United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IX
POLLUTION REPORT



Date:
Monday, August 27, 2007
From:
Robert Wise

To:
Josha Curtis, CADFG-OSPR
Steven Hsu, RHB
Denise Klimas, NOAA
Denise Steurer, USFWS
Glen Forman, DTSC
Jeff Philips, USFWS
John Fassell, CADHS
John Cubit, NOAA
Katherine Pease, NOAA
Keith Duval, VCo. APCD
Kurt Zimmerman, NOAA
Marilyn Levine, CADOJ
Mitch Disney, VCoDA
Michael Lumbard, CADHS
Morgan Wehtje, CADFG
Paula Rasmussen, RWQCB
Phil Blum, DTSC
Robert Montgomery, City of Oxnard
Rod Nelson, RWQCB
Rich Sherwood, DTSC
Sayareh Amirebrahimi, DTSC
Steve Koyasako, DTSC
Steve Pay, CADHS RHB
Steve Mattern, City of Oxnard
Tracy Woods, RWQCB
Barbara Hamrick, CADHS RHB

Subject: 

On-Site Vehicle Fire
Halaco Engineering
6200 Perkins, Oxnard, CA
Latitude: 34.1389000
Longitude: -119.1819000


POLREP No.:
13
Site #:
09X6
Reporting Period:
D.O. #:
Start Date:
2/5/2007
Response Authority:
CERCLA
Mob Date:
2/5/2007
Response Type:
Time-Critical
Demob Date:
 
NPL Status:
Non NPL
Completion Date:
 
Incident Category:
Removal Action
CERCLIS ID #:
Contract #
RCRIS ID #:
 

Site Description

On the morning of August 27, 2007, the City of Oxnard Fire Department (OFD)notified OSC Robert Wise of a fire on a flat bed truck inside the smelter property.  OSC Wise then contacted the scrap metal recovery company to find out information.  The scrap metal representative stated that people were illegally cutting scrap.  OSC Wise then notified the Spill Phone Duty Office that he was responding at the request of Oxnard Fire Department.

OSC Wise and START arrived on-site at approximately 1400 hours.  The fire was out and the OFD Fire suppression unit and Arson investigator had demobilized from the site.  The fire was in the north parking lot and not inside the main smelter property, no Halaco contaminants were involved in the fire.  

The subcontactor to the scrap metal company responsible for the recycling the truck involved in the fire was on-site recovering the burned out wreck.  This person claimed that they had not been cutting on the wreck this morning.  However, the cutting gases on-site were in the north parking lot were his.  The cause of the fire and those responsible is under investigation by OFD Arson.


Current Activities

The scrap metal company is continuing the remove the scrap metal.  Due to today's incidents and information provided today by OFD of numerous fires as a result of the scrapping operations, START oversight will be increased from periodically to every day.


Key Issues

1.  The scrap metal operations are generating a large amount of combustible debris including oil and grease from some of the equipment.  OSC Wise will be sending a letter to the scrap metal company directing them to get rid of this debris in accordance with the purchase agreement with the bankruptcy court.
2.  Security on-site is a reoccurring problem.  According to OFD, Oxnard Police Department and the scrapper, there are numerous breakins.  The scrapper has stated that they are replace the locks every morning because they have been cut.  OSC Wise has recommended 24-hour security or a on-site caretaker.


response.epa.gov/Halaco