Former Remco Hydraulics Facility

The Former Remco Hydraulics Facility (Facility) at 934 S. Main Street is an elongated, fenced parcel of approximately seven acres, located immediately adjacent to and west of U.S. Highway 101 (Main Street) in the southern portion of the City of Willits. The original Facility building was constructed on the property in 1945. A growing industrial machining and manufacturing business was operated under numerous owners at the Remco Facility from approximately 1945 until 1995. Chrome plating operations were conducted between approximately 1963 and 1995. The last owners, Remco Hydraulics, Inc. and its parent company, MC Industries, both declared bankruptcy in 1995 and the Facility was closed in 1996. As of August 22, 1997, the Final Consent Decree established the current owner of the facility, the Willits Trust, to investigate and remediate the Site. So far, over 821 soil, 2,929 groundwater, and 109 air samples have been collected while investigating this Site and multiple remedial actions have been completed. Further information regarding these activities can be found on the Document Depository.

The primary chemicals detected at the Remco Site are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hexavalent chromium. In addition, other metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were detected in on a more limited basis at the Remco Facility.

During the rainy season, the Facility storm water system collects and channels runoff into a system of catch basins and underground storm-drain pipes that carry the water to the northeast corner of the Facility, where it enters the City of Willits’ storm-drain system and discharges to Baechtel Creek. The raised railroad tracks to the south of the Facility prevent water from flowing onto the Facility from the south and form the South Drainage Ditch, which acts as a small stream during the rains.

Three groundwater-bearing zones have been identified at the Site and are referred to, from shallowest to deepest, as the A-, B- and C-Zones. Each of these zones flows generally toward the northeast. In most locations investigated, fine grained low-permeability soil exists between the aquifers, limiting groundwater movement between the zones.

Definitions:

The term Site includes the Remco Facility and the surrounding area which may have been or may become affected by Hazardous Substances emanating from the Remco Facility

Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are organic chemicals that easily vaporize at room temperature. They are called organic because they contain the element carbon in their molecular structures. VOCs include a very wide range of individual substances, such as hydrocarbons (for example benzene and toluene), halocarbons and oxygenates. VOCs detected at the Site include PCE, TCE and 1,1,1-TCA, among others.

Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, animals, plants, and soil. It is present in the environment in several different forms that are named according to their electrical charge. The most common forms are chromium(0), chromium(III), and chromium(VI). Chromium (VI), also known as hexavalent chromium, is believed to be a carcinogen and can also irritate living tissue.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage, or other organic substances, including tobacco and charbroiled meat. There are more than 100 different PAHs that generally occur as complex mixtures (for example, as part of combustion products such as soot), and can also be found in substances such as crude oil, coal, coal tar pitch, creosote, and roofing tar. They are found throughout the environment in the air, water, and soil. They can occur in the air, either attached to dust particles or as solids in soil or sediment. Common PAHs include anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are mixtures of individual chemicals which are no longer produced in the United States, but are still found in the environment. There are no known natural sources of PCBs. PCBs (also referred to by their trade name Aroclor) have been used as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical equipment because they don't burn easily and are good insulators. The manufacture of PCBs was stopped in the U.S. in 1977 because of evidence they build up in the environment and can cause harmful health effects. Products made before 1977 that may contain PCBs include old fluorescent lighting fixtures and electrical devices containing PCB capacitors, and old microscope and hydraulic oils.