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 presently shipping material off site. MJ Metals of Bridgeport, CT, has completed repackaging its material and is presently shipping material off site. SPX Contech will be repackaging its material in preparation to ship it off site.
EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) is continuing to work burn piles and react material in the reaction pit. Prior to 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 assessment. EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site in addition to coordinating the activities of the various generators.
Personnel On-Scene:
12/01/07 START-4, ERRS-10, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/02/07 START-1, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/03/07 EPA-1, START-3, ERRS-10, MHF-1, Others-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
Weather:
12/01/07 Low of 19° F, high of 30° F. Clear, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind NE 3-5 mph.
12/02/07 Low of 32° F, high of 45° F. Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind Variable 3-10 mph.
12/03/07 Low of 28° F, high of 31° F. Light Snow, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind W 10-20 mph.
12/01/07
START attended morning safety meeting held by EPA, ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS has finished with burn piles 6, 7, and 8 and began with 9 and 10. ERRS has removed approximately 75 drums of various conditions from the burn piles. ERRS will continue to sift materials from the burn piles and separate large debris and metals so that the sifted material can be reacted in the reaction pit.
Data Ram #1 had a TWA of 15.1 ug/m3, Data Ram #2 had a TWA of 18.7 ug/m3 , Data Ram #3 had a TWA of 20.4 , 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 screening using the InnovX-1000 and collecting soil samples. START will be collecting soil samples in inclement weather because the InnovX-1000 is not effective in damp areas. START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
12/02/03
START was on site to sample soil placed in baggies using the InnovX-1000. No other activity occurred on site.
12/03/07
START attended the morning safety meeting held by MHF Logistics who were on site subcontracting for multiple Generators. MHF shipped 1 load of material for Intermet. The Intermet load which was consigned to Niapro, Niagara Falls, NY consisted of 104 drums (26 pallets @ 4 drums/pallet) with an estimated weight of 42,500 pounds and was transported by Hazmat Environmental Buffalo, NY.
EPA OSC Jack Downie was on site to oversee activities and entry to site.
PADEP Mariruth Hoffman mobilized to site and assisted START with sampling and the EPA in oversight. PADEP Hoffman demobilized.
START attended the morning safety meeting held by EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS is working on burn piles 9 and 10. ERRS also did organization in building #9, cleanup as needed, and reaction of material in the react.
Monitoring with the Data Ram and PDR were not done due to inclement weather.
START members gathered soil samples in plastic bags for screening instead of screening in the field due to inclement weather. START also prepared for RAD sampling which will be done in conjunction with 2 members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies Environmental Response Team. START also continues to assist the EPA as needed with written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
Intermet will continue to ship its material off site until completion.
Winter Performance Products, Inc’s has plans to continue shipping its material off site until all material is removed.
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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