On August 18, 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 5 issued a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Administrative Order (AO) to Morton International, Inc. (Morton). Morton is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Rohm and Haas Co. and the owner and operator of a facility at 2000 West Street, Reading, Ohio. Available information regarding the operations, history, and environmental conditions at the Morton Facility is summarized in the "Facility Investigation Work Plan" prepared by Geomatrix and submitted to the USEPA in September 2000. The Facility Investigation Work Plan also describes implemented Interim Measures that address any potential immediate threat to human health and the environment. On February 13, 2001, Rohm and Haas received verbal conditional approval from the EPA on the Facility Investigation Work Plan. The Facility Investigation Work Plan will be available for public review at the Hamilton County Library in the City of Reading (after we receive the final approved copy from the EPA - anticipated 4/30/01). 

The stated basic objective of the Administrative Order is to "ascertain the nature and extent of the hazard posed by the hazardous wastes that are present at or that may have been released from the study areas at the Morton facility." Specific areas of suspected environmental impact are identified in the Administrative Order, these and additional areas are referenced in the Facility Investigation Work Plan. All areas referenced in the Work Plan will be addressed as part of Morton's effort to meet the basic Administrative Order objective. The Administrative Order requires Morton to meet this objective by June 1, 2002. In order to achieve this, Morton has commissioned Geomatrix to perform a Facility Investigation.

The Facility Investigation Work Plan describes a phased approach to meet the basic Administrative Order objective. The intent of the Work Plan is to address sampling locations, general field operating procedures, schedules, submittals and quality assurance requirements for all phases of work. The activities described in this Work Plan will be implemented beginning March 5, 2001.

Phase 1 - 2nd Quarter 2001

Upper Aquifer Stratigraphic Borings

Upper Aquifer Wells

Groundwater Sampling

Combined Sewer System Evaluation (Camera Survey)

Surface Geophysical Surveys

Mill Creek Reconnaissance

Existing Well Plug & Abandonment

Phase 2 - 3rd Quarter 2001

Direct Push Technology (DPT) Borings at Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and alleged Burial Areas

Borings or Trenches at Swale Anomalies

Supplemental Upper Aquifer Wells

Aquifer Testing

Sampling Along Mill Creek East Bank

Ecological Receptor Survey

Phase 3 - 4th Quarter 2001

Identify Human Receptors

Final Well Installation (If Necessary)

Final Groundwater Sampling

Fill Remaining Data Gaps

Phase 1, Chronology:

May, 2001 - Geomatrix completed their fourth work session (April 16th - April 25th) of Phase 1. During this work session the following tasks were completed: 

1. Completed Phase 1 monitoring well/well cluster installation and demobilized the drill rig. 
2. Began monitoring well development. 
3. Submitted Progress Report #1. 
4. Soil samples (with appropriate QC samples) collected from the stratigraphic borings and well installations were shipped to STL for geochemical and geotechnical analysis. 
5. Established reference points along Mill Creek to support future reconnaissance and sampling activities. 
6. Had aerial photograph flown to support accurate facility mapping. 

1. Complete Phase 1 monitoring well development. 
2. Perform monitoring well sampling. 
3. Perform plug and abandonment of designated existing monitoring wells. 
4. Perform land surveying of well, boring, and geophysical locations.