United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

Biological Processors of Alabama (BPA) located in the industrial area of Decatur, Alabama and was referred to the Emergency Response and Removal Branch by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).  BPA is a centralized waste treatment facility that collected, treated wastes from facilities throughout northern Alabama.  The facility utilized oil/water separators, precipitation of wastes and neutralization in preparation for discharging to the Decatur Waste Water Treatment Plant.  

The facility started operations in the Fall of 2004 and ceased operations in the Fall of 2008.  

The site consists of 35 frac tanks, 16 above-ground storage tanks (ASTs), 1 tanker truck, an open pit, secondary containments, process equipments, numerous drums and totes, and many laboratory reagents.  There are more than 1 million gallons of wastewaters containing hazardous substances abandoned at the site.

The site will consist of 2 phases.  Phase 1 will be addressed first due to higher threats (ASTs, secondary containment, piping, containers, and soils).  Phase 2, which includes frac tanks and process equipment inside building, will be addressed after Phase 1 is complete.

1) Drums and totes are being sampled.

2) The upper secondary containment has been cleaned.  An activated carbon filtration unit will be attached to the effluent pipe of the upper secondary containment.  When water is discharged, it will pass through the filtration unit and into a collection pool where it may be sampled prior to discharge.

3) Rainwater from the lower secondary containment continues to be removed when needed.  

4) Transportation and disposal of nonhazardous wastewaters from ASTs is scheduled to begin this week.  Nonhazardous wastewaters will be sent to a facility in Chattanooga, TN and the suspended solids filtered from the wastewaters will be sent to Subtitle D lined landfill in McDonald, TN.  Hazardous wastewaters will be sent to a facility in Baltimore, MD.  Suspended solids will be sent to Quebec, Canada for incineration.

Below is the list of planned removal activities for Phase 1.

1) Sample drums, totes, and containers for disposal.

2) Dispose of wastewaters and sludges from ASTs.

3) Decon ASTs and secondary containments.

4) Decon or remove the AST's pipes.

5) Dipose of waste in tanker truck.

6) Excavate and dispose of any contaminated soils.

Dispose of sludges from ASTs after wastewaters have been sent off.

A public auction for assests at the site appears to be suspended until September.

Rain for Rent has inquired about getting access to one frac tank on-site.  The frac tank was on-site prior to EPA's activities.  The frac tank is full of nonhazardous wastewaters.