Polution Situation Report

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Old Saratoga Hospital (RV1) - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region II

Subject:

POLREP #2
Old Saratoga Hospital (RV1)
A-25L
Providence Township, NY
Latitude: 43.0993421 Longitude: -74.0065090

To:

John Borowski, Providence Fire Department

From:

Kelli Lucarino, OSC; Paul Kahn, OSC

Date:

7/17/2015

Reporting Period:

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	A-25L	Contract Number:	EP-S2-15-02
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	CERCLA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:	Removal Action
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:	Drums and other bulk containers
Mobilization Date:	7/27/2015	Start Date:	7/27/2015
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:	NYN000201779	RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:	881709
FPN#:		Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

Emergency response at an abandoned former tuberculosis cure hospital.

1.1.2 Site Description

The Site is a former Saratoga County hospital that operated as a cure cottage for patients who had contracted tuberculosis. It was built in the late 19th Century, expanded in the early part of the 20th Century, and the present day structure consists of a two story steel frame brick-and-stone main building with a full basement, the remnants of a former boiler plant and electrical generation building, and a former waste water treatment plant (WWTP).

The facility was closed by the county in 1962 and was subsequently purchased in 1982 by Conifer Construction Group, Inc., a building company. An attempt was made to rehab the building and put it back in use as a senior citizen residence, but it proved to be unsuccessful and the facility was abandoned shortly thereafter.

1.1.2.1 Location

It is situated in a rural residential area approximately 10 miles west of Saratoga Springs, NY

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

The building contains hundreds of linear feet of asbestos pipe insulation, much of which has fallen onto the floors. In one room in the main building are 30 - 40 5-gallon pails of roofing tar and paint. In another room are approximately 50 yellow asbestos bags filled with friable asbestos. There is some type of pressure vessel in the basement that is partially covered with a 2 inch thick blanket of asbestos insulation; much of the insulation had fallen onto the floor. Inside the main building are mattresses, clothing and children's toys indicating that trespassers have been accessing the building and areas where there is asbestos insulation.

Inside the WWTP there are at least 30 full 55-gallon drums of waste water treatment chemicals, some of which were tipped over and some were bulging. In addition there are at least 2 30-gallon drums of sulfuric acid. This building is fully accessible to the public and located within 50 feet of a stream that empties into Sacandaga Lake approximately 1 mile away.

The initial removal action planned for this Site will be to address the drummed chemicals, of which there is approximately 100 containers from 1-gallon pails up to 55-gallon drums. Sampling of the suspected asbestos-containing insulation will take place during drum removal activities and may be the subject of a second removal action at this Site.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

See above.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

UPDATED INFORMATION IS IN BOLD FONT.

OSCs toured the facility and determined that a threat of a release of hazardous substances and friable asbestos existed.

Verbal authorization to conduct a time-critical removal action for the drummed chemicals abandoned at the Site has been given by the Deputy Director of the Emergency Response & Remedial Division. Funding in the amount of $147,000 has also been obtained for this removal action. A draft Action Memo has been written, an ERRS contractor has been selected, and a Task Order to mobilize the contractor to the Site is pending.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

There is at least one known PRP, one of the former partners of Conifer Construction Group, Inc. He has given EPA written access to the entire site. There is one other individual who was associated with Conifer Construction Group, but that person's identity is presently unknown.

OSCs will obtain a search of tax records from the Saratoga County Clerk and will attempt to identify other PRPs from these records.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

*Waste Stream*	*Medium*	*Quantity*	*Manifest #*	*Treatment*	*Disposal*

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Mobilize ERRS contractor to the Site to qualitatively identify the contents of the drums, stabilize them, overpack drums that appear to be compromised and stage drums in a secure container pending final off-site disposal.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

OSCs will meet with the Region 2 RST contractor at the site in mid-July, at which time a full site assessment and sampling event will occur.

Once the Task Order has been issued, OSCs will meet the ERRS contractor at the Site for a familiarization tour.

See Section 2.2.1 above.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

Activate ERRS to mobilize to the site to stabilize the drums in the WWTP/main building and haz-cat the contents. Drums will be staged inside a secured CONEX box pending T & D.

Draft action memo to address the chemical drums in the WWTP and the main building.

Issue Task Order and finalize Action Memo. A TDD has been issued for the EPA RST contractor to compile the Admin Record, establish a suitable repository, and publish a public notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the Providence Township locale.

2.2.2 Issues

None.

2.3 Logistics Section