United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

Please refer to the previous POLREP for background information.

START, EPA, and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) performed a reconnaissance of a large field south of the impacted area where debris from the buildings had been deposited by the tornado.  Five small containers containing oil residues were removed this area.  The area contained mostly construction debris and no remaining hazardous materials were observed.

At 11:00 May 13, 2008 ERRS placed two hard booms in a drainage ditch that lies between the boat renovation building and highway 251.  The booms were deployed in order to prevent any additional gas and oil from seeping into the ditches from rain runoff.  Concurrent with this activity ERRS set up a staging area on a concrete pad which was part of the boat renovation facility. ERRS prepared the area by laying down heavy plastic sheeting and surrounding the staging area with absorbent booms.  Once the staging area was completed ERRS began sweeping the debris field for hazardous materials.  Hazardous materials that were collected included 65 car/boat batteries, approximately 30 oil tanks, 10 gas tanks, 7 metal drums and 3 compressed gas cylinders.  Through coordination with the McIntosh County EMA, EPA was able to assist McIntosh County with the removal of a large fuel tank and removal of a mercury filled sphygmomanometer (intact) from the rubble of their fire station.  Also through coordination with the Gateway facility, EPA was able to remove hazardous materials from their property and was told to look out for sharps and medicine's from their facility that may be mixed in with the rubble.  A damaged car that was leaking gasoline was also up righted at the Gateway facility to prevent a sparking/explosion hazard.  In addition to these hazardous materials there were several small containers of oil, paint and lubricates.  ER also found ammunition and signal flares.  Live ammunition will be transferred to the local sheriffs department.  Salvageable flares were retained by the property owner.

At 15:00 the areas around the three impacted buildings had been cleared of all hazardous materials.  Any hazardous materials remaining inside the damaged buildings were not collected due to risk of structural failure.  Once the collected hazardous materials had been staged and segregated, ERRS began consolidating waste streams for disposal.  Batteries were overpacked in 3, 85 gallon heavy poly drums and oil waste was bulked into a 55 gallon metal drum.  Empty oil containers were cut open and oil absorbent was applied to capture any residual oil.  Salvageable commercial products (oils, adhesives, and lubricates) collected by the property owner were placed in an open top metal 55 gallon drum and not disposed of by EPA.

ERRS will continue to overpack and bulk the hazardous substances found at the Site and determine an off-site disposal of the waste.  Once the waste is removed from Site, EPA site acitivites will cease until boats and other debris is removed from the Site.  At that point EPA will remobe to the Site to conduct an evaluation of the Site for soil removal.

Once ERRS removes the collected waste from the site, the Site will transition into a time-critical removal Site.  As the Site lies right now, there is too much debris (boats, tools, sheet metal and other building debris) lying on the ground to start soil excavation of the impacted areas.  McIntosh County, Gateway, Outboard Rejuvenation and Justified Customs are currently demoing their facilities and cleaning up the debris.  EPD and McIntosh County EMA will maintain oversight of the cleanup process and will inform EPA when the site has been cleared.  At that time, EPA will remobe to the Site and begin soil removal.

There are several issues of the Site that need to be addressed.  The first is the debris and the effect it is having on the cleanup.  There are two drainage pathways from the Site that lead to a culvert under HWY 251.  The culvert has been blocked off to prevent the contaminated runoff from exiting the Site which will cause a drainage pond to form every time that it rains.  These ponds will sheen due to the oil/gas that has sunk into the soil along the drainage pathways.  The pathways cannot be excavated due to the huge debris pile lying on top of them.  At this time the owners of Outboard Rejuvenation and Justified Customs are working to remove the debris pile so that cleanup can take place.  

The next issue is rain.  The site has a large sheet flow during a rain event and can flood quickly.  Constant monitoring of the booms will be needed during and after rain events to ensure hazardous materials and oil remain onsite.  

The final issue is safety.  There is still a lot of debris remaining on the site that contains sharp materials (barb wire, tools, nails, etc.).  There is also the potential for bio hazards from the Gateway facility in the means of sharps and medicines.  There is also no fence surrounding the property and there are a lot of citizens wanting to stop along the road and take pictures.  Local EMA will remain on site as long as needed to prevent looters and provide security.  Gateway has also hired private security due to the private records contain within their building.