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 suspended shipping material until the week of 01/07/08. Winters Performance Products, Inc. has completed shipping its material off site. MJ Metals of Bridgeport, CT, has shipped its last load of 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 its work in the burn piles and react material in the reaction pit. ERRS plans to have all material from the burn pile removed and reacted before they go on Christmas break 12/21/07 for 2 weeks.
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:
12/15/07 EPA-1, START-1, ERRS-10, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/17/07 EPA-1, START-2, ERRS-11, Other-3, Security-1 (24 hr)
Weather:
12/15/07 Low of 24° F, high of 31° F. Clear, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind WSW 3-10 mph.
12/17/07 Low of 23° F, high of 25° F. Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind W 3-14 mph.
12/15/07
EPA’s OSC Dennis Matlock was on site for oversight and site control. OSC Matlock demobilized.
START attended morning safety meeting held by EPA, ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS continued to remove debris and drums from the burn pile. To date ERRS has reacted and staged 15 piles of reacted material and debris each pile is approximately 250 tons.
START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
12/17/03
START attended morning safety meeting held by EPA, ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. ERRS continued working on the burn piles on slab #3. ERRS continues to remove approximately 80-100 drums per day from the burn pile. ERRS also is sifting and reacting material from the burn pile.
Neither the Data Rams nor the PDR were run due to inclement weather.
START used the Trimble Ranger unit with backpack to GIS approximately 105 sample locations.
START continues to assist the EPA as needed, conduct written/photographic documentation, and monitor activities conducted on site.
Intermet will resume shipping during the week of 01/07/08.
SPX Contech has been in contact with MHF its contractor and is making plans to repack and ship its material.
EPA START contractor TechLaw, Inc. has finished sampling and is presently awaiting data from the labs.
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.
ERRS continues to work on the fire debris piles located on slab #3 that constitutes 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 continues the process of slowly segregating and reacting these piles in a controlled environment. The West Pittsburg Fire Chief remains a vital part of the operation due to his history with fighting fires at the site.
Drums that have magnesium fines are not vented and pose a threat of combustion. One drum has already caught fire. Efforts are underway to stabilize these drums that are staged on the truck-scale slab at the site.
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