United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region III
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

EPA has been performing an emergency removal action at this site which has primarily involved the stabilization, repackaging, transportation, and removal of hazardous magnesium materials and other solid wastes from the facility.  EPA completed repackaging abandoned magnesium materials that have been stored in drums that have succumbed to varying degrees of corrosion.  The repackaged materials are staged inside site buildings pending removal from the site.  Areas of the site including open pad areas, low areas and drainage ways have been cleared of residual wastes that had spilled when the facility was operating. Low-level radioactive solids and miscellaneous waste material have been packaged and shipped off site for disposal. Lime was removed from eight large vertical vats located on the west and south side of building 2. The lime was neutralized and shipped off site for disposal.  Current activities at the Site are focused on the transportation of re-packaged magnesium material to off-site recycling and disposal facilities.  ERRS subcontractor, Capitol, Inc., completed the inspection and classification of the drums containing the various magnesium scrapings this week.  PADEP is overseeing site activities for the state and providing support.  EPA START contractor TechLaw is providing technical and administrative support to the EPA.  EPA and PADEP officials continue to control access to the site as well as coordinate activities with the various generators and disposal.

Personnel On-Scene:
12/01/08 ERRS-1, Other-1, Security-1 (24-hr)    
12/02/08 EPA-2, PADEP-1, ERRS-8, Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/03/08 EPA-1, ERRS-8, Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/04/08 EPA-2, ERRS-8, Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/05/08 EPA-3, ERRS-8, Other-2, Security-1 (24 hr)
12/06/08 EPA-1, ERRS-8, Security-1 (24 hr)

Weather:
12/02/08  Low of 24° F, high of 30° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 15-17 mph.
12/03/08  Low of 23° F, high of 45° F, partly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 6-12 mph
12/04/08  Low of 25° F, high of 46° F, partly cloudy, 0.04” precipitation, wind W 9-16 mph
12/05/08  Low of 17° F, high of 25° F, mostly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 10-14 mph
12/06/08  Low of 16° F, high of 27° F, partly cloudy, 0.00” precipitation, wind W 05-15 mph

During 12/2/08 to 12/06/08, Emergency and Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor Guardian Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) held its daily morning safety meetings and discussed anticipated activities.  ERRS prepared drums containing magnesium scrap material each day for offsite shipment by weighing, labelling, banding, placing them on skids, and staging the drums according to their weight. The drums that ERRS were handling were previously inspected and classified by their subcontractor, Capitol, Inc.  No drums were transported off-site during this reporting period.

12/01/08
ERRS mobilized to the West Pittsburg, PA area following the Holiday break.  

12/02/08
Daily operations resumed at the site.  OSC Downie and SAO Messimer mobilized to the site and conducted oversight of operations. PADEP representative Mary Hoffman mobilized to the site and provided oversight support.

A representative of Capitol, Inc., an ERRS subcontractor, mobilized to the site and continued to inspect and classify the contents of repackaged drums containing magnesium materials to assist with determining recycling/disposal options.

12/04/08    
OSC’s Downie and Easton provided oversight of operations.  The Capitol, Inc. representative continued to inspect and classify repackaged drum contents.

12/05/08
OSC’s Downie and Easton provided oversight of operations.  EPA SAO Messimer was on site for financial oversight.  The Capitol, Inc. representative completed inspection and classification of the repackaged drums and demobilized from the site.

12/06/08
OSC Dennis Matlock provided oversight of operations.

ERRS will continue to arrange transportation of the drummed magnesium material to an off-site disposal or recycling facility, and continue shipping the drums offsite.  ERRS will also continue to prepare the remaining drums for offsite shipment/disposal.

None

Disposal Summary as of 12/06/08

Magnesium Turnings, Flammable Solid, Haz Mat:   4,751,341 pounds
Magnesium Scrap, Non-Haz Mat:  1,358,728 pounds
Total:   6,110,069 pounds

Low Level RAD drums:   334,275 pounds
Bulk Load Waste Piles:    5,764,000 pounds

Waste misc. liquids (Non-magnesium):   3,125 gallons
Waste misc. solids (Non-magnesium):   258,190 pounds