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 is presently removing its material off site. Winters Performance Products, Inc. has completed packaging and is started shipping material off site. MJ Metals of Bridgeport, CT, has completed repackaging its material and is presently shipping material off site.
EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) has mobilized to site and has moved its operation to burn piles 6,7, and 8. 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 as well as doing a full site assesment. EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site in addition to coordinating the activities of the various generators.
Personnel On-Scene:
11/29/07 EPA -4, PADEP-1, START-5, ERRS-10, MHF-2, Other-1, Security-1 (24 hr)
11/30/07 EPA-2, PADEP-2, START-4, ERRS-10, MHF-2, En-Gaurde Security-2, Others-3, Security-1 (24 hr)
Weather:
11/29/07 Low of 39° F, high of 43° F. Rain, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind Calm.
11/30/07 Low of 36° F, high of 44° F. Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind WSW 8-20 mph.
11/29/07
START attended the morning safety meeting held by MHF Logistics who were on site subcontracting for multiple Generators. MHF shipped 3 loads of material. One for Intermet which was consigned to Niapro, Niagara Falls, NY which consisted of 104 drums (26 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 40,000 pounds and transported by Hazmat Environmental Buffalo, NY . The 2nd load was shipped for Winters Performance, Inc and was consigned to Niapro, Niagara Falls, NY it consisted of 96 drums (12 pallets @ 8 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 35,000 pounds and was transported by Hazmat Environmental Buffalo, NY. The 3rd load was shipped for M J Metals and was consigned to Speed Global, Buffalo, NY it consisted of 128 drums (32 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 39,000 pounds and was transported by Speed Global, Buffalo, NY.
EPA OSC Marjorie Easton and PADEP Mariruth Hoffman gave a tour to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Personnel Paul Charp, Ph.D. Senior Health Physicist and Ana Pomalez. Both Paul Charp and Ana Pomalez were given a full tour of the site including a background of EPA and PADEP past and future involvement.
PADEP Mariruth Hoffman mobilized to site and assisted EPA with site tour. PADEP Hoffman demobilized.
START attended morning safety meeting held by EPA, ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS began to empty drums pulled from the 2005 fire by Remacor employees. START was informed that the drums were highly reactive and contained magnesium fines. ERRS dumped the drums in 2 separate small piles and will take the material to the reaction pit on 11/30/07.
Data Ram #1 had a TWA of 22.1 ug/m3, Data Ram #2 had a TWA of 26.7 ug/m3 , Data Ram #3 had a TWA of 30.7 , and the PDR’s TWA was 0.036 mg/m3. The OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 is 15 mg/m3 TWA.
START continued with its insitu screening using the InnovX-1000 the first phase in the Removal Assessment. START also received Trimble units from the EPA and PADEP that will be used to GPS all sample areas fro a mapping system. START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
11/30/07
START attended the morning safety meeting held by MHF Logistics who were on site subcontracting for multiple Generators. MHF shipped 3 loads of material. One for Intermet which was consigned to Niapro, Niagara Falls, NY which consisted of 96 drums (24 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 43,500 pounds and transported by Hazmat Environmental Buffalo, NY . The 2nd load was shipped for Winters Performance, Inc and was consigned to Niapro, Niagara Falls, NY it consisted of 104 drums (13 pallets @ 8 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 40,000 pounds and was transported by Hazmat Environmental Buffalo, NY. The 3rd load was shipped for M J Metals and was consigned to Speed Global, Buffalo, NY it consisted of 144 drums (36 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 39,500 pounds and was transported by Speed Global, Buffalo, NY.
EPA OSC Marjorie Easton and OSC Dennis Matlock were on site to oversee activities and entry to site. OSC Easton and OSC Matlock demobilized.
PADEP Mariruth Hoffman mobilized to site and assisted START with sampling and the EPA in oversite. PADEP Hoffman demobilized.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS was working with the magnesium fines emptying the last of the drums at approximately 0838 when the last drum from the group sparked and a fire began. The fire was isolated from the rest of the piles which posed no danger to the other burn piles. The fire could not be addressed when it began because of the intensity of the heat and the size of the blaze so ERRS pulled back to gate #2 until they could get closer. Once the intensity of the heat had subsided and it was safe to get close with the excavator ERRS began to work the fire by breaking piles into even smaller piles and letting it burn. Township Fire Chief Dave Allegro was on site with 1 other Firefighter and an Emergency vehicle as backup to ERRS. Because of daily safety meetings Generators on site knew to exit the site and wait to be accounted for. ERRS continues to take extra precautions because of unknown material in the burn pille.
Data Ram #1 had a TWA of 21.7 ug/m3 , Data Ram #2 had a TWA of 205.4 ug/m3 ,Data Ram #3 had a TWA of 36.2 ug/m3 and the PDR was not ran due to the fire. The OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 is 15 mg/m3 TWA. Data Ram #2 was approximately 75 feet from the fire and sustained some cosmetic damage to the front face plate.
START members continued to conduct XRF screening as part of the site assessment. START also monitored the area where the fire happened and took samples of the debri from the fallout on site. START also continues to assist the EPA as needed with written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
Intermet plans to ship 5 truckloads of its material off site the week of 12/03/07.
Winter Performance Products, Inc’s has plans to finish shipping its material off site the week of 12/03/07.
SPX Contech has a tentative schedule to begin packaging its material the week of 12/03/07.
MJ Metals (generator) has plans to continue to ship its material off site the week of 12/03/07.
EPA START contractor TechLaw, Inc. plans to have ERT on site 12/04-12/05/07 to assist in assessing shipments of the RAD material to lab for analysis.
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 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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