Severe storms with rain, hail, high winds, and tornadoes moved through eight counties in central/western Kansas during the evening of May 4, 2007. The city of Greensburg and outlying rural areas(Kiowa County, approximately 1,500 residents) was hit directly by an F5 tornado. This particular tornado tracked through six counties (starting in Comanche, Kiowa, Edwards, Stafford, Pratt, and Barton Counties). EPA dispatched three On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) to the scene with the response truck and mobile command post, and they reported observing scattered miscellaneous hazardous waste, including solvents, paints, propane tanks, chlorine cylinders, anhydrous ammonia tanks, rail tankers, etc.
EPA response contractors stationed at the north landfill are assisting Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) officials in identifying and segregating hazardous substances brought to the landfill in debris loads.
EPA crews conducted curbside pickup of household hazardous waste (HHW) items and white goods. The HHW May 12 totals were containers (<55 gal.): 3,352; propane & compressed gas cylinders: 42; and batteries: 40. Thirty-nine white goods were transported to the south landfill. HHW is staged at the south HHW staging area, and white goods are delivered to the south landfill.
Superfund Technical Assistance Response Team (START) contractors assessed 110 damaged transformer recovery locations and sampled 47 sites for potential PCB contamination. Longitudes and latitudes of an additional 18 damaged transformers were determined by the Global Positioning System and were assessed to determine if PCB oils had been released. Soil samples from the release locations were analyzed using field screening kits by START personnel.
EPA will continue to provide support for HHW and white goods collection at the north landfill as curbside pickup of HHW and white goods continues.
EPA will be evaluating outlying Kiowa County rural areas for potential HHW, white goods, and orphan containers for disposal.
Disposal of PCB transformers is being discussed with KDHE and the city of Greensburg public utilities.
Public announcements request residents to place spoiled food in city-provided black trash bags and place the bags on the curb for Kansas National Guard pickup. Most of the refrigerators that have been removed from curbside by EPA contractors still contain food. EPA will remove food items at the south landfill.
PCB transformer disposal continues to be a key item.
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