EPA is continuing emergency removal actions at this site during the repackaging, transportation, and removal of flammable magnesium materials. Magnesium generators, who previously supplied Remacor with recyclable magnesium and magnesium alloys, are removing their materials from the site. Winters Performance Products, Inc. has plans to be on site the last week of November or the first week of December to begin shipping their material. MJ Metals of Bridgeport, CT, is coordinating with the EPA to be on site for drum identification and count in November. AIM has resumed shipping their material to Magpro, Camden, TN and wants to have their material off site no later than the end of November.
EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) has moved its operation to burn pile 2 & 3. Before reacting the material in the reaction pit GES has to empty drums from the piles which may contain material that may not have been reacted. PADEP is providing technical and oversight support at the site. EPA START contractor TechLaw is providing technical and administrative support to EPA. EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site in addition to coordinating the activities of the various generators.
Personnel On-Scene:
11/08/07 EPA-2, PADEP-1, START-2, ERRS-8, AIM-2, AmeriGas-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
11/09/07 EPA-2, PADEP-1, START-2, ERRS-8, AIM-3, Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
Weather:
11/08/07 Low of 33° F, high of 40° F. Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind WSW 10 mph.
11/09/07 Low of 32° F, high of 38° F. Light Snow, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind W 3-11 mph.
11/08/07
EPA’s OSC Jack Downie maintained a presence on site for oversight and site entrance. OSC Downie also had a planned meeting with PADEP, Taylor Township, and a potential buyer for the site. A possible time frame for Completion of cleanup and an Extent of Contamination Report completion date for the Remacor site were the focal points of the meeting. PADEP was represented by Environmental Group Manager Gary Mechtly, Local Government Liaison Jennifer Mongera, and Site Lead for the State Mariruth Hoffman. The township was represented by Township Supervisor Dave Allegro. The potential buyer (Pennahol) had 3 representatives present Gabe Cilli, Mark McClymonds and Ed McCready.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA, ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS began segregating drums from burn pile #2 and emptying the contents of the drums onto Slab #3. The contents of 1 of the drums, when emptied, began to smolder and caught fire due to the moisture from the rain the night before. The fire was contained on Slab #3 and allowed to burn to completion. ERRS is emptying small quantities at a time due to the potential threat of a violent reaction of the material inside the drums that was not reacted during the original fire which occurred in 2005. Some of the drums are still lidded and the contents are unknown and intact. These drums could potentially pose a danger when opened and exposed to the elements. ERRS is using a excavator with a claw bucket to open the drums to keep personnel from having to get to close to the material since the contents and their reactions are not known. The fire is the 7th fire on site since the emergency EPA activation at Remacor. These fires, some of which were also accompanied by explosions, stress the need for the cleanup of hazardous and reactive materials at the site.
The TWA for Data Ram #1 was 26.9 ug/m3, Data Ram #2s TWA was 22.9 ug/m3, and the PDR’s TWA was 0.007 mg/m3. The OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 is 15 mg/m3 TWA.
START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
11/09/07
American Iron & Metals (AIM) subcontractor was on site to ship 1loads of AIM material. The load consisted of 33 drums in over-packs with an estimated weight of 15,000 pounds. The load was transported by Von Roll America, Inc, East Liverpool,OH and consigned to Von Roll America, Inc.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS completed burn pile #1 and will be moving to burn pile #2 on 11/08/07. All material from burn pile #1 has been sifted and reacted and is being moved to the holding area east of DeOxSulf building. The area where burn pile #1 was located has been cleaned and will be used to spread out the more volatile material in burn pile #2.
The TWA of Data Ram #1 was 35.2, Data Ram #2s TWA was 33.0 ug/m3, and the PDR’s TWA was 0.009 mg/m3. The OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 is 15 mg/m3 TWA.
START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
American Iron & Metal (AIM) plans to ship its last load (over-packs) off site the week of 11/12/07.
Intermet has submitted a tentative schedule to resume shipping by 12/01/07 and complete the task by 01/30/08.
Winter Performance Products, Inc’s tentative schedule is to begin shipment of its product off site the 3rd week in November.
SPX Contech also has a tentative schedule to begin shipment of its product off site the 3rd week of November.
MJ Metals (generator) has plans to be on site the week of 11/12/07 to repackage its material for transport off site.
EPA START contractor TechLaw, Inc. is presently preparing a comprehensive sampling plan and plans to begin sampling the last week two weeks of November.
EPA will continue to coordinate with magnesium waste generators for the safe and appropriate removal of the material from the site. EPA will continue to coordinate with all local, state, and federal agencies.
There are approximately 15 fire debris piles located on slab #3 that constitute the remains of a 68,000 square foot building that was destroyed during the Remacor fire on August 6, 2005. The piled fire debris contains construction material intermixed with charred, damaged and deteriorated drums containing reactive magnesium fines and oxides and other process alloys or materials. The nature of the reactive materials mixed with building debris requires careful handling and segregation while increasing the risk of a fire due to exposing once-buried materials to the elements. EPA is in the process of slowly segregating the first of these piles. The magnesium-based oxides and fines that are segregated from oversized building debris are being managed on site in order to make them safer to handle. The West Pittsburg Fire Chief has been informed that EPA has started handling of these piles.
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