The City retained Brown and Caldwell to conduct a review of potential environmental conditions related to the current proposed construction activities at the former Solitron Devices Inc. (Solitron) property located at 1177 Blue Heron Boulevard (Site).  The Site was historically used for the manufacture of electronic components for the defense and space industries.  The City’s objective is to determine whether the current proposed construction at the Site by Storage Rentals of America (SRoA) is adequately protective of human health and the environment.    

Manufacturing operations were initiated in 1960 by Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell) and the Site and business were sold to Solitron in 1965 who operated the Site until 1992 when they ceased operations and declared bankruptcy.  The Site was subsequently sold and redeveloped as a storage facility.  Environmental investigations began at the Site in 1985 and continued until the early 2000s under the oversight of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with assistance from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).  Based on the Site investigations, the primary Site contaminants identified in shallow (approximately 2 feet below ground surface) soil include arsenic and chromium and the primary Site contaminants identified in groundwater are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) consisting primarily of chlorobenzene, vinyl chloride, and benzene.  In 2009, Honeywell submitted a soil and groundwater Remedial Action Workplan (RAP) for the Site.  The proposed remedies included:

·   Construction and operation of a groundwater extraction and treatment system (GWTS), with injection of treated groundwater,

·   Excavation, removal, and off-Site transportation and disposal of arsenic and chromium contaminated shallow soil from a small area behind the North building (which is the current SRoA facility) where one shallow soil sample exceeded FDEP soil cleanup target levels (SCTLs), and

·   Monitored natural attenuation of groundwater contaminants outside the capture zone of the proposed GWTS. The RAP was approved by EPA and the excavation of arsenic and chromium-impacted soil from an approximate 20’x20’ by 2’ deep area behind the North building, now occupied by SRoA, was conducted in 2009.  Subsequent to completing the soil excavation, the property owner constructed an addition to the existing building over the remediated area.  A GWTS was designed and constructed in 2009 to remove VOCs from Site groundwater. The GWTS includes two groundwater extraction wells, and an air stripper, for groundwater treatment, that is housed in a small one-story building located on-Site.  Treated groundwater effluent is pumped from the air stripper to an injection well where it is injected into the underlying aquifer.  The GWTS continues to operate and has treated nearly 352 million gallons of groundwater since startup and VOC concentrations have been significantly reduced.  Currently, overall groundwater impacts across the Site are limited and relatively low in concentration indicating an overall stable to shrinking groundwater plume. Site contaminants currently reported above the applicable FDEP Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs) are limited to benzene, chlorobenzene, and vinyl chloride.