United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region III
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

EPA has been performing an emergency removal action at this site which has primarily involved the stabilization, repackaging, transportation, and removal of hazardous magnesium materials and other solid wastes from the facility.  EPA completed repackaging abandoned magnesium materials that have been stored in drums that have succumbed to varying degrees of corrosion.  The repackaged materials are staged inside site buildings pending removal from the site.  Areas of the site including open pad areas, low areas and drainage ways have been cleared of residual wastes that had spilled when the facility was operating. Low-level radioactive solids, and miscellaneous waste material have been packaged and shipped off site for disposal. Lime was removed from eight large vertical vats located on the west and south side of building 2. The lime was neutralized and shipped off site for disposal.  Current activities at the Site are focused on the transportation of re-packaged magnesium material to off-site recycling and disposal facilities.  PADEP is overseeing site activities for the state and providing support.  EPA START contractor TechLaw is providing technical and administrative support to the EPA.  EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site as well as coordinate activities with the various generators and disposal contractors.

Personnel On-Scene:    
01/19/09 EPA-0,START-1, ERRS-9, Other-3, Security-1 (24 hr)
01/20/09 EPA-2 START-1, ERRS-9, PADEP-2 Other-3, Security-1 (24 hr)
01/21/09 EPA-2, START-1, ERRS-9, PADEP-0 Other-2 Security-1 (24 hr)
01/22/09 EPA-3 START-1, ERRS-6, Other-4, PADEP-1, Security-1 (24 hr)


Weather:
01/19/09  Low of 00° F, high of 17° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 3-8 mph.
01/20/09  Low of 06° F, high of 19° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 2-12 mph
01/21/09  Low of 00° F, high of 20° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 4-14 mph
01/22/09  Low of 17° F, high of 24° F, partly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 5-12 mph


01/19/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.

ERRS loaded one truck with drums of hazardous magnesium scrap material that were inspected and classified by Capitol, Inc.  The truck was loaded with 88 drums (36,652 lbs) of water-reactive magnesium alloys and magnesium oxides that were transported to U.S. Ecology Idaho, Inc. to be disposed by landfill.

ERRS continued to reduce and segregate the debris and pallet piles on site for disposal.  A backhoe was used to move the materials to the rolloff boxes.  The backhoe developed a flat over the weekend.  ERRS had it repaired this date.

START provided technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, drum inspection, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation.

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01/20/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.

ERRS loaded the final truck with drums of hazardous magnesium scrap material that were inspected and classified by Capitol, Inc.  The truck was loaded with 78 drums (29,922 lbs) of water-reactive magnesium alloys and magnesium oxides that were transported to U.S. Ecology Idaho, Inc. to be disposed by treatment and landfilling.  This was the last of the magnesium drums to be transported off-site to a disposal facility.

ERRS continued to reduce and segregate the debris and pallet piles on site for disposal.  A backhoe was used to move the materials to the rolloff boxes.  A handle blew off of a shower unit in building 7 causing water to blow out.  ERRS found and turned the shut-off valve.

OSC’s Downie and Easton were on site to oversee operations.

PADEP Representatives Mary Hoffman and Kevin Jordon were onsite to assist with oversight

START provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, drum inspection, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation.

01/21/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.

ERRS completed removal of the debris and pallet piles.  By C.O.B. a total of 12 rolloffs of wood debris and 14 rolloffs of trash had been removed from the site to date.

OSC Downie contacted EPA Section Chief Burns and ATSDR regarding moving ahead with removal of elevated concentrations of arsenic and lead (Pb) in soil.  The OSC determined that the concrete/rebar debris pile from the former furnace building would need to have the fines segregated and the pile moved due to elevated lead (Pb) and arsenic in that area.  Further sampling and XRF work will be needed to further delineate hot spot areas.

OSCs Downie and Easton conducted a walkthrough of the office structure in building 9 and found no signs of forced entry or vandalism or damage outside of the fiberglass damage caused by raccoons earlier in the year.

START provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation.

01/22/09    
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.

PADEP Hoffman arrived on site and met with OSCs Downie and Easton.  

Taylor Township Fire Chief (D. Allegro) arrived on site and met with OSC Downie.

All personnel began standing down from operations.  Building 7 utility services and site security were transferred/picked up by Lawrence County.  Materials and supplies were secured for demobilization.  Phone and internet services were terminated.  All site files and equipment were removed from site.  Site control was relinquished to Lawrence County.

All personnel demobilized by C.O.B.

The OSC anticipates mobilization on 2/3/09 to address the rubble pile located south of building 9 and in the area of elevated lead (Pb) and arsenic.

None