Mississippi DEQ requested that EPA ERRPB conduct a removal site evaluation (RSE) at the JCC Environmental Site, a former used oil and waste recycling facility. The business filed bankruptcy in 2013 and the facility has been abandoned. EPA OSC Huyser met with MSDEQ and one of the former JCC Environmental partners on May 17, 2016, to walk through and inspect the facility. Approximately 150 drums and 100 totes were found, most of which were full or at least partially filled and some of which were leaking. Contents of the full containers mostly appeared to be oil. Buckets marked corrosive and universal waste were found, some of which reportedly contained liquid elemental mercury waste. The former partner indicated that vandals may have broken instruments containing mercury on the floor of one building.
There are three buildings at the Site. The north building is closed and contains only a few drums, totes, and buckets. The west building is open and contains a majority of the drums and totes. The south building is office space. There are two ASTs at the site with capacities in excess of 10,000-gallons each. Thermal imaging suggests that one tank is approximately 20% full while the other has a liquid level of only 12 inches. The tanks are within a shallow secondary containment area that is filled with rainwater and has a sheen on the surface. There are drums and totes within the secondary containment area as well.
The facility is surrounded by residential homes on three sides. It is bordered by a flowing creek on the south side and an intermittent stream on the north side.
OSC Huyser determined that an emergency response action was necessary to secure leaking and spilling waste oil, potentially incompatible waste materials, and the spilled mercury. The former partner declared that there were no available funds associated with the business to conduct the response and there were no other fund sources to undertake the action. Written access to conduct the response was not granted until May 18. ERRS and START crews were mobilized to initiate the response action. Primary objectives will be evaluating safe working and operating conditions at the site, initial cleaning of spilled waste materials, securing containers and assessing the contents of each, then segregating by waste streams for later disposal.
