Polution Situation Report

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Sparrows Point Offshore - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region III

Subject:

POLREP #2
Continued investigation of Sediment Contamination
Sparrows Point Offshore
03VC
Sparrows Point, MD
Latitude: 39.2192750 Longitude: -76.4760724

To:

From:

Gregory Ham, On Scene Coordinator

Date:

4/13/2017

Reporting Period:

Through 4/12/2017

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:		Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	CERCLA	Response Type:	Non-Time-Critical
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:	Removal Assessment
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:		Start Date:	3/24/2015
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:	03vc	RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:		Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

EPA is initiating a removal assessment at this site. For the northwest offshore area, EPA will be evaluating assessment work prepared by a contractor for the Sparrows Point Environmental Trust. Based on the results of that assessment, EPA will determine if a removal action is needed. EPA is currently working on an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis for the north west area. For the Southeast offshore area, EPA is conducting a removal assessment to determine if a removal action is needed
.
1.1.2 Site Description

The Sparrows Point Facility (SPF) is located on an approximately 3,100 acre peninsula reaching into Baltimore Harbor. More than 100 years of steelmaking and related activities has resulted in SPF and some offshore areas being contaminated. In 1997, EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) entered into a Consent Decree (CD) under inter alia, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state law with then owner, Bethlehem Steel Corporation (BSC). The CD required, among other things, a Site Wide Investigation; implementation of interim measures; and a Corrective Measure Study. However, Bethlehem Steel filed for bankruptcy, and the property went through a succession of owners. During that time a court ruled that a successive owner was not liable for the offshore contamination. Although the EPA RCRA program is overseeing the cleanup of the onshore facility, the offshore portion of the work has been deferred to the Superfund program. Therefore, the Removal program is assessing the offshore sediments at the site to determine if a removal action is needed.

1.1.2.1 Location

    Sparrows Point, Baltimore, MD

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

    Contaminants being evaluated include oil and grease, metals, PAHs, and PCBs.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

     There is an area at the mouth of the Tin Mill Canal that does contain elevated levels of a number of contaminants, including metals, oil and grease, and PCBs. For the south east area, one round of sampling has been conducted. Much lower levels of metals were noted in this area, and no PCB or oil and grease contamination was identified.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

Work is ongoing in the Northwest area, and a second round of sampling will be conducted soon in the Southeast area.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

EPA has tasked a contractor to develop an EE/CA for the north west area and is actively overseeing this effort.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

*Waste Stream*	*Medium*	*Quantity*	*Manifest #*	*Treatment*	*Disposal*

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

For the Northwest area, completion of an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis to provide a basis for selection of a removal action.

For the Southeast area, continued assessment of sediment contamination.

2.3 Logistics Section