The Washington Department of Ecology (ECY) Eastern Regional Office forwarded an anonymous citizen complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 Emergency Response Unit via email on July 30, 2015. The complainant stated that the abandoned Delancey School, in a residential area of Soap Lake, Washington, had piles of asbestos that became airborne in the wind, and drums of unknown materials that were leaking onto the soil. The building structure had no roof, doors, windows or interior walls; there were no barriers to people accessing the Site. The complainant explained that the Site is used by homeless people as a shelter and is an attractive nuisance to children. The basement was full of demolition debris and the Site is being used for illegal dumping. The materials were reported to have been in place for approximately five years.
On October 22, 2015, EPA received reports from ECY that the drums were presumed to be empty but ECY could not investigate or remove the asbestos. The suspicion that the drums were empty was based on reports from the Grant County Code Enforcement program; however, the drums had apparently not been fully assessed. EPA determined that no other agency was able to assess the property for hazardous substances.
On December 14, 2015, EPA and START conducted a removal assessment of the Site. In January, 2016 analytical results indicated that corrugated “air-cell” type Thermal System Insulation (TSI) in the basement boiler room contained 55 percent Chrysotile asbestos and a pile of insulation and other demolition debris north of the school contained less than 1 percent Actinolite asbestos and 20 percent vermiculite. The vermiculite is assumed to be from Libby, Montana, and is likely to contain additional asbestos. The west wing was only partially assessed; a fire had caused structural damage that resulted in a high worker safety risk so portions of the gymnasium were not assessed. One drum and the bucket were determined to be non-hazardous; however, one drum was identified as containing waste oil.
EPA Region 10 mobilized to the site on June 28, 2016 in order to complete a time critical removal.
