Albany Alloy Inc. was a former titanium fabricating facility opened in the mid 1980’s and closed in 1991. After closing the property was purchased by PAPE Corporation who owned it until 2003. PAPE never occupied the property, but rather held it for investment purposes and the property has stood vacant for fifteen years. In 2003 PAPE donated the property to the Mid-Willamette Valley YMCA who own the adjacent property (Albany YMCA) located directly to the west.
The YMCA has plans to expand its Albany facility onto the property. Although there is a twelve foot fence with both barbed and razor wire around the perimeter, as well as, securely locking buildings; the property has had problems with thieves breaking in to scrap metal (largely copper pipe) to get salvage money to buy drugs. In order to prevent further vandalism the YMCA contracted with a metal salvage company in August 2005 to remove all the salvageable metal from the buildings . During the salvaging operation 43 high level PCB capacitors were identified. Each capacitor contained approximately four gallons of 90 to 100% PCB dielectric fluid. The salvage company informed the YMCA that the equipment was regulated and would not be accepted for salvage. The YMCA instead removed the capacitors from all the building at the facility and consolidated them in a single building located at the NW corner of the property.
On 12/06/2006 a break in was discovered at the building where the capacitors were stored. A hole had been cut in the fence and a window busted out to gain entrance. Two of the capacitors had been punctured in what appeared to be an attempt to salvage metal. Approximately two to three gallons of pure PCB was released to the concrete floor of the building. In the following days the fence and building were secured and an environmental firm was contacted to provide a disposal estimate for the capacitors. Upon visiting the site the environmental firm informed the YMCA that they had a possible reportable quantity of PCB released and would need to contact the National Response Center.
