EPA has been performing an emergency removal action at this site which has primarily involved the stabilization, repackaging, transportation, and removal of hazardous magnesium materials and other solid wastes from the facility. EPA completed repackaging abandoned magnesium materials that have been stored in drums that have succumbed to varying degrees of corrosion. The repackaged materials are staged inside site buildings pending removal from the site. Areas of the site including open pad areas, low areas and drainage ways have been cleared of residual wastes that had spilled when the facility was operating. Low-level radioactive solids, and miscellaneous waste material have been packaged and shipped off site for disposal. Lime was removed from eight large vertical vats located on the west and south side of building 2. The lime was neutralized and shipped off site for disposal. Current activities at the Site are focused on the transportation of re-packaged magnesium material to off-site recycling and disposal facilities. PADEP is overseeing site activities for the state and providing support. EPA START contractor TechLaw is providing technical and administrative support to the EPA. EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site as well as coordinate activities with the various generators and disposal contractors.
Personnel On-Scene:
12/18/08 – 01/12/09, Security-1 (24-hr)
12/29/08 PADEP-2
01/13/09 EPA-1,START-1, ERRS-8, PADEP-2, Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
01/14/09 EPA-2 START-1, ERRS-9, PADEP-4 Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
01/15/09 EPA-1, START-1, ERRS-9, PADEP-0 Other-2 Security-1 (24 hr)
01/16/09 EPA-2 START-1, ERRS-9, Other-2, PADEP-0, Security-1 (24 hr)
01/17/09 EPA-0 START-0, ERRS-9, Other-0, PADEP-0, Security-1 (24 hr)
Weather:
01/13/09 Low of 12° F, high of 33° F, mostly cloudy, 0.09” precipitation, wind W 5-17 mph.
01/14/09 Low of 02° F, high of 13° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 5-7 mph
01/15/09 Low of -02° F, high of 11° F, mostly cloudy, 0.01” precipitation, wind W 5-14 mph
01/16/09 Low of -11° F, high of 04° F, partly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 10-13 mph
01/17/09 Low of -10° F, high of 19° F, mostly cloudy, 0.02” precipitation, wind W 2-12 mph
01/12/09
ERRS mobilized to the West Pittsburg, PA area.
01/13/09
EPA OSC Downie and START mobilized to the site.
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities.
ERRS conducted snow removal in order to access the site and loading dock. In building 2, several pallets of talc, soda ash, and castable aluminum product were marked. ERRS continued to cut up pallets
START conducted a site walkthrough and did not observe any instances of trespassing or vandalism in the buildings or yard areas. START provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, drum inspection, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation.
OSC Downie determined that the cost of dismantling and removing the security system including cameras and monitoring station would exceed the value of the system. The OSC determined that system would be best used by local government who will control access following demobilization by EPA.
01/14/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting emphasizing safety while working in extreme cold weather and discussed the days planned activities.
ERRS hired the services of a rolloff company (Aiken) and had 4-5 rolloffs mobilized to the site in order to segregate the solid wastes (wood pallets, debris, scrap, etc.). ERRS continued to reduce the pallets at the site for disposal and used a backhoe to move the materials to the rolloff boxes.
ERRS loaded one truck with drums of hazardous magnesium scrap material that were inspected and classified by Capitol, Inc. The truck was loaded with 88 drums (31,528 lbs) of waste water-reactive magnesium alloys and magnesium oxides that were transported to U.S. Ecology Idaho, Inc., Idaho to be treated and landfilled.
At 0900 hours, OSC Downie, Taylor Township Fire Chief Allegro and START went to the County Building and met with representatives from PADEP, Lawrence County, and Taylor Township to discuss the transition of control over the Remacor Site following EPA’s departure. Present at the meeting were PADEP Regional Council (D. Duffy), Lawrence County Commissioner (D. Vogler), PADEP Community Coordinator (E. Wells), PADEP ELP Program Manager (E. Gustafson), Lawrence County (J. Gagliano, Jr., S. Craig, R. DeFabio, T. Leslie), and PADEP (M. Hoffman). OSC Downie provided an update of site status and the upcoming termination of 24-hour site security, utilities and site maintainence anticipated mid-to late January after the last magnesium drum is shipped off site. The OSC indicated that facility assets will remain on the premise following EPA’s departure and there was concern that the assets could be stolen or vandalized. The OSC indicated that EPA will no longer fund 24-hour site security after standing down. The secured creditor bank will need to coordinate with the County regarding the sale of assets. The County expressed interest in safe-guarding the buildings and assets. The County will assume control of the property, utilities and security. EPA may return in the future to remove high levels of arsenic and lead that remain in hot spots of site surface soils. PADEP discussed conducting a comprehensive assessment of the property during the upcoming year. Most in attendance agreed that the facility could generate interest for future industrial development.
PADEP (Duffy, Gustafon, Wells, Hoffman) conducted a site walkthrough with the OSC following the meeting with County representatives.
START provided hot-spot assessment data to the OSC and provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, drum inspection, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation.
01/15/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting emphasizing safety while working in extreme cold weather and discussed the days planned activities.
ERRS loaded one truck with drums of hazardous magnesium scrap material that were inspected and classified by Capitol, Inc. The truck was loaded with 88 drums (43,000 lbs) of waste water-reactive magnesium alloys and magnesium oxides that were transported to U.S. Ecology Idaho, Inc., Idaho to be disposed by trlandfill.
ERRS continued to reduce and segregate the debris and pallet piles on site for disposal. A backhoe was used to move the materials to the rolloff boxes. By C.O.B., nine (9) loads (rolloff boxes) of wood and 4 loads of trash were removed from the site.
START provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, drum inspection, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation.
01/16/09
Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities. The RM emphasized safety while working in extreme cold weather.
ERRS loaded one truck with drums of hazardous magnesium scrap material that were inspected and classified by Capitol, Inc. The truck was loaded with 88 drums (33,258 lbs) of waste water-reactive magnesium alloys and magnesium oxides that were transported to U.S. Ecology Idaho, Inc., Idaho to be disposed by landfill.
ERRS continued to reduce and segregate the debris and pallet piles on site for disposal. A backhoe was used to move the materials to the rolloff boxes.
START provided the OSC with technical and administrative assistance, conducted contractor monitoring, drum inspection, disposal tracking and written and photographic documentation. START demobilized.
01/17/09
ERRS continued to reduce and segregate the debris and pallet piles on site for disposal. A backhoe was used to move the materials to the rolloff boxes. ERRS emptied the drums of sand that were staged in building 2 and crushed the drums.
ERRS will continue to arrange transportation of the drummed magnesium material to an off-site disposal or recycling facility, and continue shipping the drums offsite. ERRS will also continue to prepare the remaining drums for offsite shipment/ disposal.
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