United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region VII
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Carter Carburetor site includes two dilapidated buildings and two associated vacant lots in St. Louis, Missouri.  The site is in an Environmental Justice community. The primary contaminants found at this site include poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCB), trichloroethylene (TCE), and asbestos.  The site is in a commercial area with residential areas nearby.

The EPA has identified two Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs):  ACF Industries and Carter Building Incorporated (hereinafter ACF and CBI).  ACF was the former owner of the buildings and CBI is the current owner of the buildings.  ACF has spent several million dollars identifying the extent of contamination and quantifying the potential human health risks at the site under a CERCLA Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent.  ACF has prepared an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) laying out several cleanup alternatives for the site at four distinct areas of the site: the CBI Building, the Die Cast Area, the former aboveground TCE storage tank area, and the Willco Plastics Building.  The EE/CA was finalized and submitted to the public for comment in September 2010.  

After extending the public comment period several times, the EPA received numerous comments on the EE/CA.  Responses to all substantial comments received from the public were documented in the site Responsiveness Summary.  Taking into account comments from the community, the Region 7 Administrator signed an Action Memorandum in March 2011, documenting the appropriate removal actions to address contamination in each of the four areas described above.  

In December 2011, ACF voluntarily completed installing a fence around the site to prevent unauthorized access and entry into the contaminated buildings.  

EPA completed negotiations with the PRPs and submitted the Settlement Agreements to the public for comment.  Comments have been received and are currently being evaluated.

As part of the negotiations, EPA agreed to remove debris from the building which belonged to previous unknown tenants of the building and is potentially asbestos contaminated.  This fund lead action is being performed pursuant to an action memo signed by the Regional Administrator and concurred on by EPA Headquarters, Office of Emergency Managment (OEM), due to the potential for asbestos in the debris.    

EPA contractor crews mobilized to the site on August 26, 2013.  During this reporting period activities were limited to mobilization, site preparation, and set-up.

Crews will begin removing debris from the fourth floor on September 3.  Since there are no working elevators, the debris will be removed through an opening created in the west side of the building by removing a window and part of a wall.  Materials will be lowered using a telehandler and placed into a roll-off box for off-site shipment.

Begin debris removal activities.

Community residents have indicated a concern for off-site contamination during this action.  Crews will initiate dust control measures and the EPA will conduct air monitoring as appropriate.

Debris will be categorized as ACM and/or non-hazardous debris based on inspection and sample data.  All debris will be hauled off-site to a sanitary landfill.