Work Mission Statement:
Safely and efficiently investigate and remove Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC); Materials Potentially Possessing an Explosive Hazard (MPPEH), Munitions Debris (MD) and explosively contaminated soil(TNT) from the Elkton Farms Firehole Site, as defined in EPA's geophysical study.
Background:
The Elkton Farm Firehole site is located two miles northwest of Elkton, Maryland near the intersection of Routes 40 and 279. The Firehole Site occupies approximately 55-acres of the 400-acre Elkton Farm and is located just south of Zeitler Road between Little Elk Creek and Laurel Run. The most recent use of the Site has been as a working farm. During the decade before and during World War II, the parcel had been the site of activity related to the manufacture of fireworks and munitions. Investigations performed in 2006 by the Army Corps of Engineers identified an area on the current Elkton Farm as the Firehole. The Firehole was documented as an area for the disposal of waste explosives material during and just after WWII. Ordinance related material was observed scattered on the ground throughout the site.
On April 24, 2007 EPA mobed to the site with its regional ERRS cleanup contractor, Guardian Environmental and its UXO subcontractor, USA Environmental to complete munitions of explosive concern identification, avoidance and disposal activities. On December 21, 2007 the site was demobed for the Christmas holiday. The site was remobed on January 28, 2008. On May 2, 2008 a trommel mechanical sifter was mobilized to the site. The Trommel is being used to seperate MEC and MD from site soils. EPA entered into an AOC with the property owner on August 8, 2008 in which the property owner agreed to complete work as described in Appendix K of the Site Work Plan. The property owner’s contractor began scraping grids on August 11, 2008 using a pan scraper. The OSC provided direction to the property owner on which grids were to be scraped and to which depth. The depth of scraping ranged from 8” – 16” based on magnetometer surveys and depending on how deep MEC and MD were found in each area. Scraped soils were staged on a predetermined area of the site pending trommel sifting. A total of 46 grids were scraped (11 were partial grids). Pan scraping activities as outlined in Appendix K of the Work and excavation of the fireholes are now complete. Sifting of scraped soils is ongoing.
Contractors continued trommel sifting and QA/QC of grids per SOW.
The following materials have been processed/recovered to date:
Total Grids Cleared Gov't QA: 169
Total MEC found: 320,462 (MEC items include detonators, grenade fuse, blasting caps, tracer elements, incendiary bomblets, flares etc. etc.)
Firehole MEC found: 14,322 (incl. 13,974 tracers)
Total MD found: 37,946 lbs
Scrap metal found: 22,356 lbs.
Total Phase II processed soils: 32,760 cy
Trommel Sifting Activities:
Trommel sifting operations continued during this work period. Of the approximately 241,578 MEC items recovered off the trommel since it was mobilized, 237,762 are tracers. In addition 53 fused 40mm and 103 fused 20mm artillery items were found via this sifting operation and placed in the on site explosive magazines. Trommel sifting operations are expected to be completed by the end of December 2008. QA/QC was performed on several grids that were previously covered with the unprocessed soil pile.
Monitoring of airborne particulates continued on dry days. Since firehole excavation is complete, and based on previous air sampling data, sampling for airborne asbestos fibers has been terminated. Sampling for asbestos may be conducted in the future if suspect material is encountered. So far no site standards have been threatened for both asbestos and particulate.
Disposal Activities:
Earth Tech has made preparations for the off site shipment of MEC, MD, and TNT contaminated soils. Contractors also prepared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the burning of MEC stored on site in magazines. The magazines contain items which can not be transported off site and will be burned on site in buried concrete boxes so that the items can be safely transported off site for disposal.
-Sifting of grid soils will continue.
-Dispose of MEC, MD, and TNT contaminated soil.
-MEC items in magazines will be treated on site prior to shipment off site for disposal.
-QA/QC will be conducted of grids under un-processed soil pile after trommel sifting is complete.
-EPA plans to demobe from the site in January.
-Property owner will regrade site and re-vegetate as agreed upon in Appendix K of the Work Plan.
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