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Wolff Street Chemicals

 
Site Contact:
Todd DeGarmo
Federal On-Scene Coordinator

(DeGarmo.Todd@epa.gov)

Site Location:
North Wolff Street
Denver, CO 80212
 response.epa.gov/WolffStreetChemicals
NRC#: 1347925

 On September 21, 2022, City of Denver officials contacted EPA about a residential property with various unknown chemical containers, small radiological sources, and other unknown chemical hazards present. City officials requested EPA assistance with assessment and disposal of the chemical(s) found in the residential home. The property is condemned and deemed uninhabitable by City and public health officials.  


Front door and porch of property that faces East. Order to vacate posted on the front door by Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. Photo taken facing west from the front steps of the residence. Closet emitting radiation at 100-105ur/hr, located towards end of hallway, near kitchen, at rear of residence. Sources of radiation were identified as Th-232, Ra-226, In-111. Photo taken from hallway of residence, facing southeast. Fire safe at rear entrance of the property adjacent to back door. Safe contained a variety of unlabeled baggys and boxes containing powders and rocks. Photo taken facing north, from rear entrance of residence. Living room of residence full of miscellaneous personal items clothing, decor, dvds etc. Previous resident stated high powered lasers and extremely strong magnets are also located in this room. They were later found in the hallway bedroom. Photo taken facing southwest, from the front of the residence Thorium 232 was identified in paper envelopes, SAM950 screened the envelopes at 200urem/hr. Indium 111 was identified in the white jar and screened at 4mrem/hr with a SAM950 Box labeled as uranium ore found within the radiation closet. Readings on Sam 950 were 190 urem/hr and the isotope was identified as Ra-226. 3lbs of potassium cyanide, were retrieved from sealed a box in the kitchen of the residence. Potassium cyanide was packed in standard fibrous packing material for hazardous materials. 1 lb of 90 micron ammonium perchlorate was retrieved from residence. Baggy was found in an unlabeled box, that was open on in the kitchen. Staging area for containers to hazcat. Containers include labeled and unlabeled mason jars, paint cans, plastic jugs, spray bottles, medication bottles and boxes. Photo taken at rear of residence facing south. Hazclass container 56-59, all containers are unopened and contain cobalt chloride-hexahydrate. Cobalt chloride-hexahydrate can create acid gas when on fire. Each container was packed with an SDS. Containers were not haz classed due to toxic nature. START contractor measuring radioactivity of items removed from the radiation closet. All sources were screened with a SAM 950 unit and screening results recorded electronically. Photo taken at the rear of house, in the yard, facing north. HCO-102a contained a small jar labeled White P. This was suspected to be white phosphorous, buried under a layer of vermiculite. START did not hazclass due to hazards associated with white phosphorous. Jar was packed into secondary containment. ERRS contractor adding concrete to medical prescriptions for disposal. All prescriptions disposed of were expired. Photo taken from backyard, facing east towards the house. START contractors decant kerosene from a lamp found in the bedroom of the residence into a 1L amber for disposal as a flammable substance. Photo taken facing south, in the backyard, at the rear of the residence. HCO-94 was unopened and sealed. Label on the container stated the jar contained 100 grams of Potassium Ferricyanide. Jar was also labeled as poisonous and was and not hazclassed due to health concerns regarding contents. START contractor staging drums for flammable substances disposal in accordance with DOT regulations. Photo taken from backyard of residence, facing East. RCO-051 was a lead lined white container with large piece of ore. The ore screened at 4mrem/hr on a SAM 950 unit. Photo taken facing north, in the backyard of the residence. RCO-058 was a small plastic Tupperware containing a piece of thorium ore. A SAM 950 screened the Th-232 isotope at 272 urem/hr. Photo taken in backyard of residence, facing north. RCO-060 was a small plastic Tupperware containing a piece of indium ore. A SAM 950 unit screened the In-111 isotope at a 679 urem/hr. The ore was placed in a 5 gal bucket with sand to increase shielding during disposal. Photo facing North, from backyard. START and ERRS contractors working together to identify chemical. Picture taken in back of house on driveway facing south. START and ERRS contractors working to identify chemicals. You can also see Multirae instrument to monitor air, Ludlum radiation detector. Picture from back of house facing East. START using the SAM 950 to identify radiation sources and dose equivalent of source. Taken in back of property facing Northwest. Some of the items pulled from residence had interesting labels making it a challenge to identify chemicals. Picture taken from back of property. Staging chemicals to be processes that were pulled from residence. Photo taken from back of house facing South. START identifying chemicals found in house. Picture taken from back of property. START performing a test to help identify the chemical. Looking for color of smoke and give insight to the chemical. Picture taken from back of house looking South. Three START and one ERRS contractor work together to identify, classify, and prepare chemicals for transportation and disposal. Image taking from back of property facing East. ERRS working to remove oxygen gas and to de-valve an oxygen cylinder to prevent it from become a projectile. Picture taken from rear of house facing North East. Radiological sources pulled from closet in house. Staged to identify source and package for transportation and disposal. Picture from rear of house facing Northeast. View from rear entrance of property. On the right is the closet found full of radioactive sources and on the left a work area found with many chemicals. A safe on the bottom left also contained chemicals. Work area near rear entrance of house where many chemicals were found. Work area near rear entrance where chemicals were found. Picture looking towards rear of house. View from back entrance hallway looking into kitchen. Bathroom is located to left of picture. Many chemicals were discovered in kitchen. View of hallway from kitchen looking toward front living room. On left is a bedroom where chemicals and strong magnets were discovered. Picture of bedroom from hallway. Strong magnets were found on shelves to left and in the far left corner. According to home owner the magnets are strong enough to crush and/or brake bones if you get body part caught between magnets. Also owner reports a strong laser that could cut through metal is in this room. However, crews never found this laser. View of bedroom from bedroom door. Strong magnets were found in this room. View of front living room taken from hallway door. Chemicals were found in this room. View of front entry door and front living room. Chemicals were discovered in this room. SAM 950 running near source. It takes some time for the instrument to identify the radioactive source. To minimize exposure everyone leaves area to while the instrument completes the identification. View from back of property looking Northeast. START contractors putting on protective clothing prior to entering house. View from back of house look Northeast. START contractor conducting a thermal Haz-class test on an unknown grey powder found within the residence. Photo taken facing east from the backyard of the residence. START pouring an unknown grey powder into a vial for Haz-classing and Gemini testing. Photo taken from the backyard of the residence facing west. Chemicals are stored in buckets after they have be identified. Chemicals are separated to ensure compatibility and chemicals that have similar characteristics. The buckets will be prepped for transportation and disposal by ERRS. View from back of house facing West. View of all the containers with chemicals that have been segregated. START and ERRS working under tents to keep instruments cool and protect workers from sun exposure. View from alleyway looking at back of property look East. Denver Bomb Squad remove unstable chemicals from refrigerator. City of Denver official in orange vest monitoring progress. View from back of property facing south. Bomb squad taking chemicals to their trailer. Road has been blocked off by bomb squad. View from front of property facing East. Bomb squad loading the chemicals into drum on trailer. View from Wolff Street facing East. Bomb squad loads 5 gallon bucket containing unstable chemicals into drum on trailer. The bomb squad will take the chemicals to their range and blow the chemicals up making them inert. View from Wolff Street facing East. Radiological waste is temporary stored in hallway bedroom. The waste will be transported and disposed on 9/28/22. View from hallway looking North into bedroom. Chemicals have been identified, segragated and packed for transportation. The chemicals are being stored on site until waste can be transported and disposed of properly. START doing final inspection of containers. View from hallway looking East into living room. S
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