At 1615 hours on 10/29/08 EPA received a phone notification from the NRC that a chemical release was occurring at Abrachem Chemical, a bulk chemical packaging facility that leases property in Clifton, Passaic County, NJ. The NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection requested EPA presence at the scene.
At 1730 hours OSC Ellen Banner and OSC Paul Kahn responded to the scene. The company was found to be storing drums and bulk storage containers of known and unknown chemicals in 17 56-foot long intermodal shipping carriers, stacked 3 tiers high (approx. 35 feet). Only 5 of the intermodals could be opened, and inside those it was observed that drums and bulk containers were staged behind tiers of new, blue poly drums which gave the impression that the intermodals were used only for new drum storage.
The owner of Abrachem retained the services of a remediation company which was on the scene, but waiting for EPA to arrive prior to starting work. Contractor personnel were advised to lay poly sheeting and begin removing/overpacking the leaking and unknown drums that were readily accessible. Work commenced almost immediately, but at 2100 hours work was halted due to lack of adequate lighting and the physical inability to access the majority of the drums. Work will resume on 10/30/08 when additional personnel and equipment arrive on-Site.
A meeting was held with the owner, EPA, state, and local authorities at 1000 hours on 10/30/08.
At that time a Field Expedient Notice was issued to Mr. Ted Frey, the owner/operator of Abrachem Chemical.
Based on information from EPA contractor-monitors at the Site over the weekend, Abrachem is almost totally moved out of the premises and will most likely meet or be close to the 12/31 deadline to vacate the building. It is also evident that they were not able to properly remove the almost 1,000 drums of haz-waste still at the Site, which means they would leave those drums in the vacant, unattended building, and outside in the shipping containers and box trailers. The unattended drums would then present a greater threat of a release that could go unnoticed, or worse, unaddressed.
Faced with the prospect of this possibility, EPA activated it's Emergency & Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractor to be on the Site Friday morning, at about the same time when Abrachem should be fully moved out. This activation of the ERRS contractor initiates a Fund-lead removal action.
EPA will meet with the Clifton FD at the Site to exchange phone numbers and establish a protocol for reporting and responding to a release, fumes, smoke, or other emergency situation that might arise until such time as EPA has full access to the Site.
Mobe contractor personnel to the Site by 1/2/2009 and monitor drums until EPA has full access.
See above.
See above.
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