United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region IV
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Mobile American Bumper and Plating site is located at 1654 Navco Road in Mobile, Alabama. The site is bordered by residential properties to the North and East and by Interstate 10 to the South.  Approximately 250 feet of wooded land separates the site from residential properties to the West. The site is a former chrome plating operation that encompasses approximately 9 acres. The site consists of an approximate 120,000 square foot, steel-clad building, two shallow concrete-lined surface impoundments, and two concrete-lined ponds. The topography is relatively flat. Surface drainage from around the facility flows to the south via drainage ditches that discharge to a concrete culvert parallel to Interstate 10.

On 1/22/2008 the EPA On Scene Coordinator (OSC), at the request of the City of Mobile, Alabama, met at the American Bumper site with all stakeholders involved to assess the presence of hazardous materials. The facility was abandoned and in severe, structural disrepair.  The various chemicals, containers and some vats were completely exposed to the external elements. Several containers were severely deteriorated and releasing their contents directly unto the surrounding ground and environment. Ongoing trespassing and vagrancy was apparent.  As a result of the initial assessment the OSC initiated an Emergency Removal Action.

Subsequent to the emergency response, a Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) was initiated to address potential exposure to hazardous chemicals inside the building and surrounding property. The TCRA scope includes demolition and disposal of the building, disposal of solid and liquid wastes from the emergency removal action and an assessment of the surrounding soils, ponds and surface impoundments.

Building Demolition and Disposal

• Building demo is complete.  
• Loose debris has been containerized in roll off boxes for disposal.
• Contaminated concrete around plating lines have been removed and staged for disposal.  
• Metals from the stockpile have been cut to length and placed into roll off boxes.  The recycling crew has processed 95% of the current metal stockpile.

Soil Contaminant Characterization

• Soil sampling is 90 percent complete.  
• One grid outside the building boundaries exceeded industrial removal action levels.  

Soil Excavation

• Contaminated/stained soils underneath contaminated concrete have been excavated and staged for disposal.  The excavated areas have been backfilled.
• One grid outside building boundary has been excavated and backfilled.

Solid and Liquid Waste Disposal

• Most nonhazardous liquids have been sent for disposal.
• Hazardous wastes will be sent for disposal in early December.  Wastes are undergoing additional treatment studies to ensure proper treatment.  

Test Digs

• ERRS excavated areas of concern for potential buried drums/vats using SESD’s assessment.  Only metal trash was found.

• The foundation of the existing building on site was cored in several areas to determine if there are buried wastes or contamination.  No evidence of buried wastes or contamination was found.  

Ponds/Surface Impoundments

• The two surface impoundments have been dewatered and its concrete liner broken and used as fill.  The concrete had no evidence of contamination.  The surface impoundments have been backfilled with clean brick and soil.

• The two ponds are currently being backfilled.  START was not able to find any sludge at the bottom of the pond.  The concrete liner appeared to be clean.  It was broken and used as fill.

Groundwater

• Groundwater wells have been sampled.  Results are pending.

• Dispose of wastes on-site.
• Final close-out of the two surface impoundments and two ponds.
• Site restoration.

None

Income generated from scrap metal will be less than originally predicted due to recent downturn of the commodity market.