United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region III
POLLUTION REPORT


Date:
Friday, March 14, 2008
From:
Jack Downie

Subject: 

Removal Action
Remacor, Inc.
P.O. Box 366, West Pittsburg, PA
Latitude: 40.9349711
Longitude: -80.3686583


POLREP No.:
118
Site #:
G3GM
Reporting Period:
3/13-3/14/08
D.O. #:
03-04-015
Start Date:
9/15/2006
Response Authority:
CERCLA
Mob Date:
9/15/2006
Response Type:
Emergency
Demob Date:
 
NPL Status:
Non NPL
Completion Date:
 
Incident Category:
Removal Action
CERCLIS ID #:
PAD074965096
Contract #
RCRIS ID #:
 

Site Description

EPA is continuing emergency removal actions at this site during the repackaging, transportation, and removal of flammable magnesium materials.  Magnesium generators, who previously supplied Remacor with recyclable magnesium and magnesium alloys, are removing their materials from the site.  Intermet has suspended shipping material until further notice.  SPX Contech will be repackaging the remainder of its material in preparation to ship it off site when weather will allow.  Hitchcock Industries has been on site to identify their material they will begin removing material when the weather breaks.  

EPA’s ERRS contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) has completed  reacting drums from Building #2 and from Building #8 and has started reacting sacks of LimeMag.  PADEP is providing technical and oversight support at the site.  EPA START contractor TechLaw is providing technical and administrative support to the EPA.  EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site in addition to coordinating the activities of the various generators.  

Current Activities

Personnel On-Scene:
03/13/08 EPA-1, PADEP-1,  START-1, ERRS-8, Security-1 (24 hr)
03/14/08  EPA-2, PADEP-1, START-1, ERRS-7, Security-1 (24 hr)

Weather:
03/13/08 Low of 27° F, high of 38° F.  Overcast, 0.00inches of precipitation, wind SW 5-11 mph.
03/14/08 Low of 33° F, high of 38° F.  Overcast, 0.00 inches of precipitation,  NW 9-12 mph.

03/13/08
U.S.EPA OSC Jack Downie and OSC Marjorie Easton were on site for oversight of activities and site entry.  OSC Marjorie Easton demobilized.  

Hitchcock’s contractor MHF had 2 personnel on site to locate drums.  MHF also will be removing the reacted waste piles off site and had their subcontractor onsite to assess the 250-ton piles for future removal off site.

Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental, Inc held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities, areas of concern and safety issues associated with the day’s activities.  ERRS is reacting sacks and containers believed to contain lime-mag.  ERRS is taking extra precautions when working the material and continues to wear full face shields with appropriate filters.    

Two additional START were on site to GPS sampling sites.  The original waypoints were lost when they were downloaded. The second set of waypoints would not download so a different Trimple Unit was used with successful readings.
START assisted as needed and conducted written/photographic documentation.  

03/14/08
U.S.EPA OSC Jack Downie was on site for oversight of activities and site entry.  OSC Downie demobilized.

Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental, Inc held its morning safety meeting and discussed the days planned activities, areas of concern and safety issues associated with the day’s activities.   ERRS is reacting sacks and bens of material from Building #2 and #8, most of them marked as lime-mag.  The material is giving off tremendous amounts of heat and gasses but no fires have occurred with this material.  

START assisted the EPA as needed and conducted written/photographic documentation


Next Steps

Hitchcock’s contractor MHF plans to begin repackaging and removing their material the 3rd week of April.

No PRP activity is presently occurring on site.  All PRP removal action has been suspended by the companies until inclement winter weather conditions subside and the weather allows them to resume activities.

National Machine Company plans to submit a work/safety plan to the EPA.

EPA will continue to coordinate with magnesium waste generators for the safe and appropriate removal of the material from the site.  EPA will continue to coordinate with all local, state, and federal agencies.


Key Issues

Material located in Building 2 marked as LimeMag are being reacted by ERRS.  The material is highly volatile and gives off large amounts of heat and gasses when reacted with water. ERRS is extra cautious when working with this material.


response.epa.gov/remacor