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.
ERRS has finished bulking compatible containers and staging drums by waste streams pending shipping for T & D.
The bids for T & D have been received by ERRS, and they ranged from $198,000 to $725,000. ERRS will review the bids and select the suitable vendor. The selection will be forwarded to the OSC for review and consent, and the T & D subcontract award will be made on or before 8/10.
Analytical results for the 10 drums of sodium permanganate solution revealed the material to have no commercial value. It is so dilute (< 1% sodium permanganate) and neutral (pH 7) it no longer has a hazardous component; it is essentially 'grape kool-aid' without the carbs. The OSC will notify the local POTW by mail that he intends to discharge this material to the sewer at a rate of one 55-gallon drum per day. OSC will attach the analytical report to the letter.
The Action Memo for additional funds to complete the removal action has been signed by ERRD management, and additional funds will be injected into mitigation contracting, primarily for T & D costs.
As of July 24, 2009 a total of 382 numbered chemical containers (5 gal. and greater) consisting of 2,116 individual containers, have been retrieved by its owners for either reuse or disposal at no cost to the government. A total of 1,784 individual pails/cans of paint and other chemicals in 2 drums and 44 cubic yard boxes were from a single company, and another company shipped approximately 23 tons of waste chemicals in small containers for disposal, all at no cost to the government. Twenty three drums remain to be retrieved by original suppliers, and when these are shipped the total number of such containers that EPA did not have to dispose of constitutes a full 25% of the 1,601 numbered containers found at the Site.
The Site will be temporarily demobilized as of COB Friday, July 24th for a two week period. During that 2-week period the following phone notifications should be made, in the order given, in the event of a chemical emergency at the Site:
1. 911
2. National Response Center @1-800-424-8802...state that this is
a federal Superfund site.
3. John Dotterweich, NJDEP Bureau of Haz Waste 973-656-4449
4. Steve Ogulin, NJ AG-DCJ 1. 609-468-2569
AG/DCJ Duty Officer 2. 609-571-5798
5. Fred Godbolt, EPA contractor 804-381-2180
6. Paul Kahn, OSC 732-321-6617
This information is posted inside the premises where the guards are stationed.
Demobe Site for two weeks while the T & D bids are being reviewed by ERRS.
Award T & D bid and begin shipping drums for off-Site disposal.
See above.
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