Homer's Auto Parts (PRP) is located at 4848 North Detroit Avenue in Toledo, Ohio. The business scraped automobiles and also operated as a towing service. Several piles of old tires were located at the site. On July 7, 2004, approximately 5,000 of those tires caught fire and oil was released to a drainage ditch as a result of the fire.
On July 7, 2004, Ohio EPA OSC Mike Gerber and the City of Toledo's environmental staff responded to the tire fire at Homer's Auto parts in Toledo, Ohio. Approximately 5,000 tires were involved with the fire. Ohio EPA requested assistance from U.S. EPA in dealing with the emergency situation. U.S. EPA responded to the request for assistance and mobilized to site with the START contractor to document activities and to assist with emergency operations.
U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA, and the City of Toledo staff assessed the situation after U.S. EPA arrived on scene. When U.S. EPA arrived on the scene, fire fighters from the Toledo Mutual Aid Association (TMAA) were on scene and dousing the fire with suppressant foam. The fire was controlled within 1/2 hour of U.S. EPA arriving on scene, however, oil and water run-off was migrating off-site. The oil and water was collecting in a ditch that paralleled a railroad line and was migrating toward Sibley Ditch. Sibley Ditch dumps into the Ottawa River approximately 1/8 mile from the site.
To prevent the oil and run-off water from entering the river, U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA ordered the PRP to construct earthen berms in the ditch to control migration until the waste could be pumped off and disposed of off-site. TMAA exited the site after further controlling several flare-ups that occurred after the fire was initially put out. Once the berms were constructed, U.S. EPA, the City of Toledo staff, and Ohio EPA left the site for the night.
On July 8, 2004, U.S. EPA returned to the site and worked with Ohio EPA and the City of Toledo Staff to get the PRP to remove the waste from site. The railroad company was also contacted because their property had been adversely impacted by the fire and resulting run-off of oil and water. After issuing a Notice of Federal Interest to the PRP representative, U.S. EPA collected a sample of the run-off. Results of that sampling confirmed that the run-off consisted of contaminants that were constituents of oil.
The PRP agreed to pump the liquids from the ditch. The PRP worked until dark pumping run-off oil/water from the ditch. A representative of the railroad yard arrived on site and indicated that they would do the cleanup on their property because they did not want the PRP digging around their tracks.
On July 9, 2004, the PRP continued to remove the oily liquids from the ditch. The railroad company stated that it will excavate the contaminated soils once they can secure down-time for the tracks. Ohio EPA, Division of Solid Waste, will oversee the remaining portion of the cleanup.
Ohio EPA to oversee any further activities.
None.
None. Activities complete.
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