Polution Situation Report

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Leslie's Pool Supplies Fire-Dallas - Removal Polrep
Initial and Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region VI

Subject:

POLREP #1
Initial and Final
Leslie's Pool Supplies Fire-Dallas

Dallas, TX
Latitude: 32.6931866 Longitude: -96.9155288

To:

From:

John Martin, FOSC

Date:

8/14/2011

Reporting Period:

08/13/2011

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:		Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	CERCLA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:
NPL Status:		Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:		Start Date:
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:	985830	State Notification:
FPN#:		Reimbursable Account #:

1. Background
A fire was discovered at a Leslie's Pool Supplies distribution warehouse located at 4202 Dan Morton Drive, Dallas, Texas. Leslie's Pool Supplies is a retailer of pool chemicals and the warehouse contained numerous hazardous materials. Initial environmental concerns regarded hazardous materials constituates that may have been in the plume smoke and in the firewater run-off.

The fire began at approximately 1010 hours due to unknown circumstances. Dallas Fire Department (DFD) had mobilized multiple units to the fire and as the smoke plume could be seen for miles, local media interest was high. DFD notified EPA was notified at approximately 1145 hours and requested EPA to provide the ASPECT. The EPA ASPECT aircraft was available and therefore, activated. EPA OSC and START-3 were mobilized to the site to assist with the APECT's data transfer to the DFD and to assist TCEQ with air monitoring and firewater runoff activites.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

EPA ASPECT overflew the site at apporixmately 1300 hours. The preliminary data was quickly reviewed and found that there were no pool chemical signatures attributable to the fire in the smoke plume. The absence of any chlorinated compounds or hydrogen chloride signatures was reported to the OSC via cell phone which then relayed the information on to the DFD. The data was then screened first by the automated filter library with no detections and then reviewed manually for any signatures of chemical vapors that is not in the detection library. The detection of ozone and peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) or smog in the data sets was an indication the sensors were functioning properly. The ASPECT data was posted to the EPA OSC website.

EPA and START-3 arrived on-site at approximately 1335 hours and began air monitoring for chlorine, CO, H2S and other toxic gasses. START-3 did not detect the presence of any of these above regulatory exposure limits in the DFD support zone nor in the neighborhoods downwind of the fire. START-3 collected air monitoring readings in 5 locations downwind of the fire.

EPA coordinated with TCEQ and the City of Dallas stormwater program representatives to determine the location of the stormwater outfall from the fire fighting runoff water that was entering a stormwater drain immediately adjacent to the site. START-3 pH tests of this water showed a pH between 9 and 10 standard units. At the time of EPA and START-3 departure at approximately 1700 and 1900 respectively, the firewater outfall still hadn't been found.

DFD had extinguished the fire at approximately 1600 hours and "mop up" operations continued through the evening.

2.2 Planning Section

Next Steps
Upon follow-up with TCEQ the next morning, the firewater outfall was found. Apparently, the firewater was contained within the storm drain which had been blocked at one end. It finally became unblocked and samples of the firewater were found to be acceptable. However, TCEQ and City of Dallas representaives were returning to the site to continued their investigation. TCEQ will notify EPA of any unusual changes in the status of the site.

2.3 Logistics Section