United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

Former agricultural facility in Haralson, GA has apparently experiences spills around chemical storage areas.  GA EPD issued a notice of violations to the property owner who began to remove drums from the property.  EPA mobilized both START and ERRS contractors to inventory, assess, and stabilize containers of hazardous materials on site.

Conducted site tour, including air monitoring of various container storage areas.  No readings above background concentrations on either PID or FID.  Numerous 55-gallon and 30-gallon drums as well as smaller containers observed in various buildings at the site – stored haphazardly (double-stacked, laying on side, collapsed roof, questionable structural integrity of buildings, etc).

Observations and label information for various containers at the site included:  “Tox M Parathion’, ‘Insecticide Spray’, ‘Calcium Carbide’ (1-pt container in same room as batteries) numerous lead-acid batteries (some cracked open), three ASTs (estimated 5,000-gallon size for each) located at 17 th St area (one reportedly used as “abort” tank for unusable materials– owner reported mixing of potash, liquid nitrogen, and liquid phosphorous fertilizers); bagged red powder labeled ‘Soybean’

Collected 3 waste samples as summarized below (laboratory analyses include VOCs, SVOCs, organophosphorous pesticides, triazine herbicides, organochlorine pesticides, chlorinated herbicides, N-methylcarbamates, TAL metals (incl mercury), and pH:

WS-01:  collected from the 30-gallon drum (labeled “Kleen-O-Brite”) that is stored in the dilapidated wooden structure behind (east of) the Fertilizer Shed – drum was less than one-quarter full.  Material was a clear to cloudy liquid with visible suspended particulates.

WS-02:  collected from the bagged red powder stored in the building identified by Mr. Wilkerson as the bag & seed area.  A stenciled label on the bag reads “SOYBEAN”

WS-03:  collected from the bagged materials in the Fertilizer Shed.  Bags are labeled “STA-GREEN   Nursery Special with Systemic Insecticide”

Collected 3 waste samples as summarized below (same analyses as waste samples; S-03 also includes TPH-GRO and PCBs):

S-01:  composite soil sample collected from the small drainage channel (stressed vegetation) leading from the northeast corner of the Fertilizer Shed

S-02:  composite soil sample collected from inside the Fertilizer Shed in the vicinity of the drums labeled as ‘Tox M Parathion’

S-03:  composite soil sample collected from the area where drums of reported used motor oil were stored near the northwestern corner of the cotton gin building.

START and ERRS contractors counted approximately 50 empty drums which contained methyl parathion and toxaphene and about 50 batteries, although there may be more. There were apporximately 25 bags of STA-Green fertilizer with systemic insecticide. There were several gallons of Ansar 529HC, a pesticide containing 22% free arsenic in soluble form. There was a gallon of methomyl insecticide.  These materials will be hazard categorized, bulked, over packed or disposed of.

ERRS and START will be on-site 3/15/09 at 0900 to begin over packing and/or bulking batteries, paint and chemicals.  A boom lift will be delivered Monday mid-day to gain access to the three tanks to discern what material is on each and then plan a strategy to manage the material.

rain, Structural integrity of buildings on site, unknowns