Human Health Risk Assessment Report Brings New Terminal Closer

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At this morning’s Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority meeting, the Authority Commission authorized the finalization and submission of the Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region; the State Office of Environmental Human Hazard Assessment; and the City of Burbank. Finalization and submission of the HHRA to the designated agencies is one of the steps in the replacement passenger terminal process and follows the Airport Authority’s submission of the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to the Federal Aviation Administration on June 30.

The HHRA was prepared by Geosyntec Consultants, Inc., for a portion of the Lockheed Plant B-6 site commonly known as the Adjacent Property, which is the preferred site for the replacement passenger terminal project. Geosyntec has summarized its findings and stated that: “The Adjacent Property is compatible for the construction of and operation of a replacement passenger terminal and associated facilities.”

The HHRA is based on the results of soil and soil gas sampling services on the Adjacent Property, was performed by EFI Global, Inc. under a contract awarded by the Commission on February 6, 2017. EFI Global conducted the sampling work in February and March, analyzing 74 soil samples and 137 soil vapor samples. EFI Global’s sampling work was conducted pursuant to a work plan approved by representatives of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. The sampling was designed to cover an extensive range of locations from four principal areas: the Desmond leasehold in the north, the unpaved central portion of the property, the employee lot, and the Lot A parking location to the southern portion of the Adjacent Property (designated as “Lot A East” on the attached map). Two accredited environmental laboratories analyzed the samples and EFI Global prepared a 12,700-page summary report, including all laboratory reports, boring logs, chain-of-custody documents and waste disposal manifests.

The HHRA utilizes risk screening levels to calculate the potential health risks to two types of individuals: construction contractor employees building the proposed project and future employees at the replacement passenger terminal, including vendor employees, Transportation Security Administration staff and others. Risk screening levels determine whether the risk posed by chemicals detected in the environment is at a de minimis level or is at a level that would require a more detailed site-specific review.

Based upon standard screening levels published by both the California Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Geosyntec has concluded that the calculated cancer risks and noncancer hazard indexes are at or below the de minimis level for construction workers and Airport workers. Because the calculated cancer risk and noncancer hazard indexes are below de minimis levels for full-time Airport workers, Geosyntec’s report concludes that “the risk and hazard to an occasional Airport visitor would also be below de minimis levels.”

Geosyntec has also recommended that the Authority implement a Soil Management Plan to minimize soil and dust exposure to both the construction workers and to neighboring property owners and users. The Authority has already committed to implementing a Soil Management Plan as part of project design features contained in the Final Environmental Impact Report and the Development Agreement for the replacement passenger terminal project, and Geosyntec can assist in recommending specific measures to further reduce exposure during the construction phase. This recommendation is not based upon a particular risk level, but rather is intended as a further proactive measure to further reduce potential exposures during the construction process.

The HHRA is now available to the public on the Airport’s replacement passenger terminal website, BURreplacementterminal.com. If the agencies to whom the HHRA is submitted request minor revisions, such as additional tables for data display, a modified HHRA will be provided to the City of Burbank and be made available on the replacement passenger terminal website for public inspection.

EFI Global analyzed 74 soil samples and 137 soil vapor samples from a variety of locations across four
principal areas: the Desmond Leasehold, the Unpaved Central Area,
the Employee Lot/Lot A West and Lot A East.
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