United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region II
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

At 1615 hours on 10/29/08 EPA received a phone notification from the NRC that a chemical release was occurring at Abrachem Chemical, a bulk chemical packaging facility that leases property in Clifton, Passaic County, NJ.  The NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection requested EPA presence at the scene.

At 1730 hours OSC Ellen Banner and OSC Paul Kahn responded to the scene.  The company was found to be storing drums and bulk storage containers of known and unknown chemicals in 17 56-foot long intermodal shipping carriers, stacked 3 tiers high (approx. 35 feet).  Only 5 of the intermodals could be opened, and inside those it was observed that drums and bulk containers were staged behind tiers of new, blue poly drums which gave the impression that the intermodals were used only for new drum storage.  

The owner of Abrachem retained the services of a remediation company which was on the scene, but waiting for EPA to arrive prior to starting work.  Contractor personnel were advised to lay poly sheeting and begin removing/overpacking the leaking and unknown drums that were readily accessible.  Work commenced almost immediately, but at 2100 hours work was halted due to lack of adequate lighting and the physical inability to access the majority of the drums.  Work will resume on 10/30/08 when additional personnel and equipment arrive on-Site.

A meeting was held with the owner, EPA, state, and local authorities at 1000 hours on 10/30/08.
At that time a Field Expedient Notice was issued to Mr. Ted Frey, the owner/operator of Abrachem Chemical.

On 11/21/2008 the Passaic County Sheriff served a levy on Abrachem to seize liquid assets (cash, cars), both personal and private, for outstanding unpaid debts.  The $300,000 levy may mean that Abrachem does not have sufficient cash-flow to remain an operating company, and the liklihood that it can perform a removal action is becoming more doubtful.

Clean Venture is supposed to initiate limited haz-cating of waste chemical drums on 11/26, and EPA will be on site to observe this activity, if it in fact takes place.

EPA is actively seeking to gain access to the Site to initiate a Superfund removal action, and will aggressively pursue voluntary access.

Key issues at this point are the financial viability of the company, EPA access to the shipping containers, and preventing additional releases to the environment.