United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

EU001 is a residential cleanup of dioxin contamination located in Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan.  See Polrep 1 for more details.

Set up for the soils removal activities began in August and consisted of: building a staging area for personnel and equipment, road building within staging area and creation of access points through pre-existing berm to staging area, the placement of landscape fabric and stone under crawlspaces and decks to minimize human exposure to contaminants, and creating permanent floors in outdoor sheds.

Removal activates of contaminated soil began on September 2, 2008.  Pre-excavation activities on these properties include moving of outdoor personal property to the staging area and the removal of trees and brush.  During removal activities, crews remove 2 feet of contaminated soil in residential areas and 1 foot of soil from the “transition zones” (non-residential).  After removal of soil is complete, crews place landscape fabric as a demarcation layer, backfill with clean fill and topsoil and prepare area for landscaping and sod placement.  

On Saturday, September 6, 2008, soil and tree removal activities continued.  Backfill activities, after the placement of a landscape fabric as a “demarcation layer”, were continued on properties where the 2 ft below ground surface (bgs) removal was complete.  Backfill was also started on the eastern transition zone where 1 ft bgs was removed.  Removal and backfill of 6 inches from areas where asphalt would be placed was initiated.

On Sunday, September 7, 2008, no work was conducted.

On Monday, September 8, 2008, crews remobilize to site and continue soil and tree removal activities.  Backfill of the eastern transition zone continued. Crews continued to place landscape fabric on properties where 2 ft bgs removal was complete and subsequently backfilled those areas with clean fill and topsoil.  Plants that have been requested to return to properties were removed from their beds and potted in clean soil.  Irrigation system installation began on properties where topsoil had been placed.

On Tuesday, September 9, 2008, soil removal activities continue.  Eastern transition zone continued and the crew created an additional soil berm as part of the redesign of flow for future floodwater in the neighborhood.  Tree crews removed stumps from properties where trees have been removed.  Crews continue to place landscape fabric on properties where 2 ft bgs removal was complete and backfill those areas and clean fill and topsoil.  Crews continued to remove plants that have been requested to remain and repot in clean soil and continued to remove outdoor personal property from residences and place that property in the staging area.

On Wednesday, September 10, 2008, soil removal, backfilling, and support activities continued.  

On Thursday, September 11, 2008, soil removal continues.  soil removal, backfilling, and support activities continued. The placement of sod and other landscaping activities were initiated.  

On Friday, September 12, 2008, soil removal, backfilling, and support activities continued. The placement of sod and other landscaping activities continued.  Fence crews began replacing fences on residential properties where they had been removed for the soil removal work.

On Saturday, September 13, 2008, no soil removal activities occurred due to a lack of landfill availability and rain. Landscape activities continue.  

On Sunday, September 14th, 2008, dewatering activities of pooling water from rain occurred.

• Continue with soil removal activates from properties
• Continue backfilling
• Continue landscaping
• Continue tree removal as needed

Restore and re-landscape properties
Conduct indoor cleaning after completion of the exterior activities.
Pave Riverside Boulevard

Monitoring and controlling dust will continue.
Minimizing tracking of contaminated soils.

Total dioxin-contaminated soil removed from site through 9/13/2008:  8,553.95 tons.