U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Former Western Publishing Site - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region II
Subject: POLREP #2
Progress POLREP
Former Western Publishing Site
A260
Poughkeepsie, NY
Latitude: 41.7239090 Longitude: -73.9293090

To:
From: Margaret Alferman, On-Scene Coordinator
Date: 4/8/2011
Reporting Period: 4/2/2011 to 4/8/2011

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: A260    Contract Number: EP-S2-10-03
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date: 2/28/2011
Response Authority: CERCLA    Response Type: Time-Critical
Response Lead: EPA    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit: Site-wide
Mobilization Date: 3/14/2011    Start Date: 3/14/2011
Demob Date:      Completion Date:  
CERCLIS ID: NYC200400588    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification:
FPN#:    Reimbursable Account #:


1.1.1 Incident Category
Inactive Production Facility

1.1.2 Site Description

1.1.2.1 Location
The Former Western Publishing Site (Site) is located in the southeast corner of a commercial shopping complex, the Mid Hudson Center shopping plaza, in a mixed commercial and residential area of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York.  The parcel on which the Site is located is addressed in its entirety as 3440-3444 North Road (Route 9); the portion of the building which comprises the Site building was formerly addressed as 21 Fulton Street and 95 North Road, but an address for the Site building is no longer maintained.  The Site consists of the abandoned southern half of a former industrial building, part of which was razed in 2002, as well as the surrounding land to the east, south and west.  The parcel on which the Site is located is identified as Parcel No. 134689-6162-05-005836-0000 and totals 5.81 acres.  Historically, the Site building housed auto manufacturing companies from approximately 1910 to the early 1930s, the Western Publishing printing company from 1934 until 1983, and various occupants from 1985 until the late 1990s, including a moving company (for storage space), classrooms, a bus maintenance company, and hospital offices.  The Site has been abandoned since the late 1990s or early 2000s.  The Site building is constructed of brick with the exception of the west wall, which is composed of sheetrock, exterior siding and interior steel braces.  The Site is accessible from Fulton Drive to the south, an active driveway to the east which runs along the rear of the shopping complex, and the shopping center parking lot and drive lanes to the west and northwest.  The Site is bordered to the north by the remaining half of the Site building, which is occupied by a Staples office supply store; to the east by railroad tracks, beyond which is a liquefied gas retailer; to the south by Fulton Street, beyond which is an apartment complex that houses college students as well as a commercial/light industrial building; and to the west by an access drive lane for the shopping complex, beyond which is a bank and a commercial building.  Marist College is located approximately 400 feet to the west of the Site.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
The EPA Removal Action Branch (RAB) received a request from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) dated June, 28 2010 to evaluate materials within the Site building for a CERCLA removal action.  The request was based on the presence of approximately 70 abandoned drums within the Site building, including approximately sixty (60) 95-gallon overpacked drums, as well as various containers of abandoned materials throughout the building.  The contents of the drums and containers are unknown.  Two doors to the interior of the Site building – a rolling loading dock door leading directly to the overpack drums and a pedestrian door – were unsecured prior to September 29, 2011, and are now secured with padlocks.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
EPA conducted Site entries into the building on September 20, 21 and 30, 2010 as part of a removal assessment.  Because of the unclear ownership of the Site, these entries were conducted under the authority of a search warrant issued by the Town of Poughkeepsie Justice Court on September 15, 2010.  Due to the tightly packed positioning of the drums within the loading dock of the Site building, approximately two thirds of the drum overpacks were inaccessible.  Most of the accessible overpack drums contained rusted and/or damaged 55-gallon drums, some of which were leaking liquids, and many of the interior drums were rusted shut.  Air monitoring revealed elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within several of the 55-gallon drums as well as an elevated cyanide level in one of the overpack drums.  Hazardous Material Categorizing (HazCat) screening was conducted on a portion of the drums that were accessed during the September 20-21 site entries, and sampling of the drums for laboratory analysis was conducted on September 30, 2010.  Results indicated that of the ten drums sampled (including eight overpacked drums), one contains elevated levels of 1,2-dichloroethane, vinyl chloride and cadmium, and another contains a material considered to be a characteristic ignitable waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.  In addition, one of the drums was found to contain low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and almost all of the other drums contain CERCLA-designated hazardous substances.

During the September 30, 2010 Site entry, EPA also collected samples of wood flooring blocks and floor coating which are present in three of the rooms of the Site building (totaling approximately 85 cubic yards).  The blocks and floor coating were found to contain elevated levels of semi-volatile organic compounds, including benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzofuran, as well as low levels of PCBs.

In addition, during the Site entries EPA noted the presence of approximately 150-200 linear feet of potential asbestos-containing material (PACM) utilized as pipe wrap insulation and several fluorescent light ballasts which may contain PCBs.

2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative

EPA, along with EPA's Emergency and Rapid Response Service (ERRS) and Removal Support Team (RST2) contractors, mobilized to the Site on April 4, 2011 to begin the removal of all drums and wood block flooring from the Site building.  PACM and light ballasts which may contain PCBs are being evaluated and removed as necessary.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
See Polrep No. 1, dated April 1, 2011, for information pertaining to response actions taken prior to April 2, 2011.

On April 4-5, 2011, EPA completed Site set-up, including baseline air monitoring.  An office trailer and restroom facilities were placed alongside the Site building.  All household debris was removed from the building exterior on April 4, 2011, and all debris from within the loading dock next to the drum overpacks was removed from April 4-5, 2011 in order to access the drums and doorways to the Site building.  Household hazardous goods and recyclables were separated from the debris, and the non-hazardous, non-recyclable debris was placed in roll-off dumpsters and sent off-site for disposal.

Following debris removal, on April 6-8, 2011, all on-site drums were stabilized, consolidated and staged in the loading dock of the Site building.  All drums were opened and inventoried, and a sample was collected from each drum.  The samples were utilized for HazCat purposes on April 7, 2011, and in accordance with the HazCat results, the remaining portions of each sample were combined with other similar samples into bulking groups for disposal analysis.  Laboratory analysis of each bulking group is expected to take approximately one week.

A sample of the PACM pipe wrapping was collected and sent for analysis on April 6, 2011.  Analytical results indicated that the pipe wrapping contains 19% chrysotile asbestos and 9% amosite asbestos.  All of the pipe wrapping was inspected and was observed to be in good condition.

A large wooden swing door on the north section of the building was partially repaired and partially reconstructed to create a door which will enable vehicular equipment to enter and exit the Site building during debris removal, flooring block removal and evaluation of the light ballasts.

All Site activities were executed in appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with the Site-specific Health and Safety Plan.  Air monitoring for particulates was conducted within each work area and along the Site perimeter in accordance with the Community Air Monitoring Plan.  Air within the drums and work areas was screened for volatile organic compounds and cyanide during drum sampling activities.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
No potentially responsible parties have been identified at this time.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics
The unsecured doors of the Site building have been locked.

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
Debris (non-hazardous, non-recyclable) Solid wastes - wood, cardboard, furniture, clothing, household garbage Approximately 14 tons / 60 cubic yards N/A None Required Off-site landfill



  2.2 Planning Section
   

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
EPA plans to move or remove debris from the interior of the Site building to access the wood flooring blocks and associated floor coating.  The blocks and coating will be disassembled and stockpiled, and the floor will be vacuumed as necessary to avoid excessive dust emissions.  A sample of the blocks will be analyzed along with the drum samples for proper disposal.

During these activities, a Community Air Monitoring Plan will continue to be implemented by EPA's RST2 contractors.  Air quality will be assessed both within and outside the Site building using field screening instrumentation.  A Site-specific Health and Safety Plan will be followed throughout the duration of the removal action.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
After the analytical results from the drum bulking groups are received, waste streams will be prepared by combining compatible materials within the drums.  The drums will be repacked and overpacked as necessary, and shipped off-site to proper disposal facilities in accordance with all applicable requirements.  The flooring blocks and coating will also be removed and shipped off-site to a proper disposal facility after analytical results are received.

Following removal of the flooring blocks and coating, the light ballasts will be evaluated for the presence of PCBs.  Any PCB-containing light ballasts will be removed and shipped off-site to a proper disposal facility.  EPA will consider the possibility of encapsulating the asbestos-containing pipe wrapping material, but due to its good condition, removal of the ACM is not necessary.

2.2.2 Issues

EPA and Town of Poughkeepsie officials will continue to monitor the Site to ensure that it remains secure during removal activities.
  2.3 Logistics Section
   

A logistics section was not activated for this response.  No logistical challenges or issues were encountered during this reporting period.
  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.5 Other Command Staff
    2.5.1 Safety Officer

On April 4, 2011, the Site Health and Safety Plans (for work conducted by EPA and both ERRS and RST2 contractors) were finalized and signed by all site personnel.  No safety challenges or issues were encountered during this reporting period.



2.6 Liaison Officer
A Liaison Officer was not activated for this response.

2.7 Information Officer


2.7.1 Public Information Officer
A Public Information Officer was not activated for this response. 

2.7.2 Community Involvement Coordinator
The Community Involvement Coordinator for this Site is Cecilia Echols of EPA Region II.  Ms. Echols can be reached by phone at (212) 637-3678 or by email at echols.cecilia@epa.gov.

3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command

Unified Command is not relevant to this response.



3.2 Cooperating Agencies

The Town of Poughkeepsie is providing support to the EPA as needed.
4. Personnel On Site
 
  • EPA OSC (1 to 2)
  • ERRS Contractors (5)
  • RST2 Contractor (1)
5. Definition of Terms
 

ACM: asbestos-containing material
CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency
ERRS: Emergency and Rapid Response Services (contractors)
HazCat: hazardous materials categorization
NYSDEC: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
PACM: potential asbestos-containing material
PCBs: polychlorinated biphenyls
RST2: Removal Support Team (contractors)
VOCs: volatile organic compounds
6. Additional sources of information
  6.1 Internet location of additional information/report
www.epaosc.org/FormerWesternPublishing

6.2 Reporting Schedule

EPA will publish weekly POLREPs for the duration of the removal action at this Site.

7. Situational Reference Materials
 

None.