United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region X
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Japanese Auto Wrecking (JAW) site (no longer operating at this location) originally occupied approximately 1.7 acres.  The site (located at 7777 262nd Street in Kent, Washington) is a former auto wrecking yard that was referred to the EPA’s Emergency Response Unit by the Washington Department of Ecology, the Washington State Patrol, and the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) division.  The site is located near other auto wrecking yards, is within 0.25 mile of the Green River, and within 0.5 mile of residences.  Prior to their February 2003 eviction, Japanese Auto Wrecking had taken over approximately 5.72 acres of the former Astro Salvage property.  During the START site visit on February 13, 2003, oil was observed floating on surface water and strong petroleum odors were noted near a car-crushing area on the Japanese Auto Wrecking property.  Workers on site reported dumping of thousands of gallons of gasoline directly into the soil at several locations.  The site was closed by Washington Department of Labor and Industries in January, 2003, due to unsafe working conditions.  On February 27, 2003, the EPA responded to the site due to the potential for buried chlorine gas cylinders to leak.  On May 2, 2003, the EPA defined the entire 15 acre property (this includes the approximately 8 acres formerly occupied by Japanese Auto Wrecking) as the site area.  

The air sparge/soil vapor extraction remediation system has continued to operate since July 2005.  The system is monitored on a weekly basis, but not limited to manifold gauges, air compressor, and vacuum blower.  In addition to the aforementioned monitoring, oxygen, carbon dioxide, Lower Explosive Limits, and Volatile Organic Compound readings have been recorded using a portable MultiRae IR with photoionization detector (PID).  

Groundwater sampling of all monitoring wells occurred in November 2005, March 2006, and June 2006.  The START-2/START-3 collected duplicate samples during each event.  Analtyical results (from G-Logics and the START-3) indictated that gasoline-range hydrocarbons remained above MTCA Method A cleanup levels in those groundwater samples collected from GMW-04 and GMW-08.  Laboratory results  indicated that groundwater samples collected from GMW-02 and GMW-08 remain above MTCA Method A Cleanup Levels for benzene.

Continued monitoring of the air sparge/soil vapor extraction remediation system to include the collection of air and groundwater samples.

Have RP determine the following:

The RP to develop a schedule to conduct  the following Tasks per the AOC:

• Hydrogeologic  Investigation
• Risk Assessment
• Removal Action Evaluation
• Engineering Plans and Specifications
• Removal Action Implementation
• O & M

Collection of  groundwater samples along the bank of the Green River to Determine if contamination has impacted (entered) the navigable water way.