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 #5
Site Demobed Penidng Disposal Arrangements
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: 8/7/2015
Reporting Period:

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: A-25L    Contract Number: EP-S2-15-02
D.O. Number: 0010    Action Memo Date: 7/24/2015
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: 8/3/2015    Start Date: 7/21/2015
Demob Date: 8/6/2015    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. 

The Action Memo and confirmation of verbal authorization and funding signed by Director of ERRD on July 24, 2015.  ERRS was activated and mobilized to the Site on 8/3/2015.  While investigating a means to extract the drums from the WWTP ERRS discovered 4 additional drums of unknown chemicals and two full drums submerged in the WW settling tank.  ERRS cleared a path through the underbrush over which the drums will be relocated into the CONEX boxes.

ERRS retrieved 32 drums of haz waste from the WWTP, sampled same, and staged drums inside CONEX container.  Thirty of the drums had contents that tested corrosive; some with pH as low as 1 and as high as 13.  One drum tested positive for flammability.  The contents of one other drum remains unknown and will be included in the samples sent to a lab for analysis.  The Haz-mat ID instrument was used to categorize the waste streams.  

ERRS staged 1 full, two partial, and 4 empty 15-gallon drums of bleach solution in the CONEX box.  The bleach drums are marked "Surpass Chemical, Surchlor", which is a 12.5% bleach solution with a pH of 13.  OSC contacted Surpass Chemical at their Albany facility they agreed to accept the drums and empties as returned goods.  ERRS transported the drums and transferred them to Surpass where the material will be used in their on-site WWTP.  ERRS also lab-packed approx. 100 pails of paint and roofing tar from the main building and staged them in the CONEX box pending T & D.

OSC met with town supervisor and briefed him on the status of the removal action.  A member of the Providence Vol. fire company visited the site for a briefing on the removal action and contents of the CONEX boxes. 

ERRS demobed crew and rented equipment at COB on 8/7/2015.  Prior to leaving ERRS marked the CONEX boxes with flammable/corrosive placards and double-locked the front gate. 

RST located a public library in Galway Township and the Admin Record will repose in that library.  The public announcement will be published in the Saratogan newspaper in Saratoga Springs.

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
 Sodium hypochlorite  liquid  20 gals  B of L    recycle
           
           


  2.2 Planning Section
    2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Review analytical data.

Issue bid documents for transportation and off-site disposal of drums of chemicals.

Establish the Admin Record and publish public announcement in local newspaper of general circulation.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

See Section 2.2.1 above.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

See Section 2.2.1 above.

2.2.2 Issues

None.
  2.3 Logistics Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.5 Other Command Staff
    No information available at this time.
3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command

3.2 Cooperating Agencies

NYSDEC

Saratoga County

Providence Township
4. Personnel On Site
  None.
5. Definition of Terms
  No information available at this time.
6. Additional sources of information
  6.1 Internet location of additional information/report

See "Links" section of this web site.

6.2 Reporting Schedule
7. Situational Reference Materials
  See Documents and Links Section.