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'..✓ <br /> Mr.Michael J.Infurna,Jr.—San Joaquin County Public Health Services—Environmental Health Division <br /> November 7,2002 <br /> observation of only a partial breakdown of MtBE to TBA is seen. Further degradation <br /> parameters were not reviewed or analyzed. This process, given the available data, would <br /> best describe the observed mass balance transfer from MtBE to TBA seen at the site. <br /> The EHD presents an alternative explanation for the observed changes in contaminant <br /> concentrations. The EHD presupposes an ongoing release at the site below tank test <br /> minimum release rates. GR disagrees with the EHD supposition based on the following: <br /> 1)Tosco has not distributed fuel containing MtBE in Northern California since January 1, <br /> 2001 (a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet for unleaded gasoline is attached); 2) <br /> Tosco does not and has not utilized TBA as a fuel additive; 3) According to personal <br /> communication between Tosco and BP, who occupied the site prior to Tosco, BP did <br /> not/does not utilize TBA as a fuel additive; 4) The USTs and product piping at the site <br /> are composed of double walled fiberglass with interstitial monitoring devices in place. <br /> No alarm conditions have been experienced which would indicate a leaking tank or pipe; <br /> 5) The Santa Clara Valley Water District report which concluded that new double wall <br /> tanks leak referred only to vapor leaks of MtBE. As stated previously, Tosco fuel has not <br /> contained MtBE for the past 21 months, and concentrations of dissolved MtBE in <br /> groundwater at the site have been steadily decreasing. Additionally, Tosco now uses <br /> ethanol as an oxygenate additive in their fuel, If a new release had occurred, it would <br /> have been detected by interstitial alarms, or by an increase in ethanol concentrations in <br /> groundwater, a condition which has not been observed at the site. Ethanol has never been <br /> detected in groundwater samples collected from the site; 6) Laboratory analysis for TBA <br /> has only been performed since December of 2000, it is possible that TBA has been <br /> generated by the breakdown of MtBE over a long period of time, which has only recently <br /> been observed due to Tosco analyzing groundwater for TBA. <br /> The EHD has required that a full scan 8260 be performed on groundwater samples from <br /> wells MW-3 and MW-7, in order to determine if MtBE degredation products are present <br /> in groundwater. GR will analyze groundwater samples collected from MW-3 and MW-7 <br /> for full scan 8260B during the next scheduled quarterly monitoring event. <br /> WORK PLAN MODIFICATIONS <br /> As requested by the EHD, GR is providing notification of proposed modification to the <br /> Work Plan included in GR's Updated CAP (July 8, 2002). GR still intends to install a <br /> 10-point ozone sparge remediation system as an interim action to address hydrocarbon <br /> impact in the first encountered aquifer. As a standard procedure, GR will collect <br /> groundwater samples from at least two monitoring wells on a monthly basis during the <br /> routine operation and maintenance (O&M)visits to track the system progress. These data <br /> will be included in the Quarterly Monitoring and Sampling Reports as requested by the <br /> EHD. Additionally, GR proposes to install two shallow groundwater monitoring wells <br /> onsite, one of which was proposed in the July 8, 2002 Work Plan, and a second to replace <br /> abandoned well MW-2. The locations of the proposed ozone sparge points and <br /> monitoring wells are presented on the attached Figure 2. GR and Tosco wish to postpone <br /> the installation of the deep monitoring wells at this time, as allowed by the EHD in their <br /> 140245.08 3 <br />