See POLREPs 1 and 2.
Companies that have made purchases during the auction are still in the process of claiming/removing plant equipment and scrap metal. The auctioneer/Trustee are controlling access to the site and maintaining control of that process. EPA continues to clear chemical containers from areas as needed to reduce the potential for accidental release while equipment is being removed. Additionally, EPA is continuing the process of restaging drums as needed for safe storage and to facilitate sampling and T&D related activities. Third parties conducting auction-related activities are restricted from access to areas where EPA is conducting intrusive work. EPA/ERRS continue to open available exits as needed to enhance ventilation of the buildings and provide emergency egress points for all parties on-site.
It has been determined by the Trustee that the ammonia tank, the 2 nitrogen tanks, and the hydrogen tank were leased by the Alfred Heller Heat Treating Company and are owned by others. During the week of 6/1/09, the owner of the ammonia tank, Airgas Specialty Products, purged the tank and associated piping and removed the tank from site. A total of 850 gallons of liquid ammonia were removed and purged from the system.
The Linde Group has been identified as the owner of one of the nitrogen tanks, the hydrogen tank, and a nitrogen generating system located inside the plant. Linde was on Site on 6/24 and 6/25/2009 to reclaim their equipment. On 6/24/09, the Linde Group inspected the hydrogen tank, the 2 nitrogen tanks and associated piping. The tanks and lines were purged and the equipment was disconnected as necessary in preparation for removal. Linde mobilized two cranes to the Site and removed one hydrogen tank, one nitrogen tank, the nitrogen generating system and all associated equipment on 6/25/2009. Ownership of the second nitrogen tank is currently being determined. That tank will be sold by the Bankruptcy Estate upon final ownership determination.
EPA/ERRS has cleaned an existing on-site laboratory and prepared it for use in EPA sample management and hazardous categorization (haz-cat) activities. The laboratory has been established and secured as a work area for the on-site chemist. Drum/container sampling and haz-cat activities were initiated during the week of 6/1/09. A total of 39 tanks, 110 vats, 10 equipment reservoirs and 400 drums have been sampled and haz-catted to date.
The contents of two tanks full of sodium hydroxide solution were sold by the Bankruptcy Estate to Suffern Plating of Lodi, NJ. Feehold Cartage, Inc. was hired by Suffern to provide a vacuum truck to recover the material and transport it to Suffern. EPA/ERRS provided oversight and assistance to Freehold Cartage on 6/26/2009 as necessary to ensure safe transfer of the material. One thousand nine hundred seventy (1,970)gallons of sodium hydroxide solution were recovered and shipped to Suffern Plating for re-use.
On June 8, 2009, Gerdau Ameristeel of Sayreville, NJ notified the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Radioactive Materials Section (NJDEP RMS) that a radiation source was discovered while loading scrap metal into a railcar. The source was traced to an equipment panel for an Alnor Dewpointer that had been shipped to Heller Heat Treating Company in 1956. The source in the device contains 7 micro curies of Radium-226; the maximum reading on contact was 4 mR/hr as reported by the NJDEP RMS investigator. The device is currently being securely stored in isolation at the Gerdau Ameristeel facility in Sayreville. The NJDEP RMS has requested EPA assistance in returning the source to the equipment distributor, the DICKEY-John Corporation of Auburn, Illinois.
Upon further investigation, a second Alnor Dewpointer was discovered on-site. EPA is currently investigating transportation and disposal requirements/options. Both devices will be appropriately managed as part of this removal action.
Currently EPA plans to remove all chemical waste drums, containers and laboratory chemicals. Additionally, EPA will remove and dispose of wastes from all vats, tanks and equipment reservoirs. EPA will continue to work closely with the Bankrutpcy Trustee to identify chemicals that may have value and can be sold or reclaimed.
A draft Action Memorandum for the Site is currently under review. Site operations will be temporarily suspended for two weeks surrounding the July 4 holiday as a cost saving measure pending review and approval of the Action Memorandum. The ERRS contractor will be demobilized beginning C.O.B. on 6/26/09 and will remobilize on 7/13/2009. EPA will maintain a presense on Site during this period as feasible to monitor auction-related activities.
Two Alnor Dewpointer units containing Radium-226 were identified and will require disposal.
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