United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

See Initial POLREP.

During this reporting period, ERRS finished installation of piping and other hardware for the Springfield Belle mobile water treatment unit.  ERRS also continued excavation and stockpile of PCB-contaminated soil and sludge from the basement of former Building 920.  ERRS mixed sawdust with the sludge material to stabilize it for stockpile.  On May 9, 2007, ERRS entered the basement-vault in Level C PPE (with a Bobcat) through an opening that was punctured using a Hoe Ram attachment for the large excavator.  Prior to entry, START and ERRS monitored the atmospheric conditions of the space using a Industrial Scientific four-gas meter for the monitoring of oxygen , methane/LEL , hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon monoxide (CO).  All parameters were below background readings.  START personnel, OSC and ERRS response manager (RM) also investigated manholes on 120th street for the presence of product.  Potential product was observed in two manholes; the OSC requested START collect a sample.

On May 9, 2007, the site was supplied with electrical power from the local electrical utility company.  ERRS began pump and treat of contaminated water (from the holding pond) on May 11, 2007.  Contaminated water from the holding pond was pumped (via a submerged pump) into a 10,000 gallon steel frac tank and then gravity feed into an oil and water separator (O&W).  From the O&W, the influent traveled to a 650 gallon poly tank.  From the poly tank, the influent was pumped via a submerged sump pump into the inlet valve of the Springfield Belle.  The Belle treatment process filtered the influent through four separate media vessels (one sand and diatomaceous and two carbon).  Once treated, the effluent was gravity feed into a separate 10,000 gallon frac tank until discharge.  At the time of treatment, wastewater was being treated at a rate of 25 gallons per minute (gpm).  From May 11-12, 2007, the Belle treated approximately 15,000 gallons of contaminated water.  START conducted initial treatment start-up sampling of the influent and effluent.   Effluent samples will be collected every 50,000 gallons.  Treated effluent will be discharged into the City of Chicago’s sewer system on a daily basis (approximately 4,000-10,000 gallons per day) from the frac tank to an on-site manhole.   Discharged effluent will comply with pollution concentration limits set forth by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago for metals, VOCs, SVOCs, Total Cyanide, PCBs and Pesticides and oil & grease.  

SAMPLING ACTIVITIES

START personnel collected initial wastewater influent and treated effluent on May 11, 2007.  The treated effluent was sampled from a valve inside the Belle.  Wastewater influent was sampled from the oil and water separator.  A total of 14 samples (influent and effluent combined) were collected and picked-up by Microbac Laboratories for analysis of metals, VOCs, SVOCs, and oil & grease concentration limits.  START personnel also sampled two manholes on 120th Street observed on May 9, 2007 as having potential product.  Sample 1 (MH01-051107-CoC) consisted of a grey sludge material with a petroleum odor.  Sample 2 (MH02-0521107-AMR) consisted of oily water with a petroleum odor.  Both samples were also picked-up by Microbac Laboratories for PCB-Oil analysis.   A total of 16 samples were collected on May 11, 2007.  Analytical results are expected early with a turn-around-time of 24-hours.

•Pump and treat of contaminated water from pits, vaults and the holding pond using the Springfield Belle treatment unit and;
•Begin daily discharge of treated effluent once analytical results are reported and comply with MWRD pollution concentration limits and;
•Excavation of PCB-contaminated soil, sludge and debris at the site of former Building 920 and;
•Removal of PCB-contaminated sludge material from basement-vault of former Building 920 and:
•Stockpile excavated PCB-contaminated soil for transportation and disposal at a later date and ;
•Temporary suspension of transport and disposal of PCB-contaminated soil during continuous excavation and stockpiling of former Building 920.

•Continuous pump and treat activities from Springfield Belle mobile water treatment unit;
•Sample treated effluent for metals, SVOCs, VOCs, oil& grease  and PCBs and Pesticides every 50,000 gallons and;
•Continue to mix sawdust with sludge material from basement-vault of Building 920 for stabilization purposes and;
•Document and inventory the location, size, and contents of pits and vaults inside various site buildings.

•Maintaining documentation of treated effluent volume and sample collection; and
•Ensuring that treated effluent complies with MWRD pollution concentration limits prior to sewer discharge.