United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region X
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

CAPC is a medium sized commercial metal plating facility that performs several kinds or electroplating.  Historically the site has been used for plating operations with zinc, nickel, copper, chromium, silver, gold, tin, and cadmium.  Although processes varied from one metal to another, their general process involved pre-cleaning with caustic solution or solvent, acid pickling (which eliminated scales remaining after cleaning), metal plating, and often a final chromate dip to protect plated surfaces.  Zinc plating is currently the primary process at the site.  The facility employed approximately 13 people.

The primary concern at this Site was the threat of fire and explosion.  The secondary concern is the threat posed by CERCLA hazardous substances and pollutant or contaminants releasing from abandoned drums, Above Ground Storage Tanks (AST's) and process area vats.  Drums and containers onsite will continue to deteriorate over time.  As a result, the potential of solvents, acids, bases, oil, and toxic chemicals to be released to the environment is high.

See initial Polrep for further background information.

Monday, July 14, 2003

EPA OSC (1), USCG PST (2), START (5), and ERRS (6) members on site.  ERRS continued bulking drums in South Side Staging Area(SSA) in order to be removed from site.  ERRS filled two roll off bins with RCRA debris which were removed from site, and replaced by two empty roll off bins.  START continued documentation  of ERRS’ activities grouping and filling drums in SSA.  START completed Geo-probe boring inside the Main Plating Shop Area(MPA), along with three additional boreholes which were hand augered in the basement below the office area.  To date START has completed drilling and collection of soil and groundwater samples from 20 boreholes.  START sampled and hazard categorized an additional four samples, bringing the number of sampled and hazard categorized containers to 1,454 to date.    

Tuesday, July 15, 2003
EPA OSC (1), USCG PST (2), START (6), and ERRS (6) members on site. ERRS pumped a total of 30 yards of sludge into two 20 yard bins via Air Mover(super sucker) supplied and operated by Cowlitz Clean Sweep.  The bins remain on site waiting for lab analysis before being removed from site.  ERRS removed all overpacked caustics with out Cyanides from site via Phillips Services Corporation Truck(all in various sized drums).  START completed six borehole samples in the SSA.  To date START has completed drilling and collection of soil and groundwater samples from 26 boreholes.  START sent all samples collected to date to NCA Laboratory for analysis or holding.  START cleared upgradient hole locations with Locates Down Under  for street drilling.  

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

EPA OSC (1), USCG PST (2), START (6), and ERRS (6) members on site.  ERRS pumped a total of 20 yards of sludge into one 20 yard bin from MPA via Air Mover(super sucker) supplied and operated by Cowlitz Clean Sweep.  The bin remains on site with the other two 20 yard bins.  START completed drilling five boreholes in SSA, along with NW 35th Avenue, and in North Side Staging Area(NSA).  To date START has completed drilling and collection of soil and groundwater samples from 30 boreholes.  START completed X-Ray fluorescence analysis of soil and groundwater samples from all boreholes, and has field screened samples from 30 boreholes to date.

Thursday, July 17, 2003

EPA OSC (1), USCG PST (2), START (6), and ERRS (6) members on site.  ERRS staged pick up and removal of Steel Waste roll-off bin with Quantum Steel.  ERRS staged pick up and removal of two RCRA roll-off bins, along with two empty RCRA roll-off bins delivered to site.

Friday, July 18, 2003

EPA OSC (1), START (6), and ERRS (5) members on site.  

Monday, July 21, 2003
EPA OSC (1), START (1), and ERRS (5) members on site.  The facility owner and an interested neighboring facility owner walked the site today.  ERRS began to decontaminate and remove equipment from the site; excavator, forklift, aircompressor and chop saw left the site today. Two RCRA debris and one non-RCRA bins left the site today.

Two CN solids containing bins and one CN debris bin will leave the site Tuesday July 22.  Three sludge boxes await analysis prior to disposal and could leave the site as early as Thursday July 24, 2003.

START will receive and evaluate all data generated by the Geo-probe sampling event over the next 4-6 weeks.  Site Activities will recommence once that data has been collected, evaluated and next steps determined.

Evaluation of the subsurface analytical data will identify potential next steps for the removal.  Currently three options seem likely: 1) Excavation, if there is significant subsurface contamination excavation of those soils could occur; 2) Decontamination, if the subsurface contamination is not considered significant than we might need to begin sampling the building itself to see how contaminated the structure is and what would need to be done for reuse and redevelopment of the property; 3)Excavation/Decontamination, this would be a hybrid of the two previously discussed options and is the most likely.

1) WASTE STREAM TRACKING:
   -Please refer to Polrep #5 for waste removed from the site between 6/16-7/11/2003.
   -Please refer to Polrep #12 for waste removed from 7/11 on.

2) PUBLIC DOCUMENTS:
   -The Administrative Record for this site is available for Public review at the Multnomah County Central Library located at 801 SW 10th Ave./ Portland, OR 97205.  The Administrative Record can be located in the Government Doucuments Collection.  Mary Goldie is the Library Contact.

   -Please refer to Documents link at the bottom of this page for Spreadsheets Tracking Accomplishments and Wastestreams leaving the site.