Unit 4 Science DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 4 Science DB - Essay Example This list serves as guide for EPA determining which sites warrant further investigation. It was painfully surprising to know that even Florida is also having as many as 49 such sites. Though, with EPA’s efforts, 21 sites have already been cleaned up.One such site in our nearby was BMI-Textron with EPA ID as FLD052172954. It is situated at 1211, Silver Beach Road in the Tri-City Industrial Park, Lake Park, Florida. It was proposed in NCL list on 06/24/88 and it was deleted from it on 11/18/04 after cleanup. BMI-Textron (BMIT) was in business of making of chrome backed glass plates, used for manufacture of electronic components. Materials and chemicals that were used for this product included cerium oxide, ceric ammonium nitrate, chromium, acetone, potassium ferrocyanide and possibly fluoride (EVA website). Various processes of manufacturing operation like chromium stripping operations, glass cleaning, coating, polishing, rinse waters and reverse osmosis water purification etc., generated liquid wastes. These wastes were disposed of on site. Initially BMIT used percolation ponds under a Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) permit for disposing of cyanide wastes and later installed additional drain field to dispose of wastewater from a Reverse Osmosis plant. As per terms of FDER permit four wells were constructed on site to monitor permit compliance. A monthly report of sample was also to be taken. One monthly report of sampling data showed higher than permitted standards for nitrate, total dissolved solids and pH. Accordingly in 1983, FDEP issued a violation notice BMIT. Later investigations determined concentrations of arsenic, cyanide, fluoride, and sodium contamination in the soil and groundwater. It was affecting approximately 106,000 people in Lake Park, Riviera B each, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Shores, and Palm Beach Gardens. These contaminations can