Environment and Conservation Provides Update on Liberty Creek
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) would like to provide an update to residents of the City of Franklin on the activities related to the contamination issues in Liberty Creek.
Egyptian Lacquer has reported to the Department of Environment and Conservation that a leak detection test conducted on Tues., Feb. 13, on the toluene line running from its above ground toluene tank into the production facility indicated the line was leaking. Egyptian Lacquer has agreed to stop using any of the underground lines at its facility and will begin work today to purge and dry the lines in preparation for removing them and conducting soil sampling to confirm the results of the leak detection test. The company will also submit a work plan to fully assess the extent of solvent contamination and develop a plan for environmental cleanup.
The company is in the process of developing a health and safety plan to ensure no exposure risk to workers and manage the soils on site. The Department of Environment and Conservation will continue to oversee the investigation and will have staff on site as the lines are removed and soil samples are taken.
Issue Background:
In January, the presence of solvent-type chemicals was confirmed in water and air sampling conducted by the City of Franklin and the Department of Environment and Conservation that is impacting an area along an approximately 500-foot section of Liberty Creek just before it runs into the Harpeth River.
The predominant contaminants that were found are acetone and toluene. Acetone is commonly used to make plastics and fibers and has many other uses including finger nail polish remover. Toluene is commonly found in paints, paint thinners and finger nail polish. The chemical levels found in the water and air have been compared to levels established by the federal government and are not considered harmful to anyone’s health.
It is unknown how long the chemicals have been releasing into this small section of the creek, but it is believed they have been reaching the creek through underground flow since no pipes, ditches or other drainage ways have been found. The department has worked as quickly as possible to identify and address the source of the release.
Last week, changes in the stream flow of Liberty Creek made it possible to observe and gain access to several seeps along the bank in a way that was not possible in mid-January and activities were initiated to contain and remove as much of the product impacting the creek as possible. This work continues this week.
As a precaution, TDEC continues to advise people to avoid the stream channel and to stay out of the way of the workers involved in the containment and recovery activities.
The emergency contract workers at the site have been continuously sampling air quality for worker safety and their monitoring shows the levels of contaminants in the air decrease significantly from within the stream channel to the creek’s bank. Since the vapors are dissipating quickly moving away from the stream channel, there is still no evidence of harmful levels in the outdoor air. Air monitoring is continuing, however, and the Department of Environment and Conservation is coordinating closely with Tennessee Department of Health.
The odors associated with the vapors can be annoying or cause headaches, so TDEC advises avoiding the creek area to avoid this source of irritation.
There have been no reports of odors originating from confined indoor areas such as basements and crawl spaces. On Friday, TDEC conducted indoor air sampling in the basements and crawl spaces of 15 homes on Daniels Court near the creek and did not detect any readings for the chemicals.
For questions specifically concerning health, please contact the Tennessee Department of Health at (615) 741-7247 and ask for the Environmental Epidemiology Program.
For more information contact:
Dana Coleman
Office (615) 253-1916