Chesapeake Products Site is an inactive fertilizer production/packaging facility located in a heavily industrialized area of Chesapeake, Virginia adjacent to the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. The site is approximately 7.6 acres in size and includes several structures that were used for fertilizer manufacturing and storage of fertilizer raw materials. Numerous piles of micronutrient fertilizer and fertilizer raw materials are located inside site structures. The roof of the main warehouse building (building 7) has partially collapsed and almost the entire floor is flooded with water. The city of Chesapeake Fire Department deemed the buildings unsafe for occupancy in 2004. The main warehouse building contains approximately 314,000 gallons of flood water. EPA conducted site assessments at the site in 2005 and 2006. Analytical results indicate that site soils, material piles, and flood water contain elevated levels of lead and other hazardous substances or pollutants and contaminants. Chesapeake Products parent company, Frit Industries, Inc. (Frit) entered into a Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent with EPA in August 2008. Frit agreed to remove material piles and flood water from the site and to demolish site buildings. EPA plans to address site soils after Frit has completed demolition of site structures.
EPA met with SCS Engineers and Old Dominion Demolition Corporation (Old Dominion) on July 31, 2008 to discuss current and planned site activities. SCS Engineers and Old Dominion are contractors for Frit. Old Dominion has begun moving piles of materials from the pier building to the A-Frame slab, which is a concrete pad located in between the pier building and the main warehouse building. Material is being stored on top of poly sheeting and is covered by poly sheeting. During previous rain events water accumulated in this area. A hole was knocked in a 3 foot high concrete wall bounding the concrete pad to allow water to drain to a drainage ditch. Silt fence was placed across the opening in the wall to prevent sediment from reaching the drainage ditch. Material is being stored in this area to prepare for demolition of the pier building and in preparation for future transportation of materials off site for re-use.
- Frit's contractors will remove flood water and material piles from all site buildings and demolish site buildings.
- Prior to demolition, a small quantity of asbestos pipe rap will be removed from the pier building.
- Approximately 12 drums located in the metal garage will be staged on the A-Frame slab, sampled, and disposed of appropriately. Drums are believed to contain oil as well as other various chemicals. A small transformer and an aboveground storage tank in the main warehouse will also need to be assessed and disposed of off site.
- Contractors plan to begin pumping flood water located in the main warehouse to a barge during the week of September 8, 2008. Flood water will be transported to a private water treatment facility.
Pending receipt of a demolition permit, Old Dominion will begin demolition of the metal garage during the week of August 4, 2008. 55-gallon drums located in that building will be staged on the A-frame pad prior to demolition.
- Old Dominion is waiting for the phone company to re-route phone lines before they can receive the permit for demolition. They hope that the phone lines will be re-routed, and a permit received by August 4, 2008.
- Frit is in the process of determining whether material piles will be shipped to their facility in Arkansas for processing or to an alternate fertilizer company.
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