The Cannon Road Drum Site (formerly Social Circle Cotton Mill) is located at 148 Cannon Road in the city of Social Circle in Walton County, Georgia. The site coordinates, as measured from the front entrance to the property, is N 33.65252 Latitude by W 83.72062 Longitude. The site is bordered on the south and west by residential homes and on the north and east by a railroad and an overgrown field, respectively. Many of the old mill houses along the western and southern sides of the site are still occupied.
The Social Circle Cotton Mill operated at the site from 1901 until 1982. The mill manufactured bed sheeting made from 35% cotton and 65% polyester. During its peak the mill employed 225 workers. In April 1994, the mill's main structure was severely damaged by fire. Less than half of the 3-story brick structure remains standing today. There are also several support buildings for the mill in varying stages of decay on the 3.84-acre site.
The site was referred to EPA by the city of Social Circle. Records indicate the property has been leased for various types of business use. The most recent tenant used the property to store several thousand containers of mixed hazardous substances. The bulk of the materials appears to have been procured from Department of Defense surplus. In 1997, the containers were abandoned at the site when business operations ceased at the property.
The abandoned substances include resins, adhesives, mercury amalgam, cleaning solvents, paint thinners and some unknowns. Incompatible containers of hazardous substances are commingled together and vary in size, type and degree of degradation. Evidence of vagrant trespass and vandalism was observed during EPA's December 2006 reconnaissance of the site.
Air monitoring continued at the Cannon Road Drum site beginning January 22, 2006. Air monitoring instrumentation included a TVA-1000 (a combination PID/FID), and a 4 gas meter equipped with an oxygen sensor and detectors for lower explosive limit, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide-. Air monitoring of the perimeter was performed 3 to 4 times daily. Air monitoring of the work area inside the main storage building was performed prior to daily activities and during the day when workers were present. The results of the air monitoring indicated that no organic vapors were present around the perimeter of the site.
On January 22, 2007 ERRS began stabilization activities in the main storage area. This consisted of relocating stacked pallets of 5 gallon buckets and commercial product to floor level. Cleaning operations consisted of clearing walkways of debris and dirt. To date ERSS has completed 30% of this activity.
On January 23, 2007 EPA on scene coordinator Jose Negron, requested a Lumex® light mercury spectrometer and an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) detector f or lead screening from the G2 warehouse. Screening for mercury vapors was performed in the building adjacent to the front gate. This area was selected due to the presence of dental equipment and containers of mercuric nitrate. No mercury vapor was detected. Lead screening was performed with the XRF instrument in the main storage building. Analysis of intact paint on the walls of the storage area yielded a reading of 4652 ppm lead. Analysis of a small pile of dirt on the floor yielded a reading of 348.3 ppm. Based on these observations, cleaning and stabilization activities were conducted in level C personal protective equipment (PPE) due to risk of lead contaminated dust.
ERRS completed preparation of hazardous material staging area outside of the main storage building.
In order to continue stabilization of improperly staged waste, ERSS has initiated the segregation of materials and has begun moving drums from the warehouse to the staging area.
ERSS will continue segregation and stabilization activities inside of the main storage building.
START will continue air monitoring onsite and site documentation
Continue stabilization and segregation of waste streams.
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