United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

On July 19, 2005, a tire fire broke out at the Watertown Tire and Recycling facility which is on the northwest side of Watertown, Wisconsin in the town of Shields.  The Watertown Tire and Recycling facility is surrounded by Provimi RD to the south, Rich RD to the west, a creek to the east and agriculture to the north.  The facility is in a mixed agricultural and residential area.

The fire spread rapidly and no injuries were reported.  The fire engulfed the main building and the large tire stockpile in the rear of the facility.  Actions taken by operators on site were able to establish a fire break for the chipped tires in the front of the building. There were several explosions on site from fuel tanks located within the building.  Roads were blocked off and the Dodge County Health Department asked residents in the vicinity of the fire to close doors and windows and stay indoors (shelter in place). No evacuation order was made.  The plume of smoke extended at least 93 miles to the southeast, stretching across Milwaukee and over central Lake Michigan.  More than 637 square miles were covered by the plume, including 290 miles of Lake Michigan.  The fire was reported to be out on Monday, July 25, 2005.  

On July 20, 2005, Wisconsin DNR requested U.S. EPA's assistance in providing air monitoring and air sampling at the fire.  U.S. EPA On-Scene Coordinator Mitchell, the Superfund Technical Assistance and Response Team (START), and U.S. EPA’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) mobilized to the site to provide air monitoring assistance.

On August 14, 2005 water treatment operations continue along Provimi Road. Chemical feed pump regulators were installed at the H2SO4 mixing tanks.  Chemical feed pumps were set at 100% output and will automatically shut off if the pH exceeds the set point.  Approximately 80,000 gallons of water was treated on this day.  

On August 15, 2005, treatment of the water continued along Provimi Road.  Water from the drainage ditch was pumped into the containment basin.  START personnel collected a sample of the treated effluent from the sample port on the last carbon filter.  The sample was hand delivered to a local laboratory for VOC, SVOC, TAL metal, oil and grease, TSS, pH, and BOD and COD analysis at the local laboratory and continued to monitor the dissolved oxygen content of the water.  Approximately 153,000 gallons of water were treated and discharged this date.  Approximately 503,000 gallons of water from the containment basin has been treated to date.  

On August 16, 2005, treatment of the water continued along Provimi Road.  Sample results of effluent water indicated that the water treatment is operating properly and the frequency of sample collection was decreased to once a week.  A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources representative was on site to update U.S. EPA on cleanup activities at the facility.  A contractor has been hired to remove tires and debris from the facility and test impacted soils.  U.S. EPA obtains access agreements from residents south of the facility.  START prepared a Sampling and Analysis Plan Amendment for 14 sediment/soil samples to be collected from the drainage ditch and the containment basin.  Approximately 127,000 gallons of water were treated and discharged this date.  Approximately 630,000 gallons of water from the containment basin has been treated to date.  

On August 17, 2005, treatment of the water continued along Provimi Road.  The treatment system was operating at a flow rate of approximately 200 gallons per minutes.  U.S. EPA requested that an additional 3 sediment samples be collected along the drainage ditch.  Water from the drainage ditch was pumped into the containment basin.  U.S. EPA contacted the owner of the facility to request a written access agreement.  Approximately 130,000 gallons of water were treated and discharged this date.  Approximately 760,000 gallons of water from the containment basin has been treated to date.  

On August 18, 2005, treatment of the water in the containment basin continued.  A sump was constructed in the drainage ditch upstream of the dam and north of Provimi Road to expedite pumping of water from the drainage ditch.  START collected a sediment samples from the containment basin.  Grab samples were collected from the dry area of the bottom of the containment basin along with each of the four walls.  The samples were hand delivered to a local laboratory for VOC, SVOC, TAL Metal, and pH analysis. Preliminary analytical data for the effluent sample collected on August 15, 2005 indicated that none of the volatile organic chemicals analyzed for were present in the effluent.  Approximately 90,000 gallons of water were treated and discharged this date.  Approximately 850,000 gallons of water from the containment basin has been treated to date.  

On August 19, 2005, water treatment operations continued along Provimi Road.  Water from the drainage ditch was pumped into the containment basin.  A heavy sediment concentration in the influent water was causing the bag filters to clog.  ERRS raised the intake hose off the bottom of the containment basin to decrease the amount of sediment going into the treatment system.  START collected a sediment sample from the drainage ditch at Highway 19.  The grab sample was hand delivered to a local laboratory for VOC, SVOC, TAL Metal, and pH analysis. Preliminary analytical data for the sediment sample from the containment basin collected on August 18, 2005 was received.  No VOC or SVOCs were detected above the method detection level.  Approximately 50,000 gallons of water were treated and discharged this date.  Approximately 900,000 gallons of water from the containment basin has been treated to date

On August 20, 2005, water treatment operations continue at Provimi Road.  Pumping of water from the drainage ditch was completed. All dams installed in the drainage ditch were removed and a sump was constructed in the containment basin to increase pumping efficiency.  Approximately 975,000 gallons of water have been pumped from the containment basin, treated, and discharged downstream.

Continue with water treatment operations and prepare for demobilization of the site.

Continue treating water in containment basin and discharging treated effluent downstream.  Complete sediment sampling of drainage ditch and containment basin.  Restore site.