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Remacor, Inc.

All POLREP's for this site Remacor, Inc.
West Pittsburg, PA - EPA Region III
POLREP #99 - Removal Action
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On-Scene Coordinator - Jack Downie 1/16/2008
Emergency - Removal Action Pollution Report (POLREP) #99
Start Date: 9/15/2006
Pollution Report (POLREP) #99
Site Description
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 further notice.  SPX Contech will be repackaging its material in preparation to ship it off site.  

EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) is preparing to ship RAD drums which are located in Building #2.  ERRS will be relocating the drums to Buildings 7 & 9 for staging.  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.  


Current Activities
Personnel On-Scene:
01/15/08 EPA-2, PADEP-1, START-2, ERRS-8, Others-3, Security-1 (24 hr)
01/16/08 EPA-1, PADEP-1, START-1, ERRS-8, Others-2, Security-1 (24 hr)

Weather:
01/15/08 Low of 34° F, high of 40° F.  Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation, wind W 3-6 mph.
01/16/08 Low of 26° F, high of 30° F.  Light Snow, 0.00 inches of precipitation,  wind WSW 9-10 mph.
                
01/15/08
EPA’s OSC Jack Downie was on site for oversight of activities and site entry.  EPA’s Rich Messimer Senior Site Administrative Officer of the Removal Program Region 3 mobilized to the site for administrative oversight. EPA’s Messimer demobilized.

PADEP Mariruth Hoffman mobilized to site to assist in technical and administrative operations.  PADEP Hoffman demobilized.

START attended the morning safety meeting held by the ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental, Inc.  ERRS is reacting material and staging RAD drums in Building #7 for future transport.

Pennsylvania Water Company continues to track water lines on site looking for the break that continues to leak water.

One of the 250-ton piles on site continues to react.  The pile is giving off steam, a small plume, heat and continues to react. This pile is isolated and poses no threat to other reactive materials on site.  ERRS continues to monitor the pile for reaction.
  
START conducted written/photographic documentation, and monitored activities conducted on site.

01/16/08
EPA’s OSC Jack Downie was on site for oversight of activities and site entry.

PADEP Mariruth Hoffman mobilized to sight to assist in technical and administrative operations. PADEP Hoffman along with START sampled the pile NE of gate #2. PADEP Hoffman used the Travel IR and identified what was believed to be Calcium Carbide present in the sample.  PADEP Hoffman demobilized.

START attended the morning safety meeting held by ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental, Inc. ERRS is reacting material removed from the burn piles from Slab #3 and is removing the RAD drums from the DeOxSulf building to Building #7 where they will be staged until their off-site disposal.

Pennsylvania Water Company was on site and continues to trace water lines in order to detect where the break in the line is.  PAWC is losing a substantial amount of water from this break and will continue their efforts until it completion. It is estimated that approximately 60,000 gallons of water is being lost per day. Fortunately the lost water is on the upstream side of EPA's water meter.

START mobilized to site and assisted the EPA in conducting written/photographic documentation, and monitoring activities conducted on site.


Next Steps
No PRP activity is presently occurring on site.

ERRS plans to stage RAD drums in Building 7 & 9 for future disposal.

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.


Key Issues
Drums that have magnesium fines are not vented and pose a threat of combustion.  One drum has already exploded and caught fire. Efforts are underway to stabilize these drums that are staged on the truck-scale slab at the site.