Pollution Report Profile - EPA OSC Response

Abrachem Chemical
Clifton, NJ - EPA Region II
POLREP #40

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On-Scene Coordinator - Paul L. Kahn, Michael Hoppe	6/5/2009
Time-Critical - Removal Action	Pollution Report (POLREP) #40
Start Date: 1/2/2009

Site Description
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 EPA's 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.

Current Activities
Removal activities continue.  OSC continues to work with chemical suppliers to retrieve their drums of chemicals.

On 6/3 Brown Chemical shipped 16 drums of flammables and nitric acid for T & D at no cost to the government. On 6/4 Aberco retrieved one drum of propylene oxide for reuse.  On 6/5 Bergerac Chemical shipped two drums of nitrocellulose that had been stabilized (see POLREP #34) for T & D at no cost to the government.

Also on 6/5 reps from Clean Harbors were on-Site to view drums of chemicals for Bayer Enviroscience, Sybron Chemical, and Lanxess.  These drums, totaling almost 40, will be shipped for T & D within two weeks.

The last batch of drum samples, excluding those drums being retrieved by original suppliers, were shipped to the lab for analysis.

Planned Removal Actions
ERRS will begin bulking compatible chemicals on 6/8. These chemicals are in drums for which no original supplier can be identified, and will be eventually disposed of by ERRS as part of the removal action.

One 30 cu. yd. roll-off of contaminated debris and wooden pallets will be shipped during the week of 6/8 for T & D.

One 30 cu. yd. roll-off of used PPE and clean poly drums will be shipped for fuel-blending during the week of 6/8.

Next Steps
Continue working with chemical suppliers to retrieve their chemicals for reuse or disposal.

Begin bulking compatible chemicals for disposal.

Key Issues
See above.

Disposition Of Wastes

Waste Stream	Quantity	Manifest #	Disposal Facility
Brown Chemical waste flammables,nitric acid, formaldehyde, MIBK, MEK, dichloromethane	16 55-gallon drums	005194351 JJK	Chemtron Corp, Avon OH OHD066060609
propylene oxide	1 55-gallon drum	Bill-of-Lading	Returned to Aberco Inc, original supplier, Ocean Pines, MD via Passaic River Terminal, Newark, NJ
stabilized nitrocellulose > 25% water/IPA	2 55-gallon drums (928 lbs.)	001879793 FLE	Clean Harbors, Colfax LA LAD981055791