See POLREP No.1
Formal EPA involvement with Palomar began on February 16, 2005 with the issuance of a general notice of CERCLA liability to the property owner and oversight of property owner funded immediate stabilization activities. PRP funded activities continue under the terms of a CERCLA 106 Order.
POLREP No. 1 documents site activities from 2/16/05 - 3/3/05. Enviroserv (under contract to the property owner) continues to profile, consolidate, re-package and prepare wastestream shipments for transportation and disposal under the terms of an EPA approved workplan.
3/4/05:
OSC Benson and START on-site. Nitric and sulfuric acids and “acid zinc” wastestreams were pumped and consolidated into 300 gallon totes. Universal wastes (computer electronics and flourescent lights) collected and staged for packaging. Exterior containment and waste storage area rain covers were checked and re-secured as necessary in anticipation of intermittent showers throughout the weekend.
The City of Escondido Public Works Department (EPWD) has approved the off-peak (evening) discharge of new on-site rainwater accumulations to a nearby manway after carbon filtration. Two 55-gallon carbon drums are in-use for this purpose. About 1,000 gallons of accumulated rainwater was treated and discharged to the sewer system during the evening.
Approximately 24,000 gallons of stormwater captured and contained in Baker tanks during the emergency stabilization phase of this project remains on-site. The discharge conditions are pending EPWD review of analytical results on previously collected samples.
3/5/05:
Evening rainwater management crew (only) on-site. About 2,000 gallons of accumulated rainwater was treated and discharged to the sewer during the evening.
3/7/05:
OSC Benson and START on-site. Dye solutions and deoxidizer solution wastestream were pumped and consolidated into 300 gallon totes. A vacuum truck pumped and shipped approximately 4,000 gallons of aqueous chrome solutions. All PVC, fiberboard and poly tanks and vats are being cut-up and managed as RCRA waste. Metal tanks and vats that are in good condition and that may have residual value (stainless steel) are being decontaminated and staged in a designated area on-site. These items may be offered by the property owner to new end-users or for sale as scrap.
3/8/05:
START on-site. The property owner, Todd Harding, made a site visit today and met with the Enviroserve Response Manager. The chromic acid and chelated-nickel wastestreams were pumped and consolidated into 300 gallon totes. At this point, all plating, anodizing and process solutions have been removed from all process lines in Building 4.
Starting at the north end of Building 4, crews began to dismantle all metal grating, catwalks, tanks and contaminated concrete berming. Those items that can be properly decontaminated continue to be segregated for cleaning and staging in a designated area.
Wastewater process equipment in the eastern outside containment area, including the cyanide and chrome destructions tanks and appurtenant equipment, was dismantled. The crew carefully segregated and labeled all cyanide related piping, water lines and tanks.
3/9/05:
START on-site. The crew targeted the plating lines in the southern portion of Building 4 where cyanide solutions were previously located. Residual cyanide bearing vat sludges were removed and drummed and non-cyanide bearing tanks were removed prior to the application of a bleach solution to the remaining vats, piping, catwalks and flooring. Crews then continued to dismantle and remove remaining equipment in the southern and central process areas of Building 4. Those items that can be properly decontaminated continue to be segregated for cleaning and staging in a designated area.
North County Times reporter Quinn Eastman interviewed OSC Benson and Press Officer Mark Merchant (telephonic) for a story on the Palomar action that ran the following day.
3/10/05 - 3/11/05:
START on-site. Crew continues to remove catwalks, wood and concrete from the southern and central process areas of Building 4. Bleach is applied as necessary to vats and the piping network which led to the cyanide destruction treatment unit to confirm (field testing) cyanide destruction prior to removal and waste handling.
See “Waste Disposition” for a summary of wastes removed through 3/11/05.
The above ground waste removal phase is expected to continue for an additional week. At the completion of this phase, the removal will transition to the subsurface characterization and removal phase.
• Continue profiling, re-containerization and removal of all above ground waststreams.
• Approve end-user for decontaminated equipment and/or remove for scrap value.
• Continued coordination with EPWD for accumulated storm water discharge approval and conditions.
• Removal of wastes in the wastewater treatment pad including liquids and sludges associated with the clarifiers, filter press and secondary containment.
• The RWQCB will continue to oversee the chronic deep soil and groundwater response as it determines is necessary. The RWQCB can aide EPA and the PRPs with the design of a sampling plan to address shallow soil contamination (3-5 feet below ground surface (bgs) beneath and adjacent to plating and treatment areas.
• A record of project wastestreams, shipment dates and receiving facilities is provided in the documents link at www.epaosc.net/palomar.
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Removed through 3/11/05:
14,000 gal.: Stormwater and containment collection.
3,000 lb's.: filter cake (chromium, lead)
2,500 gal.: cyanide bearing solutions.
6,110 gal.: corrosive acidic and basic vat solutions
4,000 gal.: aqueous chrome solutions
130 cubic yards: contaminated plating debris
250 lb's.: universal waste (computer, fluorescent lights)
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