The Valley Drive Abandoned Slurry Site is located at 185 West Valley Drive, Kalispell, Montana.  This Removal Action involves the cleanup and proper disposal of hydrocarbon waste and debris at a private property in Kalispell, Montana.  The waste contains numerous Polynuclear Aromatic Compounds (PAHs); ethylbenzene, xylene, and napthalene. The Site was identified through a report by a private citizen to the National Response Center (NRC) and has been the subject of attempts by both Flathead County and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to compel cleanup by the property owner.  Conditions at the Site present a threat to public health and the environment and meet the criteria for initiating a removal action under 40 CFR § 300.415(b) of the National Contingency Plan (NCP).   In July 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested access to inspect and conduct cleanup activities on-site.  However, this request was denied by the property owner.  As a result, the EPA, via the Department of Justice (DOJ), sought a Warrant for Access through the Federal District Court for the District of Montana.  The Court issued the requested warrant on September 7, 2022 and EPA mobilized to the Site on September 15, 2022. The warrant expires on November 30, 2022. 

• Always watch out for yourself and the coworkers/public around you.
• Always protect yourself, coworkers and public from exposure to contaminants.
• Prevent contamination from spreading beyond work area.
• Discuss site conditions daily.
• Conduct daily safety checks on equipment and general site conditions.
• Remove, mark or remedy hazards when you see them. Notify OSC of all hazards.

The following are the Objectives for the Operational Period #1, September 15 to September 24, 2022:

1. Mobilize response team on September 15, 2022.
2. Mobilize equipment as needed beginning on September 15, 2022.
3. Clear debris and trash from property.
4. Ship debris and trash off-site for proper disposal.
5. Construct solidification pit.
6. Obtain sawdust to be used as stabilization agent.
7. Begin opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
8. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
9. Begin shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
10. Begin cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
11. Begin shipping scrapped tanks for recycling.

The following are the current activities being conducted for the Operational Period #1, September 15-24, 2022:

1. Completed the mobilization of equipment and personnel
2. The Site was cleared of trash and debris by September 17, 2022.
3. The stabilization pit was completed and bedded with sawdust by September 17, 2022.
4. Sawdust delivery started on September 16, 2022.
5. Tank work began on September 19, 2022. As of September 24, 2022, five tanks have been emptied and disassembled.
6. The hydrocarbon waste from the emptied tanks has been stabilized.
7. One roll-off box (approximately 10 yds³) of solidified waste was shipped off-site on September 23, 2022.
8. Two roll-off box (approximately 60 yds³) of steel was sent off-site for recycling.
9. The ERRS crews continue to process tanks.

For Operational Period #2, September 26 to October 1, 2022 the following activities are planned:

1. Keep a supply of sawdust to be used as stabilization agent.
2. Continue the opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
3. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
4. Continue shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
5. Continue cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
6. Continue shipping scrapped tanks for recycling.

The following were the Objectives for the Operational Period #2, September 26 to October 01, 2022:

1. Keep a supply of sawdust onsite to be used as stabilization agent.
2. Continue the opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
3. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
4. Continue shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
5. Continue cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
6. Continue shipping scrapped metal from tanks for recycling.

The following are the activities completed during Operational Period #2, September 26-October 01, 2022:

1. 80 yds3 of sawdust was delivered to the Site.

2. Tanks #6 thru #8 were drained and disassembled.

3. Work on draining and disassembling tank #9 was started.

4. All drained hydrocarbon waste has been stabilized (approximately 27,000 gallons).

5.  11 roll-off boxes of stabilized hydrocarbon waste were shipped off-site for disposal. This totaled 115 tons of waste for the period, and 125 tons to date.

6.  2 roll-off boxes of scrap metal were shipped off-site for recycling.  This totaled 60 yds3 for the period, and 120 yds3 to date.

For Operational Period #3, October 3-8, 2022 the following activities are planned:

1. Keep a supply of sawdust onsite to be used as stabilization agent.
2. Continue the opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
3. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
4. Continue shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
5. Continue cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
6. Continue shipping scrapped tanks for recycling.
7. Procure appropriate native grass seed mix for revegetation.
8. Procure 2 more dump trucks to be used for additional waste hauling.

The following were the Objectives for the Operational Period #3; October 03-08, 2022

1. Keep a supply of sawdust onsite to be used as stabilization agent.
2. Continue the opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
3. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
4. Continue shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
5. Continue cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
6. Continue shipping scrapped tanks for recycling.
7. Procure appropriate native grass seed mix for revegetation.
8. Procure 2 dump trucks to be used for additional waste hauling.

The following are the activities completed during Operational Period #3; October 03-08, 2022:

1. 60 yds3 of sawdust was delivered to the Site.

2. Tanks #9 thru #12 were drained and disassembled.

3. Work on draining and disassembling tank #13 was started.

4. All drained hydrocarbon waste has been stabilized (approximately 45,000 gallons).

5. 10 roll-off boxes  and 13 dump truck loads of stabilized hydrocarbon waste were shipped off-site for disposal. This totaled 208.01 tons of waste for the period, and 323.01 tons to date.

6.  2 roll-off boxes of scrap metal were shipped off-site for recycling.  This totaled 60 yds3 for the period, and 180 yds3 to date.

1. Keep a supply of sawdust to be used as stabilization agent.
2. Continue the opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
   1. Continue working on Tank #13
   2. Start working on Tank #14.
3. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
4. Continue shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
5. Continue cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
6. Continue shipping scrapped tanks for recycling.
7. Continue using dump trucks for hauling waste and sawdust.

The following were the Objectives for the Operational Period #4; October 10-15, 2022:

1. Keep a supply of sawdust to be used as stabilization agent.
2. Continue the opening and draining hydrocarbon waste from tanks.
   1. Continue working on Tank #13
   2. Start working on Tank #14.
3. Solidify/stabilize drained hydrocarbon waste.
4. Continue shipping solidified hydrocarbon waste off-site for proper disposal.
5. Continue cutting and sizing tanks for scrap metal recycling.
6. Continue shipping scrapped tanks for recycling.
7. Continue using dump trucks for hauling waste and sawdust.

The following are the activities completed during Operational Period #4; October 10-15, 2022:

1. 130 cubic yards of sawdust have been delivered to the Site.

2. Tank #13 was drained of hydrocarbon waste (approximately 15,000 gallons) and disassembled.

3. Tank #14 was opened on October 12, 2022 and is being drained of hydrocarbon waste.  Work on disassembling tank #14 is underway. 

4. 10 roll-off boxes and 14 dump truck loads of stabilized hydrocarbon waste were shipped off-site for disposal. This totaled approximately 230 tons of waste for the period, and approximately 544 tons to date.

5. No steel was shipped off-site this period. A total of 180 cubic yards of steel has been shipped to date.

6. Solidification Pit #1 has been closed, backfilled, and prepped for final grading.

For Operational Period #5, October 17-22, 2022 the following activities are planned:

1.  Finish draining Tank #14.

2.  Finish disassembling Tank #14.

3.  Continue shipping stabilized hydrocarbon waste off-site.

4.  Begin decontaminating and demobilizing Site equipment as appropriate.

5.  Conduct final removal soil sampling

6.  Begin Site restoration.

The following are the objectives for Operational Period #5; October 17-22, 2022:

1. Completely drain and disassemble tank 14.
2. Solidify/stabilize all of the drained hydrocarbon waste.
3. Properly dispose of all of the solidified hydrocarbon waste.
4. Haul all of the remaining scrap metal for recycling.
5. Complete grading of soil to promote proper precipitation drainage.
6. Seed the graded soil for revegetation.
7. Conduct post removal soil sampling.
8. Decontaminate and demobilize site equipment and personnel. 

The following are the activities completed during Operational Period #5; October 17-22, 2022:

1. Tank 14 has been completely drained of all hydrocarbon waste (approximately 20,000 gallons) and completely disassembled.
2. Two roll-off boxes and five dump truck loads of stabilized hydrocarbon waste were hauled off-site for disposal. This totaled approximately 76 tons of waste for this period and approximately 586 tons to date. 
3. Three roll-off boxes of scrap metal were hauled off-site for recycling. This totaled approximately 90 cubic yards for the period, and 270 cubic yards to date.
4. All hydrocarbon waste on the site has been solidified and properly disposed of.
5. All scrap metal from all 14 tanks has been hauled off site to be recycled.
6. The ground surface has been graded to promote proper precipitation drainage.
7. The graded soil has been seeded for revegetation.
8. Post removal soil sampling has been completed.
9. Site equipment has been decontaminated and demobilized. 
10. EPA and ERRS crew has been demobilized.