The Site is located at 1122 3rd Avenue in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois. The Site is an inactive and abandoned former dry cleaning facility consisting of a rectangular, two-story building. The Site is bordered by 2nd Avenue to the north, a hardware store to the east, 3rd Avenue to the south, and 7th Street to the west (Figure 2-1). The Meridian coordinates for the Site are 42º15'50.06" North and 89º04'47.58" West. The size of the Site was not found in background documents; however, an overhead image of the property suggests that the Site covers approximately 0.2 acre and that the Site’s building occupies approximately 4,400 square feet. The Rock River is located approximately 0.75 mile northwest of the Site. The Site is in a mixed residential and commercial/industrial area. The nearest residents are located in an apartment complex approximately 100 feet northwest of the Site.
The Site operated from approximately 1948 to 2004 as a dry cleaning facility. In 1994, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) was conducted by Huff & Huff, Inc., of LaGrange, Illinois. In October and November 2007 Fehr-Graham & Associates, LLC, of Rockford, Illinois, performed a Phase I ESA on behalf of the City of Rockford.
On December 20, 2007, WESTON START conducted a site assessment of the Site for the U.S. EPA. The following is an inventory of the containers observed throughout the building:
•12 to 14 drums suspected to contain chlorinated solvents including PCE located throughout the first floor of the building
•20 to 25 small containers (one-gallon to five-gallons) containing corrosives, flammables, paints, strippers, thinners, and chlorinated solvents located throughout the first floor of the building
•One AST (approximately 1,000 gallons) with approximately one inch of product remaining located in a separate room northwest of the dry cleaning area on the first floor of the building
•One 150-gallon vat (located underneath the washing machine) that was half full located in the dry cleaning area
Hazards identified at the Site include the following factors:
•Wastes exhibiting characteristics of ignitability and corrosivity
•Unidentified wastes in various sized containers
•ACM in floor tile and possibly in other material inside the building
•Unorganized process materials, equipment, debris, and refuse throughout the building
•Uncontrolled access onto the Site
•Potential migration pathways from the waste inside the building to soil
•Close proximity of commercial/industrial properties, residential properties, and the Rock River to the Site
During this reporting period, Site set-up and housekeeping activities commenced on March 3, 2008. This included Site trailer installation, initial roll-off box (20 cubic yards) delivery, and generator start-up. The west parking area was cleared of snow and ice and the roll-off box was placed on the Site’s paved northwest corner. The trailer and generator were installed next to the building, also in the Site’s west parking area. The building itself was secured with additional board-up of open windows/holes and a pad lock was affixed to the building’s west entrance to restrict unauthorized access. Signs were posted on the west entrance and garage door to alert trespassers of restricted access. Both the trailer and building were locked before personnel cleared the Site for the day.
On March 4, 2008, ER personnel began debris/trash removal starting in the building’s south customer entry room. ER personnel utilized a wheel barrel and gas-powered Bobcat to load debris/trash into the roll-off box. A large metal ceiling-mounted clothes rack was dismantled and cut into smaller sections for disposal. This eliminated a potential safety issue, as the rack hung-down to approximately six feet above the ground, head-level for most Site personnel. After the room was cleared of movable debris/trash, a kerosene-fueled torpedo heater and plastic sheeting were installed. This created a temporary warming and storage area for workers, while other areas of the building were cleaned. ER personel also removed all fluorescent light bulbs found in overhead fixture throughout the building’s ground floor. These bulbs were staged in the building’s south customer entry room on a window shelf which was supported with additional plywood.
Work on March 5, 2008, included debris/trash removal of old clothes and personal items. The sorting area was the next room emptied by ER personnel. The same unloading procedure, which included the wheel barrel and Bobcat, was continued by ER personnel. The first full roll-off box was removed from the Site by Rock River Disposal. A second roll-off box was placed in the same area for ER personnel continued loading. Two large freestanding motorized dry cleaning clothes racks were carefully dismantled by ER personnel. These racks, located in the building’s south customer entry room, required several metal rails to be cut for proper disassembly. In the sorting area room, another large metal ceiling-mounted clothes rack was dismantled and cut into smaller sections for disposal. All scrap metal was piled in the building’s south customer entry room for eventual removal and disposal. ER personnel, while working in the sorting area room, noticed three areas of the floor where screws, nails, or metal fasteners protruded upward approximately four inches. In order to alert workers to these trip hazards, hot pink fluorescent spray paint was applied to these areas.
Removal of debris/trash continued on March 6, 2008. The large garage door on the building’s northwest side was opened and the debris/trash in the garage area removed. After clean-up of this room was complete, the area was earmarked as a staging location for future hazardous waste categorization activities. Scrap metal was removed from the Site by Behr Scrap, the total weight and cost/reimbursement has yet to be determined. Ice melting products were placed on the floor surfaces in the garage area of the building in an effort to improve traction and working conditions. ER received clearance to dispose of asbestos floor tiles. A double-bagging containment and packaging procedure was been approved and the waste will be accepted by Winnebago Landfill & Recycling Facility (Rockford, IL). Tile demolition and packaging has been scheduled to commence when Site work continues on March 17.
On March 7, 2008 the Storage Area 1 room was targeted for clean-up and the large garage door on the building’s northwest side allowed ER personnel a sufficient access path. Sewing supplies, machines, and a standard kitchen microwave were all disposed of in an effort to empty this area. START explored the building’s upper level and photo documented the contents and conditions of the rooms. Thick layers of ice remain on the north stairs and upper level hallway floor. Specific de-icing actions must be implemented to improve the stairs and floor surfaces before safe working conditions can be established. ER were made aware of the situation and will reevaluate and implement a de-icing procedure when Site work continues on March 17.
SAMPLING ACTIVITIES-
No sampling activities were completed by ER or START during this reporting period. Waste sampling as part of the hazardous categorization procedure has been scheduled for the week of Mach 17-21, 2008.
•Perform general housekeeping to remove debris/trash, scrap metal, and fluorescent bulbs
•Stage, sample, and perform hazard categorization on all waste containers
•Bulk waste material for disposal
•Dispose of waste material
•Complete any housekeeping activities
•Stage, sample, and perform hazard categorization on all waste containers
•Bulk waste material for disposal
•Dispose of waste material
•Maintaining documentation of removal activities
•Correct waste stream categorization for proper hazardous waste removal and disposal
|
