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. Intermet has been in contact with the EPA and will start shipping material on 11/19/07. 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 currently on site repackaging their material for transport off site.
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:
11/17/07 START-1, ERRS-8,MJ Metals-2, Other-1, Security-1 (24 hr)
11/19/07 EPA-1, PADEP-2, START-2, ERRS-8, MJ Metals-3, Others-5, Security-1 (24 hr)
11/20/07 EPA-1, PADEP-1, START-2, ERRS-8, MJ Metals-4, Other-1, Security-1 (24 hr)
Weather:
11/17/07 Low of 32° F, high of 40° F. Mostly Cloudy, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind Variable 3-6 mph.
11/19/07 Low of 35° F, high of 46° F. Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind SE 10 mph.
11/20/07 Low of 57° F, high of 61° F. Haze, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind SW 0.5-9 mph.
11/17/07
START attended the morning safety meeting held by MJ Metals and their subcontractor MHF Logistics who were on site repackaging their material. MJ built a table in order to drain water from drums. MJ will drain the drums on the table into containers provided by New Castle Environment who will remove containers upon completion.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA, ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS put all RAD drums onto pallets and moved the remainder of the drums into Building 9. ERRS also removed reacted material from the reaction pit and staged it south of gate #3.
The Data Rams and the PDR are not being used because of inclement weather.
START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site. START also continues to finalize the sampling plan and order supplies for the event.
11/19/07
START attended the morning safety meeting held by MJ Metals and their subcontractor MHF Logistics. MJ started its de-watering operation and removed water from approximately 48 drums.
Intermets subcontractor NIAPRO shipped 1 truckload of material off site. The load was consigned to MagReTech, Bellevue, OH and transported by Hazmat Environmental, Buffalo, NY. The load consisted of 20 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet with an estimated weight of 42,604 pounds.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS continued its operation of sifting through the burn piles and staging the material north of the reaction pit until it can be reacted at a later date.
The Data Ram #1 had a TWA of 35ug/m3 and Data Ram #2 had a TWA of 27.5 ug/m3 the PDR’s TWA was 0.066 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. START also continues to finalize the sampling plan and order supplies for the event.
11/20/07
START attended the morning safety meeting held by MJ Metals and their subcontractor MHF Logistics. MJ completed de-watering all its drums and staged pallets for future transport off site.
Intermets subcontractor NIAPRO shipped 1 truckload of material off site. The load was consigned to MagReTech, Bellevue, OH and transported by Hazmat Environmental, Buffalo, NY. The load consisted of 26 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet with an estimated weight of 41,900 pounds.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS continued sifting and working the burn piles while cleaning areas they had been working in. ERRS cleaned their work areas in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday. ERRS will demobilize on 11/21/07.
Due to inclement weather neither the Data Rams nor the PDR were ran today.
START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site. START also continues to finalize the sampling plan and order supplies for the event. ERRS demobilized for the holiday weekend.
ERRS will mobilize back to site on 11/26/07.
Intermet has submitted a plan to begin shipping on 11/19/07 and complete the task in 3 weeks.
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 start shipping its material the week of 11/26/07.
EPA START contractor TechLaw, Inc. is presently preparing a comprehensive sampling plan and plans to begin sampling the last week of November and the first week of December.
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.
The remaining fire debris piles remaining 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 continue to be worked on. 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 has been in the process of slowly segregating and processing the remaining fire debris 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. EPA is coodinating with the West Pittsburg Fire Chief in regards to these high hazard operations.
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