations program should provide a means for interested residents

officials and local environmental groups to interpret technical information when

necessary (See the discussion of the Technical Assistance Grant program in the next

section)

2 Techniques and Timing

EPA Superfund guidance requires a number of community relations activities during the

RIFS These include providing a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

and preparing a responsiveness summary Other activities are suggested based on the specific

needs of the Bennington community Those community members interviewed expressed a

moderate interest in being kept informed of site activities through the maintenance of an

information repository mailings news releases and public meetings

Required and suggested community relations activities for the Tansitor Electronics site and

the general time frame for their implementation are described below

A90-638txt 14

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Establish information contacts The EPA site Remedial Project Manager and the

Community Relations Coordinator should serve as information contacts throughout the

Superfund investigations at the Tansitor site Ready access to these individuals will

ensure that concerns and questions of officials community groups and residents are

addressed effectively Appendix A lists the names and telephone numbers of the two

EPA information contacts

Timing Two contacts have already been designated Their names and telephone

numbers should be included in all mailings and news releases

Establish and maintain information repositories Fact sheets technical summaries

site reports (including the community relations plan) Superfund information and other

site-related material should be readily available to all interested parties An

information repository will be located at the Bennington Free Library The address

and hours of operation are included in Appendix B

Timing An information repository has already been established at the Bennington

Free Library The information repository should be maintained for the duration of

Superfund remedial activities and information should be added to it in a timely and

continuous manner

Maintain a site mailing list All interested officials residents community groups

responsible parties and news media representatives should be included on a site

mailing list This list will be used to distribute fact sheets and other site-related

information The mailing list will be updated primarily on the basis of meeting sign-

in sheets and communications with the information contacts mentioned above

A90-638txt 15

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Timing EPA is developing a mailing list for the Tansitor site This mailing list

should be continually updated The key contacts and officials (Appendix A) and

media contacts (Appendix C) will be included on the mailing list

bull Issue news releases and public notices Press releases will be issued to provide

timely notification of project milestones and upcoming activities The language in the

press releases should be clear and concise to minimize the risk of misinterpretation

Citizens interviewed indicated that the media is the best way to get information to the

community Most residents including site neighbors learned about the contamination

at Tansitor via the newspaper The paper read by most residents is the Bennington

Banner

Timing Press releases will be prepared periodically Public notices announcing the

Proposed Plan and Record of Decision are required by law The appropriate media

contacts for this purpose are listed in Appendix C

Prepare and distribute fact sheets Fact sheets will be issued to provide information

on Superfund in general and on activities at the Tansitor site Community members

indicated that they would like a fact sheet summarizing the site history and outlining

the schedule of RI activities Other fact sheets that should be written and distributed

include one that will summarize the results of the remedial investigation and one that

will present the proposed remedial action plan and the results of the feasibility study

Timing Fact sheets can be distributed periodically They should be issued at

milestones such as the completion of the remedial investigation

bull Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) In 1988 EPA established a grant program to

enable community groups to hire technical consultants to assist in interpreting

site-related technical information Specifically groups may want to perform their own

A90-638txt 16

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE T

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

evaluation of sampling data and proposed cleanup alternatives The Bennington

community could benefit from this program especially if site interest increases EPA

should inform Bennington area citizen groups that these funds exist and encourage

TAG proposals to be written

Timing The local community should be informed of TAG funding opportunities as

early as possible in the RIFS process to allow ample time for proposal preparation

and processing

Hold public meetings Bennington residents communicated mixed feeling about the

usefulness of holding public meetings to discuss the Tansitor site Several individuals

interviewed stated that the interest in the site may not be high enough to attract people

to a public meeting unless new information is disclosed which may have a significant

impact on abutters and the town in general One resident stated that the public attends

meetings only if people are angry over an issue Another resident thought that

peoples curiosity and apprehension about a hazardous waste site would bring them

out to a meeting It should be noted that audio-visual aids and face-to-face

discussions facilitate the understanding of more complex technical issues The

suggested meeting location is listed in Appendix B This location has cable television

broadcast capabilities

Timing A general informational meeting early in the remedial investigation may be

held to provide community members with general factual information addressing site

history planned site activities and the Superfund process in general A second

meeting will present the results of the RI and plans for future activities A third

meeting will be held to present the results of the FS and the Proposed Plan

A90-63Stxt 17

RECYCLED PAPER amp ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

Allow a public comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan and Hold Public

Hearing EPA must provide a minimum of 30 days for public comment on the RIFS

and Proposed Plan Oral and written comments provided during this period will be

considered in the process of selecting cleanup alternatives A public hearing should be

held during this comment period

Timing The public comment period will follow preparation of the RIFS and

Proposed Plan

Prepare a Responsiveness Summary EPA must prepared a Responsiveness

Summary which summarizes all comments and concerns submitted during the

comment period on the RIFS and the Proposed Plan and EPAs responses to these

comments The Responsiveness Summary must accompany the Record of Decision

for the site

Timing The Responsiveness Summary must be prepared following the public

comment period on the RIFS and Proposed Plan

Revise the community relations plan This community relations plan should be

revised if necessary following the RIFS phase of site investigations It may be

necessary to conduct additional personal interviews to evaluate changes in community

perceptions and concerns

Timing EPA should revise the community relations plan as necessary during the

remedial designremedial action phase of site investigations

A90-638txt 18

RECYCLED PAPER Af4 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

REFERENCES

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Map and Guide to Bennington County Vermont 1990

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Community Data Profile and Fact Sheet undated

Environmental Project Control Inc and the Johnson Company for Tansitor Electronics Inc Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Work Plan November 26 1990

ERM - New England Inc for Tansitor Electronics Inc Phase I Preliminary Investigation Tansitor Electronics Inc Facility West Road Bennington VT May 15 1989

The Johnson Company Tansitor Electronics An Assessment of the Hazard Ranking System Score August 1989

US EPA Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Site Analysis Tansitor Electronics Bennington Vermont November 1989

US EPA Tansitor Electronics Superfund Site First Scoping Meeting Notes October 18 1990 (EPA 1990a)

US EPA Environmental News Settlement Reached for Work at Tansitor Superfund Site September 14 1990 (EPA 1990b)

A90-638txt 19

RECYCLED PAPER Ml ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

APPENDIX A

OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES

A Federal Elected Officials

1 Senator James Jeffords 202-224-5141 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-223-5273 138 Main Street Montpelier VT 05602

2 Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-4242 Washington DC 20510

District Office 802-229-0569 PO Box 933 Montpelier VT 05602

3 Representative Bernard Sanders 202-225-4115 Washington DC 20515

District Office 802-828-1110 100 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

B US Environmental Protection Agency

1 Terrence Connelly 617-573-9638 Remedial Project Manager US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (HSV-CAN5) Boston MA 02203

2 James Sebastian 617-565-3423 Community Relations Coordinator US EPA Region I JFK Federal Building (RPA) Boston MA 02203

A90-638txt A-l ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

C State Elected Officials

1 Governor Richard Snelling109 State Street Montpelier VT 05602

802-828-3333

2 Senator Maryann CarlsonBox 481 Arlington VT 05250

802-375-9449

3 Senator John Page222 Grandview Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-2770

4 Representative Timothy Corcoran703 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201

802-442-8419

5 Representative Ronald Knapp137 Burgess Road Bennington VT 05201

802-442-5312

6 Representative Richard Pembroke21 Pageant Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-4854

7 Representative Ralph WrightMatteson Road North Bennington VT 05257

802-442-2366

8 Russell CarpenterBox 57 311 Elm Street Bennington VT 05201

802-442-9021

9 James SheaRR1 Box 306 West Mountain Road Shaftsbury VT 05262

802-442-2680

A90638tx A-2 ALLIANCE

D State Agencies

1 Steve WintersVT Agency of Natural Resources Hazardous Sites Management Section 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05676

802-244-8702

(Questions regarding Vermonts interestsconcerns should be addressed to Mr Winters)

2 William Ahearn DirectorDivision of Hazardous Waste VT Agency of Natural Resources 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05676

802-244-8702

3 Tim BurkeCommissioner of Environmental Conservation Division of Water Resources VT Agency of Natural Resources 103 S Main Street Waterbury VT 05676

802-244-8755

4 David Clough DirectorDivision of Water Quality VT Agency of Natural Resources 103 S Main Street Building 10 North Waterbury VT 05676

802-244-6951

5 Edward Leonard DirectorDivision of Waste Management VT Agency of Natural Resources 103 S Main Street Waterbury VT 05676

802-224-7831

6 Tom Moye DirectorHazardous Materials Management VT Agency of Natural Resources 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05676

802-244-8702

A90-63Stxt A-3 A ALLIANCE

7 Robert OGrady DirectorEnvironmental Health Vermont Dept of Health 60 Main Street PO Box 70 Burlington VT 05402

8 J Timothy Van Zandt DirectorVermont Dept of Fish amp Wildlife 103 S Main Street Waterbury VT 05676

E Local Officials

1 Kevin Ryan Town ManagerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

2 Stuart Hurd Asst Town ManagerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

3 Lloyd WinterChairman Board of Selectors PO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

4 Timothy CorcoranVice Chairman Board of Selectors PO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

5 Thomas Franks SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

6 Patrick Kinney SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

7 Richard Sears SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

A90-638txt A-4

802-863-7200

802-244-7331

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

JT ALLIANCE

8 Howard Sinnott SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

9 Richard Knapp Fire ChiefPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

10 David Woodin Police ChiefSouth Street Bennington VT 05201

11 Sharon Brush Health OfficerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

12 Thomas Hobbel Health OfficerState Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

F Environmental Groups

1 Mt Anthony Preservation Society 700 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201 Attn Cynthia Locklin President

2 Vermonters Organized for Cleanup co John Haugrud Route 7A Arlington VT 05250

3 Green Mountain Environmental Alliance PO Box 4081 St Johnsbury VT05819

G Citizen Groups

1 Mrs David Aldridge League of Women Voters North Bennington VT 05257

2 Garden Club Conservation Committee Harlan Road North Bennington VT 05257 Attn J Paul and Elsi Paris

A90-63Stxt A 5

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1030

802-442-1037

802-447-2727

DALLIANCE

APPENDIX B

INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION

A Information Repository

1 Bennington Free Library Silver Street Bennington VT 05201

Contact Anita Gauthier 802-442-9051

Hours Monday 1000 am to 900 pm Tuesday 1000 am to 500 pm Wednesday 1000 am to 500 pm Thursday 100 pm to 900 pm Friday 1000 am to 500 pm Saturday 1000 am to 500 pm

B Suggested Meeting Location

1 Bennington District Court State Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

Contact Bernie Bourgois 802-447-2727 Capacity 50 - 80

B-l ft ALLIANCE

APPENDIX C

MEDIA CONTACTS

A Newspapers

1 The Bennington Banner 802-447-7567 PO Box 900 Bennington VT 05201 Attn Wendy Sevringhouse

Matt Kelly

2 The Rutland Herald 802-447-1505 Bennington Country Bureau 334 Main Street Bennington VT 05201 Attn Peter Crabtree

3 The Advocate 413-458-5713 38 Spring Street PO Box 95 Williamstown MA 01267-0095

4 The Manchester Journal 802-362-2222 PO Box 569 Manchester Center VT 05255

5 The Associated Press 802-229-0577 PO Box 866 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Christopher Graff

6 United Press International 802-223-7201 PO Box 611 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Steve Bredice

A90-638txt C 1 ALLIANCE

7 Robert OGrady DirectorEnvironmental Health Vermont Dept of Health 60 Main Street PO Box 70 Burlington VT 05402

8 J Timothy Van Zandt DirectorVermont Dept of Fish amp Wildlife 103 S Main Street Waterbury VT 05676

E Local Officials

1 Kevin Ryan Town ManagerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

2 Stuart Hurd Asst Town ManagerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

3 Lloyd WinterChairman Board of Selectors PO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

4 Timothy CorcoranVice Chairman Board of Selectors PO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

5 Thomas Franks SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

6 Patrick Kinney SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

7 Richard Sears SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

A90-638txt A-4

802-863-7200

802-244-7331

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

JT ALLIANCE

8 Howard Sinnott SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

9 Richard Knapp Fire ChiefPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

10 David Woodin Police ChiefSouth Street Bennington VT 05201

11 Sharon Brush Health OfficerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

12 Thomas Hobbel Health OfficerState Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

F Environmental Groups

1 Mt Anthony Preservation Society 700 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201 Attn Cynthia Locklin President

2 Vermonters Organized for Cleanup co John Haugrud Route 7A Arlington VT 05250

3 Green Mountain Environmental Alliance PO Box 4081 St Johnsbury VT05819

G Citizen Groups

1 Mrs David Aldridge League of Women Voters North Bennington VT 05257

2 Garden Club Conservation Committee Harlan Road North Bennington VT 05257 Attn J Paul and Elsi Paris

A90-63Stxt A 5

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1030

802-442-1037

802-447-2727

DALLIANCE

APPENDIX B

INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION

A Information Repository

1 Bennington Free Library Silver Street Bennington VT 05201

Contact Anita Gauthier 802-442-9051

Hours Monday 1000 am to 900 pm Tuesday 1000 am to 500 pm Wednesday 1000 am to 500 pm Thursday 100 pm to 900 pm Friday 1000 am to 500 pm Saturday 1000 am to 500 pm

B Suggested Meeting Location

1 Bennington District Court State Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

Contact Bernie Bourgois 802-447-2727 Capacity 50 - 80

B-l ft ALLIANCE

APPENDIX C

MEDIA CONTACTS

A Newspapers

1 The Bennington Banner 802-447-7567 PO Box 900 Bennington VT 05201 Attn Wendy Sevringhouse

Matt Kelly

2 The Rutland Herald 802-447-1505 Bennington Country Bureau 334 Main Street Bennington VT 05201 Attn Peter Crabtree

3 The Advocate 413-458-5713 38 Spring Street PO Box 95 Williamstown MA 01267-0095

4 The Manchester Journal 802-362-2222 PO Box 569 Manchester Center VT 05255

5 The Associated Press 802-229-0577 PO Box 866 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Christopher Graff

6 United Press International 802-223-7201 PO Box 611 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Steve Bredice

A90-638txt C 1 ALLIANCE

8 Howard Sinnott SelectorPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

9 Richard Knapp Fire ChiefPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

10 David Woodin Police ChiefSouth Street Bennington VT 05201

11 Sharon Brush Health OfficerPO Box 469 Bennington VT 05201

12 Thomas Hobbel Health OfficerState Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

F Environmental Groups

1 Mt Anthony Preservation Society 700 Jefferson Heights Bennington VT 05201 Attn Cynthia Locklin President

2 Vermonters Organized for Cleanup co John Haugrud Route 7A Arlington VT 05250

3 Green Mountain Environmental Alliance PO Box 4081 St Johnsbury VT05819

G Citizen Groups

1 Mrs David Aldridge League of Women Voters North Bennington VT 05257

2 Garden Club Conservation Committee Harlan Road North Bennington VT 05257 Attn J Paul and Elsi Paris

A90-63Stxt A 5

802-442-1037

802-442-1037

802-442-1030

802-442-1037

802-447-2727

DALLIANCE

APPENDIX B

INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION

A Information Repository

1 Bennington Free Library Silver Street Bennington VT 05201

Contact Anita Gauthier 802-442-9051

Hours Monday 1000 am to 900 pm Tuesday 1000 am to 500 pm Wednesday 1000 am to 500 pm Thursday 100 pm to 900 pm Friday 1000 am to 500 pm Saturday 1000 am to 500 pm

B Suggested Meeting Location

1 Bennington District Court State Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

Contact Bernie Bourgois 802-447-2727 Capacity 50 - 80

B-l ft ALLIANCE

APPENDIX C

MEDIA CONTACTS

A Newspapers

1 The Bennington Banner 802-447-7567 PO Box 900 Bennington VT 05201 Attn Wendy Sevringhouse

Matt Kelly

2 The Rutland Herald 802-447-1505 Bennington Country Bureau 334 Main Street Bennington VT 05201 Attn Peter Crabtree

3 The Advocate 413-458-5713 38 Spring Street PO Box 95 Williamstown MA 01267-0095

4 The Manchester Journal 802-362-2222 PO Box 569 Manchester Center VT 05255

5 The Associated Press 802-229-0577 PO Box 866 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Christopher Graff

6 United Press International 802-223-7201 PO Box 611 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Steve Bredice

A90-638txt C 1 ALLIANCE

APPENDIX B

INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION

A Information Repository

1 Bennington Free Library Silver Street Bennington VT 05201

Contact Anita Gauthier 802-442-9051

Hours Monday 1000 am to 900 pm Tuesday 1000 am to 500 pm Wednesday 1000 am to 500 pm Thursday 100 pm to 900 pm Friday 1000 am to 500 pm Saturday 1000 am to 500 pm

B Suggested Meeting Location

1 Bennington District Court State Office Building Veterans Memorial Drive Bennington VT 05201

Contact Bernie Bourgois 802-447-2727 Capacity 50 - 80

B-l ft ALLIANCE

APPENDIX C

MEDIA CONTACTS

A Newspapers

1 The Bennington Banner 802-447-7567 PO Box 900 Bennington VT 05201 Attn Wendy Sevringhouse

Matt Kelly

2 The Rutland Herald 802-447-1505 Bennington Country Bureau 334 Main Street Bennington VT 05201 Attn Peter Crabtree

3 The Advocate 413-458-5713 38 Spring Street PO Box 95 Williamstown MA 01267-0095

4 The Manchester Journal 802-362-2222 PO Box 569 Manchester Center VT 05255

5 The Associated Press 802-229-0577 PO Box 866 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Christopher Graff

6 United Press International 802-223-7201 PO Box 611 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Steve Bredice

A90-638txt C 1 ALLIANCE

APPENDIX C

MEDIA CONTACTS

A Newspapers

1 The Bennington Banner 802-447-7567 PO Box 900 Bennington VT 05201 Attn Wendy Sevringhouse

Matt Kelly

2 The Rutland Herald 802-447-1505 Bennington Country Bureau 334 Main Street Bennington VT 05201 Attn Peter Crabtree

3 The Advocate 413-458-5713 38 Spring Street PO Box 95 Williamstown MA 01267-0095

4 The Manchester Journal 802-362-2222 PO Box 569 Manchester Center VT 05255

5 The Associated Press 802-229-0577 PO Box 866 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Christopher Graff

6 United Press International 802-223-7201 PO Box 611 Montpelier VT 05602 Attn Steve Bredice

A90-638txt C 1 ALLIANCE