On July 29, 2010, San Diego Co. Environmental Health Hazmat Unit (SDCoEH) referred an abandoned biotechnolgy company, Aries Associates, LLC to EPA for a CERCLA Removal Action. OSC Wise and the START responded to the facility to assess the situation. Aries was a contract biotech company that went bankrupt in January 2010, abandoning a large quantity of laboratory reagents. From July 29 - August 7, 2010, OSC Wise and the START conducted a removal assessment of the facility in which all of the chemicals were inventoried. During the inventory process a number of unstable chemicals that were unsafe for transport to a TSDF were identified. Those chemicals were destroyed on August 7, 2010. After the detonation, START discovered additional unstable chemicals during the segegration process. Based on this discovery, OSC Wise determined that all of the chemicals would have to be segregated and their stability evaluated. Based on this determination and that the business owner and the business were both in bankruptcy, the land owner stated that they were not financially capable of conducting the cleanup and a fourth PRP refused to conduct the cleanup, OSC Wise decided to move forward with an emergency removal action to allow for the proper segregation and packing of the chemicals for disposal.
