EPA to Begin Air Sampling at the Capital City Plume Site in Montgomery, AL (AL)
(Atlanta, Ga. – August 12, 2011)
As a part of the remedial investigation
for the Capital City Plume site, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) will begin collecting air samples during the week of
August 15, 2011. Samples will be collected at various locations,
including the former Montgomery Advertiser building located at 101 South Lawrence Street to determine if
perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) vapors are
present.
The U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) and EPA will also sample other indoor and outdoor locations
nearby. EPA will establish a permanent, long-term soil-gas sampling
network in areas where vapors are detected. A permanent sampling
network is necessary to observe how changes in environmental
parameters affect PCE and TCE vapors. The sampling locations are in
the area of Dexter and Washington Avenue.
The air samples are being
collected to determine whether hazardous vapors are being released
from the ground into buildings. When PCE and TCE are spilled on the
ground, they can soak into soil and ground water. Vapor intrusion
occurs when PCE and TCE vapors from the ground water rise through
the soil and seep through cracks in basements and building
foundations.
For more information about the site,
please visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-epa-region-4-southeast