In December of 2007, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP) requested EPA assistance regarding abandoned containers located inside and around the Stenton Trust Mill in Sanford, Maine. EPA conducted a Preliminary Assessment (PA) and Removal Site Investigation (SI). EPA also obtained significant amounts of historical and analytical data from the EPA Region I Brownfields program. EPA used this information and the findings from the PA/SI to document the presence of hazardous substances including PCBs, ignitable and corrosive characteristic wastes (D001 and D002), universal wastes, and a variety of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds.
The Stenton Trust Mill initially operated as a textile mill during the 1920s. The 270,000 square foot mill building consists of six distinct areas. These include the five-story Tower A, five-story Tower C, one-story Section B, one-story Section D, the loading dock along the north end of the building and the basement that underlies the entire structure except the loading dock.
Gateway Properties, LLC purchased the property in 1999 from the Stenton Trust. From 1999 to the present, Gateway Properties, LLC leased portions of the facility to a variety of light-industrial operations. During this period, the mill building has accumulated a large collection of containers (of various size, condition and contents). The majority of abandoned containers are located in the basement, loading dock area, Section D or along the east side of the building. The building does not have an operating temperature-control system or sprinkler system.
On 25 August 2008, EPA On-Scene Coordinator John McKeown conducted a site walk with the ERRS contractor.
EPA mobilized to the Site on 3 September 2008. EPA and Region 1 START (Weston)and ERRS (Shaw) reviewed the site-specific HASP and prepared the building for container recovery and staging. Section D of the mill building is designated as the container staging area. EPA OSC McKeown coordinated with MEDEP, City of Sanford, Gateway LLC (current owner), Gardner Savings Bank (holder of lien) and current businesses operating on the property.
EPA divided the cleanup into four separate actions:
Task 1 - Transformer removal and disposal. ERRS cleared vegetation and debris restricting access to the transformer pad. ERRS contracted an electrician to prepare the transformers for movement and initiated coordination to recover, transport and dispose (T&D) the transformers.
Task 2 - 55-gallon drum inventory, recovery and disposal. ERRS completed the inventory, identified the staging area and ordered sufficient overpack containers to address all abandoned 55 gallon drums of hazardous substances located in and around the mill building. ERRS initiated T&D coordination.
Task 3 - Inventory, recovery and disposal of all remaining containers of hazardous substances. ERRS completed the inventory, identified and prepared the staging area; and recovered all containers except those located in the basement of the mill building. ERRS grouped the containers by characteristic in the staging area.
Task 4 - Recovery and disposal of Universal Waste. ERRS recovered and prepared for disposal/recycling of all hazardous substances contained in flouresent bulbs, ballasts and computer monitors. ERRS coordinated roll-off containers to transport U-Waste to designated recycling facilities.
During this period, EPA OSC McKeown was interviewed by the Journal Tribune (daily) and the Sanford News (weekly) newspapers.
EPA plans to continue removing hazardous substances contained in transformers, 55 gallon drums and other containers; and universal waste.
EPA Region 1 ERRS will complete recovery and disposal/recycling of universal wastestreams.
ERRS will recover, overpack and prepare 55 gallon drums for T&D.
ERRS will complete inventory, recovery and bulking of hazardous substances located in other containers. ERRS will prepare containers for T&D.
ERRS has contracted with a crane service to move transformers from transformer pad to staging ares. ERRS will prepare transformers for T&D.
No key issues identified for this project.
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