Japanese Auto Sales & Service is located along Pacific Highway South (SR99) in Kent, Washington. The site is used as both a used vehicle sales lot and a foreign auto repair shop. The commercial property consists of approximately one acre of chain-link fenced, paved land with frontage along SR99 to the east. The property is bounded to the north and south by other commercial property, and to the west there is an undeveloped wooded lot. There are two permanent structures on the site, a repair shop with two garage bays and a large dilapidated sales office trailer currently used for part storage. The facility currently has approximately 250 vehicles in various states of disrepair. The site also has several discrete piles of automotive components, including transmissions, engines, and tires, at the back of the property.
Thursday, February 11, 2004
1200 hours - CID (2). As part of an ongoing illegal wrecking yard investigation, the Washington State Patrol served a warrant at the property and arrested the owner for operating an illegal wrecking yard. EPA Region X Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the City of Kent Code Enforcement Division assisted the Washington State Patrol in a search of the property for evidence of an illegal wrecking yard, i.e., evidence of improper handling of automobile-related wastes.
During their investigation, the EPA Region X Criminal Investigation Division (CID) found evidence that automotive fluids were leaking out of vehicle components and a waste storage area, ultimately flowing off the property onto the vacant lot to the west. Following the waste stream upgradient, the CID found a makeshift waste storage area buried underneath a pile of tires behind the repair shop. Once this storage area was uncovered, the CID found five 55-gallon poly drums and three 5-gallon steel containers. In addition to these containers, the CID found 8 other drums containing unknown substances scattered around the property. CID also found a few junk vehicles on the south end of the property. The operators had applied waste oil to those vehicles' upholstery as a method of disposal.
Upon completing their initial search of the property, the CID requested the assistance of an EPA On-Scene Coordinator (EPA OSC) and the Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START II) contractor to conduct sampling and field characterization of the drums found on site. Additionally, the START was asked to characterize the waste and make arrangements for analytical support of custody samples retrieved from the site.
1345 hours - CID (2), EPA OSC (1), START (3). The EPA OSC and the START arrived on scene and began initial site reconnaissance with the CID. By 1430 hours the START began sampling the drums throughout the site, collecting one sample for field screening and one sample for laboratory analysis from each drum and container. The START also collected samples of the runoff from the west side of the property to determine what type of contamination was leaking off the site.
By 1700 hours, the START had finished collecting 15 samples of automotive fluid and solvent mixtures from drums, one upholstery sample from a vehicle, and one runoff sample. The START began to conduct field screening and prepare the evidence samples for submission to an analytical laboratory. Initial field screening results indicated that of the 15 different waste containers, one contained gasoline and water, two contained surfactant solutions, three contained paint and organic solvent mixtures, three contained oil and water only, and six contained oil and glycol solutions. Lab analyses for the evidence samples were assigned based upon the results of the hazard categorization done by the START.
At 1900 hours, the CID, EPA OSC, and the START demobilized from the site. The START transported the samples to the contract laboratory. Analyses to be conducted on the samples include flashpoint, TCLP for organics, halogenated solvents, and glycol testing. Analytical results are expected within one week.
Future removal actions will depend on results from the commercial laboratory.
Evaluate analytical results by 02/20/04 to determine the presence of hazardous substances.
Coordinate with CID and/or State of Washington on next steps for disposal of waste.
None.
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