The Ohio Cast Products site is located at 2408 13th Street, N.E. in Canton, Stark County, Ohio. The facility used to manufacture malleable iron castings. The facility has not operated since November 2004 when the company filed for bankruptcy. The site is approximately 11 acres in size with several large interconnected buildings comprising approximately half of the property. The site is located in a mixed residential and industrial area of Canton, and the East Branch of Nimishillen Creek borders the property to the south. Residential properties and an open lot border the site to the north, across 13th Street, N.E., while other industrial properties border the site to the east and west.
On February 20th, 2008, The City of Canton's Fire Department responded to a fire in the western portion of the sites building. This portion of the building was comprised mainly of office space, however there is a basement with unknown contents associated with that area of the building.
During the fire fighting efforts, the Fire Chief observed drums with flammable liquid labels, as well as various totes of unknown contents in the back of the property as well as inside the unburned portion of the facility.
The City of Canton's Health Department investigated the burned out portion of the facility and determined through visual inspection that there was likely asbestos containing material in the rubble. In March, 2008, the City of Canton requested assistance from the Ohio EPA. After Ohio EPA made an initial site visit and performed a visual inspection, they referred the site to the U.S. EPA for a time-critical removal action.
U.S. EPA performed a Removal Assessment at the site on May 22nd, 2008 and discovered the following: material is present inside of drums that exhibit the characteristic of flammability (flash point of less than 45 degrees F); material is present inside of drums that exhibit the characteristic of corrosivity (pH of less than 1 SU); pcb contamination was present in the site soils (250 ppm) around an electrical substation; pcb-oil had leaked from a transformer located inside the building into foundry sand (150,000 ppm); and, the burned out portion of the building contains friable asbestos fibers. A follow-up investigation conducted on July 8, 2008, found pcb contamination present in the water filled pits inside the building.
On March 11, 2009, US EPA received a warrant for access from Federal Court as there was no party willing or available to grant access.
From March 16 through March 27, 2009 limited ERRS personnel mobilized to the site to begin site set-up (mobilization of office trailers, decon trailer, and other support items).
US EPA met with personnel from the Canton Health Department to discuss community involvement activities.
Local Power company was on site to disconnect the transformer substation from live feeds and to verify the rest of the building was disconnected.
The City of Canton water department was on site to disconnect the main water feed to the building.
The local gas company was on site to verify that the gas line was disconnected/not in the area demolition work would be occurring.
During the week of April 6, 2009, U.S. EPA CIC was on site and visited all the residences in the area. U.S. EPA met with the local councilman to discuss site activities.
Consolidation and staging of ACM C&D material was initiated.
Bids were received and approved for T&D of asbestos contaminated material.
Collection/staging of containers was initiated.
On April 8 and 9, a U.S. EPA Health and Safety contractor was on site to collect samples of airborne sand/dust and to perform a Safety Audit of the site.
Site work was suspended on Friday, April 10 due to heavy rains and thunderstorms.
-- Initiate removal of asbestos contaminated debris from the fire (estimated 7,500 tons)
-- Perform extent of contamination investigation of PCB contaminated soil from leaking transformers.
-- Initiate removal of PCB contaminated soil (estimated 3,000 tons)
-- Consolidate, sample, perform hazardous categorization and off-site disposal of all drums and containers on the site (estimated 100 drums, 100 totes and misc small containers).
-- Remove and dispose of PCB contaminated water from the pits associated with the building
-- Remove transformers containing PCB oil
-- Remove and dispose of silica quartz dust/sand, as necessary
-- A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29 at the local library.
-- US EPA CIC will send out a Fact Sheet about the site and visit the nearby residents prior to the public meeting.
-- Residents are located directly across the street from the site. As such daily perimeter air samples for asbestos will be collected during all asbestos related work.
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