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Page 2 <br /> excavated in 2005. Since that time no additional petroleum product has been stored or used in <br /> the tank excavation area. This means over 20 years have elapsed since petroleum products were <br /> released to the soil or ground water. In 2005, under the direction and at the behest of the <br /> SJCEHD, excavation of 1,308 tons of hydrocarbon-impacted soil and 326 tons of clean <br /> overburden were removed to a depth of 25 feet in the former UST area. Figure 2 depicts the area <br /> of the former UST and the excavation. <br /> As a result of this remedial activity, the groundwater contaminant concentrations on site were <br /> reduced by 98 to 99 percent. The remaining TPH diesel groundwater concentrations most <br /> recently reported were 3.5 mg/L in MW-3 and 1.5 mg/L in MW-4. Table 1 from the quarterly <br /> report is included for reference. <br /> 2. Vapor Intrusion <br /> Vapor intrusion is a potential pathway requiring evaluation to protect human health and prevent <br /> migration of vapors to building interiors. <br /> Screening for TPH subsurface mixtures for gasoline, middle distillates, and residual fuels were <br /> based primarily on nuisance odors rather than health concerns. See Table 1-2 of"Screening for <br /> Environmental Concerns at Sites with Contaminated Soil and Groundwater:" (California <br /> Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Region, November 1, 2007). A screening <br /> level of 5 mg/L was listed as a nuisance odor threshold for groundwater; however, a value of 50 <br /> mg/L was listed as the limit for this screening level. Odors are typically associated with the more <br /> volatile constituents of petroleum mixtures and these volatile constituents are represented by the <br /> shorter hydrocarbon chains. <br /> 3. TPH Characteristics <br /> Total petroleum hydrocarbons are a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic compounds with varying <br /> lengths of carbon chains. The physical properties of the TPH mixture vary according to the mass <br /> fractions of these various carbon compounds in the mixture. <br /> Table 2 presents the solubility, vapor pressure, and Henry's Law coefficient for various aliphatic <br /> and aromatic functions. As the carbon chain increases in length, the vapor pressure decreases. <br /> Vapor pressure is an important factor in determining the ability of a compound to migrate <br /> through soil in the pore spaces filled with air. <br /> As a hydrocarbon mixture ages, or "weathers", the lower molecular weight and more volatile <br /> constituents are degraded. Figure 3 depicts the chromatograms of fresh and weathered gasoline <br /> and diesel, which clearly shows the loss of lower end or more volatile constituents. <br /> Chromatograms of TPH samples from MW-3 and MW-4 were reviewed and compared to the <br /> TPH diesel standard to evaluate the general composition of the residual remaining on site. It is <br /> evident in comparing the chromatograms of MW-3 and MW-4 to the TPH diesel standard that the <br /> higher boiling point, or lower volatility compounds, remain at the site. These lower volatility <br /> compounds have limited migration potential as their octanol partition coefficient is high, <br /> indicating greater adsorption to soils. <br /> A sample was collected on May 9,2008 to assess the mass fraction of the various carbon chains <br /> in groundwater associated with MW-3 and MW-4. Table 3 summarizes the mass fraction of the <br /> aliphatic and aromatic compounds in these two monitoring wells. The primary hydrocarbon <br /> R:\CONTGRAN\Stockton\2008 Correspondence\ltr to H Knoll 061108 Rev 7-21-08.doc <br />