United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IX
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Atlas Iron and Metal Co., Inc. site (Atlas) is located at 10019 South Alameda Street in the City of Los Angeles, California.  Atlas is bordered to the north by LEX-West, a Lexington Steel Corporation, to the south by David Starr Jordan High School facilities and to the west by the Jordan High School sports field.  Alameda Street and the Alameda corridor border Atlas facility to the east.  The Los Angeles River is located 3.5 miles southeast of Atlas.  Atlas is an approximately three acre active metal recycling facility where scrap metal is stored and prepared for reuse by cutting, welding and sorting operations.  The site has operated as a metal recycling facility since approximately 1949.  

In October, 2005 the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), submitted a formal Request for Federal Action to EPA to address two waste piles present at the facility.  Subsequent negotiations between EPA, DTSC and the PRP resulted in an EPA-approved PRP Removal Action Workplan and Health and Safety Plan for the excavation and disposal of the waste piles and any associated areas of soil contamination.  The PRP removal team mobilized on August 14, 2006.  Field operations are expected to conclude at the end of August or early September 2006.

See POLREP #1 for additional site description.

All removal activities are being conducted by the PRP under the terms of an EPA-approved Removal Action Workplan (RAP) and Site Health and Safety Plan (HASP).  EPA approved the RAP on 8/3/06 and the HASP on 8/7/06.  The following organizations are participating in the removal action:

• EPA - Providing primary oversight of RAP implementation.
• DTSC - Providing oversight of RAP implementation and lead for community involvement coordination.
• SOS - Prime PRP contractor responsible for overall site removal activities.  In addition they are collecting perimeter air samples for lead contamination.
• ERRG - SOS subcontractor; responsible for sorting through waste piles to separate ferrous metals and waste, loading of wastes for off site disposal, and exclusion zone air monitoring for dust emissions.  


8/30/06
Personnel On-Site: OSC J. Musante, OSC C. Benson, 3-ERRG.

A. ERRG continued clean-up activities in the processed waste stockpile area.  Excavation to determine depth of the waste body in the large pile area is scheduled for 8/31.
  

8/31/06
Personnel On-Site: OSC Jason Musante, 1-START, DTSC B. Wu, 4-ERRG.

A. ERRG conducted “pothole” excavations at eight locations along two north-south transects in the large pile area.  Work in the exclusion zone was performed in modified level D.  Dust suppression was performed using water mist and other control measures identified in the RAP.  Excavation was conducted to approximately 5’ bgs at locations #1 - #7.  At these locations visible waste body materials transitioned to a uniform grey-brown soil layer at 1 - 2’ bgs.  ERRG collected soil samples from these locations for lead and PCBs analysis; split samples were provided to DTSC, by request.  At location #8 waste body materials were visible down to approximately 7’ bgs.  Excavation was stopped at this depth due to metallic debris impeding excavation; no sample was collected at this location.


9/01/06

A. ERRG continued clean-up activities at the site and secured the large pile area with plastic sheeting.

PRP-lead removal in progress.

• Excavation and removal of the waste body in the large pile area is scheduled to resume on 9/07/06.
• Confirmation sampling in the large pile area.

• EPA approval of SOS confirmation sampling strategy.
• EPA receipt of additional SOS air sampling data for review.