The Dixie Barrel & Drum Site (Site) is an abandoned two-story office, warehouse & production facility located at 2120 Jones Street in Knoxville, Tennessee. The facility formerly operated as a steel & plastic drum reconditioning business from about 1976 until closing mid-year in 2002 under a petition of bankruptcy and after numerous environmental violations went unadressed by the company's officers. The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) referred the site to EPA in August 2003 and EPA conducted a formal removal assessment in October 2003. On December 11th, 2003 EPA personnel conducted a removal assessment and documented evidence of trespassing and an uncontrolled release of waste from leaking drums located in the rear of the property. OSC Steve Spurlin mobilized the Emergency Rapid Response Services (ERRS) contractors to the site on December 15th to mitigate the off-site migration of waste and secure perimeter fence-line.
Entrance to the administrative offices is on the top floor off of Jones Street and the lower floor opens to the property's east-side into a 2.5 acre yard or operations area accessible by gate to Davenport Rd. which parallels Jones Street running north and south. A fence surrounds the property with a 3-strand barbed-wire top. The top floor contains approximately 10,000 square-feet of office & warehouse space with about 75% of the dedicated to warehouse storage on wooden floors. The lower floor is approximately 10,000 square-feet on a concrete slab with about 50% of the space occupied by production equipment and the balance of space dedicated to storage and maintenance operations. The production-line includes a 1000-gallon caustic vat for initial cleaning and another 1000-gallon vat containing concentrated hydrochloric acid for low-pH stripping of drum residues. After a rust-prevention treatment the drums are subjected to an integrity test per Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications and completes the process with heat-treated paint application. Located along the outside rear wall is a mulit-staged wastewater treatment system designed for removing solids, pH adjustment, heat & aeration ("air-curtain") and a return of the water to production. A 500-gallon waste oil tank is also located to the rear of the building. On adjacent property to the south is a small house where drums are stored in and outside the structure. The house is partially collapsed on the drums.
Actions taken from April 26 – April 30 are as follows:
1-) Completion of Phase 1 (Empty Drum Removal) goals:
• Inventory & disposal of 1,355 empty drums/containers from building & property
• Demolition and disposal of Annex Storage (“Dixie House”) building.
• Perimeter fence-line grubbed and treated to suppress re-growth ( Round-Up® ). Vegetation chipped and left on site.
• START completion of chemical compatibility testing (HazCat) of drums containing waste (282 drums).
Begin Phase Phase 2 Removal Operations (Waste Removal)
1-) START complete testing of bulk containers (>250 gallons) outside of building. Develop waste-streams for future bulk-consolidation and disposal.
2-) ERRS to begin bulk test bulk of waste streams.
ERT on site May 4 – 7 to evaluate possible on-site treatment options including neutralization of corrosive (acid/base) vats.
Narrowing options for disposal. Evaluating on-site treatment and cost benefits.
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