On 17 March 2015, OSC Sibley was deployed with EPA START and ERRS contractors to further assess and conduct an removal action at the now abandoned Odessa Biodiesel plant located in Odessa, Washington. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) referred the former TransMessis Columbia Plateau Plant site (Odessa Biodiesel) to EPA with the concern that uncontrolled hazardous wastes, chemicals containers of various sizes, and other unsecured hazardous substances could pose a threat to human health and the environment.
According to reports received, all employees working at the TransMessis Columbia Plateau were terminated in June 2014 and the plant was immediately shut down. It appears that most of the biodiesel produced was sold or moved from the property, however, some still remains on site. The chemical products and wastes associated with the manufacturing process were left behind.
Immediate action was necessary to stabilize and cleanup the site. The cleanup took ten days to stabilize the numerous chemical totes, sacks, and other containers located on the property and then to treat and dispose of the wastes.
