At 1615 hours on 10/29/08 EPA received a notification from the NRC that a chemical release was occurring at Abrachem Chemical, a bulk chemical packaging facility that leased a building in Clifton, Passaic County, NJ. The NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection was on-scene and requested EPAs presence.
At 1730 hours OSC Ellen Banner and OSC Paul Kahn responded to the scene. The company was found to be storing drums and bulk containers of known and unknown chemicals in 17 56-foot long intermodal shipping carriers (ISCs), stacked 3 tiers high (approx. 35 feet). Only 5 of the ISCs could be opened, and inside those it was observed that drums and bulk containers were staged behind tiers of empty poly drums, giving the impression that the ISCs were used for new drum storage. EPA observed that in the one ISC where the release originated at least one drum was leaking its contents onto a wooden pallet; strong chemical odors emanated from the open door of the ISC and were also pervasive in the general area.
The Operator of Abrachem retained the services of a remediation company, and contractor personnel were advised to lay poly sheeting and begin removing and overpacking the leaking and unknown drums that were readily accessible. Work commenced almost immediately, but at 2100 hours was halted due to lack of adequate lighting and inability to phyusically access the majority of the drums through the narrow doorway.
The Operator of Abrachem and the Owner of the property was issued a Field Expedient Notice, and in response the Operator stated he would initiate a removal action. When his efforts to respond to the release, and threats of a release, proved to be inadequate EPA sought voluntary access to initiate a response action. This access was denied on two occasions. On 12/4/2008 EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) for access. The Operator refused to comply with the UAO and EPA referred the matter to the Department of Justice for a legal remedy. On 1/8/2009 a federal Magistrate issued an access warrant to EPA to initiate a response action at the Site.
Removal activities continue. ERRS has removed more than 1100 drums of waste chemicals and staged them inside the Site. Three intermodal shipping containers remain full, and the owners of the contents of the last full box trailer are making arrangements to have their waste paint shipped for T & D at no cost to the government.
More companies are being contacted and coming forward to retrieve their waste chemicals. Two tons of flammable waste chemicals have been packaged and will be shipped for T & D by the owner next week at no cost to the government.
Since site security has been initiated using off-duty Clifton police officers no further attempts to break into the Site have occurred.
Another drum of nitrocellulose has been located and staged outside in a sand-bagged enclosure. The original supplier of the nitrocellulose has been contacted and has agreed to have Clean Harbor's High-hazard group handle the rendering of this material harmless and also arrange for T & D at no cost to the government. A drum of propylene oxide (a peroxide former) has been located and also staged outside. This drum will be handled by Clean Harbors at the same time the nitrocellulose is addressed.
As of this date only three ISCs contain waste chemicals. It is anticipated that these remaining ISCs will be emptied within two weeks, thus completing Phase I of the removal action.
A drum of nitric acid in a cracked poly overpack was found in the ISC just emptied. It was leaning on an adjacent drum and acid leaked from the crack. The acid corroded the metal drum next to it as shown in the photo accompanying this POLREP. This was typical of the method of storing containers of chemicals that EPA has encountered since getting access to the Site.
Continue entering the ISCs and remove containers of waste chemicals. Continue haz-cating and continue working with owners and suppliers of the waste chemicals found at the Site to have the chemicals retrieved for disposal at no cost to the government.
See above.
See previous POLREP.
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