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. A total of 2,132 items were picked up on May 14, 2007, for a total of 11,669 items picked up to date. HHW is staged at the south staging areas, and white goods are transported to the south landfill.
Superfund Technical Assistance Response Team (START) contractors assessed 17 damaged transformer recovery locations and sampled one site for potential PCB contamination. An additional five damaged transformers were identified in the field. Soil samples from the release locations were analyzed using field screening kits by START personnel.
In concurrence with KDHE, EPA conducted air sampling for asbestos at the north landfill to determine exposure to surrounding property owners and workers at the landfill.
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 continues to monitor the demolition status of buildings identified as potentially containing asbestos.
EPA is working with several facilities that recycle transformers on sampling procedures, etc. Once this information is gathered, EPA will discuss the issue with KDHE and the city of Greensburg public utilities.
PCB transformer disposal continues to be a key item.
EPA has passed landfill and dust issue concerns to the Incident Command Safety Officer of Personnel. All personnel have been provided with N95 masks through the Incident Command System, and they are strongly urged to wear them.
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