United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region X
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

Albany Alloy Inc. was a former titanium fabricating facility opened in the mid 1980’s and closed in 1991.  After closing the property was purchased by PAPE Corporation who owned it until 2003.  PAPE never occupied the property, but rather held it for investment purposes and the property has stood vacant for fifteen years.  In 2003 PAPE donated the property to the Mid-Willamette Valley YMCA who own the adjacent property (Albany YMCA) located directly to the west.

The YMCA has plans to expand its Albany facility onto the property.  Although there is a twelve foot fence with both barbed and razor wire around the perimeter, as well as, securely locking buildings; the property has had problems with thieves breaking in to scrap metal (largely copper pipe) to get salvage money to buy drugs.  In order to prevent further vandalism the YMCA contracted with a metal salvage company in August 2005 to remove all the salvageable metal from the buildings .  During the salvaging operation 43 high level PCB capacitors were identified.  Each capacitor contained approximately four gallons of 90 to 100% PCB dielectric fluid.  The salvage company informed the YMCA that the equipment was regulated and would not be accepted for salvage.  The YMCA instead removed the capacitors from all the building at the facility and consolidated them in a single building located at the NW corner of the property.

On 12/06/2006 a break in was discovered at the building where the capacitors were stored.  A hole had been cut in the fence and a window busted out to gain entrance.  Two of the capacitors had been punctured in what appeared to be an attempt to salvage metal.  Approximately two to three gallons of  pure PCB was released to the concrete floor of the building.  In the following days the fence and building were secured and an environmental firm was contacted to provide a disposal estimate for the capacitors.  Upon visiting the site the environmental firm informed the YMCA that they had a possible reportable quantity of PCB released and would need to contact the National Response Center.  

On 12/15/2006 the YMCA reported the release.  On 12/18/2006 Andy Smith, R10, FOSC, Seattle contacted the facility for more information.  Smith was informed by the YMCA that based on manufacturer serial numbers from some of the equipment, General Electric confirmed that the equipment did in fact contain high level PCB. At approximately 11:30 PM on 12/18/2006 Smith contacted Dan Heister , R10 FOSC, Portland and described the situation.  Heister was a TSCA PCB inspector for nine years and told Smith that based on his experience the situation could comprise an emergency.  Heister and Smith consulted with Anthony Barber, R10 ERU Team leader and all agreed Heister should respond with a TSCA inspectors assistance.  The YMCA was contacted and Heister was assured that the facility had been re-secured.  Heister arranged to be at the facility the following morning, 12/19/2006.  Heister arranged for Bruce Long, R10 TSCA PCB Inspector, Portland to accompany him due to the TSCA enforcement related aspects of the site.

Heister and Long arrived at the Albany YMCA at 8:15 AM on 12/19/2006 and spoke with Walter Christian the YMCA property manager.  Long and Heister presented their EPA credentials then Long presented Mr. Christian with the TSCA Notice of  Inspection and proceeded to conduct the opening conference.  Heister explained that he had come along on the inspection to determine what immediate threat to human health and the environment might exist as a result of the release.  During questioning Mr. Christian relayed much of the information contained in the preceding section of  this report. Mr. Christian did defer to his supervisor, Jim Asleson, Executive Director, Mid Willamette YMCA, on the particulars of the property transfer from PAPE to the YMCA.  We arranged to meet with Mr. Asleson after the facility inspection. Long and Heister then accompanied Mr. Christian to the facility which was directly adjacent to the Albany YMCA.  

We entered the building and found the location of  the 43 capacitor.  Long and Heister then dressed in Level C protection.  They proceeded to collect physical sample, photographs, and information from the equipment.  Five samples were taken, two from the floor and three from the ruptured equipment.  62 photographs were taken of the facility.  The state of the capacitors ranged from medium to poor.  Three capacitors were leaking due to weathering problem, these were in addition to the two that had been intentionally ruptured.  Not all name plates were readable, but given the vintage of the equipment it was clear that all contained high level PCB.  Among the equipment we found GE Pyranol, and Westinghouse Interteen capacitors.  These are both trade names for PCB equipment.  After sampling, Heister and Long got out of Level C and toured the rest of the facility looking for additional electrical equipment.  None was found belonging to the facility, however utility pole mount transformers were identified as the power source for the facility.  This is typically not high level PCB equipment, and although on a pole 30 feet above the ground the transformers appeared in good condition.

Satisfied that the universe of  large PCB equipment at the facility was consolidated in the NW corner of the building we re-secured the facility and returned to the YMCA to review records and conduct the closing conference with Mr. Asleson.

We met in Mr. Asleson's office and asked to review any PCB records related to the Albany Alloys Inc. property.  We soon focused on the property transfer documents from PAPE.  An Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) letter of No Further Action (NFA) was included in the packet.  Mr. Long explained that since TSCA is an undelegable program the ODEQ NFA did not apply to the PCB equipment.  After reviewing the documents no where was there a reference made to any PCB equipment on the property.

Mr. Long explained that under TSCA the Willamette Valley YMCA would be responsible for putting together a draft plan to clean up and dispose of the PCB equipment and any contamination released from it to Dan Duncan R10 PCB Program Coordinator.  Any proposed plan would need to be reviewed and approved by Mr. Duncan.  Mr. Long also encouraged Mr. Asleson to have a certified contractor place the leaking capacitors in DOT approved drums in the interim.  Mr. Asleson agreed to do so.  I explained to Mr. Asleson that I was satisfied that the facility was adequately secure in the interim not to pose an imminent and substantial threat to human health and the environment provided he complied with the direction of the TSCA program.  He agreed to do so.  I explained that the Emergency Response program would defer to the TSCA program from that point on.  We departed the facility at 12:45 PM on 12/19/2006.

Preliminary sample results from the R10 lab are due by 01/05/2007.  The same week Mr. Long will conduct a TSCA PCB inspection of PAPE Corp. in Eugene focusing on the PCB equipment left behind at the Albany Alloy property.  Dan Duncan will review and approve the clean up plans from the YMCA per TSCA regulations.

The initial response proved to be an excellent example of cross program coordination at EPA R10.