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.
From February 7 to February 16, 2007, ERRS continued 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 95% of this activity. Acid-containing products, other corrosives, and two pallets of chloroform were moved from the second staging area located south of Building 3 to Bay C. Four pallets of mercuric nitrate solution were moved from the main storage area in Building 2 to Bay C.
ERSS continued staging hazardous materials. Pallets which contained labeled boxes and drums of identical commercial products were transferred from the main storage building to allow more work space for segregation of loose containers. Miscellaneous and unknown hazardous materials will continue to be stored in the main storage area until they can be placed in the appropriate waste stream
On February 8, 2007 Chemical Detection Services, a subcontractor for ERSS removed two boxes of solid thin film containing methyl ethyl ketone . These containers were tested for peroxides. Testing was performed in a glove box. Two of the containers showed some indication of peroxide in the concentration range of 2 mg/L. Once the containers had been screened they were placed in 5 gallon plastic buckets containing ferrous ammonium sulfate solution. This solution was used to neutralize the any peroxides present. Fire trucks from the Social Circle fire department were present onsite due to the increased risk of fire. After the peroxide hazard was removed, ERSS began clearing and stabilization operations in Bay B. On February 12, 2007 the 5 gallon buckets were again tested for peroxides. No peroxides were detected in any of the containers.
Drums of fiber optic coating containing 0.18 % mercuric oleate were found in the main storage area of Building 2. These containers were over packed in 55 gallon drums. ERSS performed this activity in full face APR’s equipped with mercury vapor cartridges. START member performed mercury vapor screening with a Lumex® RA-915 Light mercury spectrometer. Readings of 0.2 μg/m3 (200 ng/ m3) were detected directly over the open drums. No mercury vapor was detected in the breathing zone or in the surrounding work area.
Ten 25 mL vials of radio-isotope standards were also found in Bay B. The standards contain water and toluene that had been tagged with tritium and carbon 14 and are in glass vials which have been sealed closed with molten glass. The materials were left in place and the area was marked off with caution tape. START member Darius Soltes screened the standards for radiation on February 13, 2007. Background readings at the site were between 2 mRem/hr and 4 mRem/hr. No radiation was detected coming from either the standards or the area they were stored in. The standards were placed in Ziploc bags and then over packed in a plastic 5 gallon bucket with vermiculite.
During the past week representatives from various disposal companies were onsite to inspect the hazardous materials and assess disposal options in preparation for bidding on the work.
ERSS will continue segregation and stabilization activities inside of the main storage area of Building 2 and in Bay B of Building 1. START will continue air monitoring of the perimeter and work areas, site documentation, and managing drum inventory.
Complete seggregation and staging of different waste streams and commence preparations for the development of a disposal plan.
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