EPA Region 4 On Scene Coordinator initiated an emergency response action at the Crowders Mountain State Park after discovering numerous abandoned drums during a Removal Site Evaluation. Orphaned drums, containing product, are scattered about the site. Drums are in poor, dilapidated condition, unidentifiable or without legible makings. Located on the two-acre site are several open excavation pits and three stockpiles of soil/crushed drums & debris with contamination that tested as RCRA Hazardous or above TCLP concentrations for lead and VOCs.
Residential properties and a creek border the site. The OSC documented that erosion and sedimentation countermeasures were not in place. Organic vapors were identified in the ambient air throughout site. Source contamination was tentatively identified as miscellaneous paint/lacquers/organic solvents.
ERRS and START contractors were mobilized on 9/16/09 to support the response efforts.
Excavation and recovery of buried stockpiles of drums and contaminated soil continues on site. Although operational delays due to weather (rain/snow) have hampered the project, significant benchmarks have been reached and the overall project progress is close to on-schedule. ERRS has completed removal/recovery on the southeastern half of the site and switched operations to the northwestern half of the site. During this operational period, 46 drums have been recovered and staged for field compatibility testing (HazCat) by START. ERT has shipped five (5) Area RAE air monitoring stations to the site and START has implemented the equipment into the health and safety protocol for daily air monitoring, specifically for surveillance of VOC emissions at the site perimeter fence-line.
ERRS will be working the last major pocket of burried drums in the geographic center of the site per the SESD Geophysical Survey (Magnetometer) during the next reporting period. START will contnue photo & written documentation of removal activities, inventory and HazCat drums, and maintain air monitoring in the excavation/work zone and perimeter fence-line.
ERRS is conducting disposal coordination based on the current trend in waste-streams. Three streams dominate the field compatability testing trend: Non-Haz Solids-Debris, Flammable Solids (low % halogen & dispersable), & Flammable Liquids (low % halogen). Energy recovery (incineration) may be primary disposal option.
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