NORTH LITTLE ROCK— The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (E&E) received the air quality assessment report today from air monitoring conducted in the Tontitown area from April 28 to May 1, 2024.
CTEH, an independent environmental contractor retained by E&E, conducted daily analytical air sampling for volatile organic compound (VOCs) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at ten locations near the landfill and four additional locations further from the landfill to provide data on potential background concentrations. A full copy of CTEH’s report can be accessed at this link: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/downloads/files/proj-040650-adee-air-quality-assessment-final-report.pdf.
The report includes the following summary information. “… A review of the analytical air sampling results collected by CTEH from April 28 to May 1 noted detections of acrolein, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and naphthalene at concentrations above their respective USEPA Resident Air RSLs. No other detected VOCs exceeded their respective USEPA RSLs. There were no detections of H2S at sampling locations near the WM landfill or at background sampling locations. Benzene, acrolein, and carbon tetrachloride were detected in samples collected at locations upwind, crosswind, and downwind of the WM landfill site, based on local wind conditions during the sampling timeframe. These analytes were also detected at the four sampling locations selected by ADEE to represent background conditions in the region. Chloroform was detected in two analytical air samples collected at one crosswind location southwest of the WM landfill and naphthalene was detected in one sample collected at a background sampling location selected by ADEE.”
CTEH’s report reflects E&E’s ongoing effort to collect data and analyze the existence of VOCs in the Tontitown area. E&E will continue to review the results in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Health.
