The Desler/Plywood mill asbestos site is located at 2210 Tamarack St, Sweet Home, Oregon. The plywood mill, which consisted of the current areas of interest, was in operation from 1959 to 1994, and included many if not all stages of the lumber refining process including wood treatment. Currently the property consists of approximately 153 acres upon which are located two log ponds and several small creeks that flow east to west across the site towards the South Santiam River, located approximately 2,500 feet west of the site. The site is surrounded to the north and northwest by residential homes, the closest of which are located approximately 50 feet north of the site, immediately across Tamarack Street. To the west and south of the site are several commercial and industrial facilities, and to the east are unimproved and agricultural lands. The site is located approximately 1,000 feet north of Main Street, the town’s main thoroughfare.
Documents provided to the US EPA by the ODEQ indicate that demolition of the site’s east and west dry kilns, the former site power house, and the sorter/stacker buildings occurred beginning early June 2007, and continued through late January 2008. The documents indicate the presence of friable asbestos containing material (ACM) throughout the demolition debris piles remaining on site. Sample results collected by several environmental consulting firms, a certified abatement contractor, and ODEQ indicate the presence of amosite and chrysotile asbestos in the site materials ranging between <1% and 45%. Several of the samples contained asbestos above the allowable limit of >1%, indicating that the materials are ACM as defined by 40 CFR Part 763.
The current rubble piles containing moderate to large quantities of ACM and cover approximately 30,000 square feet (ft2) in the former kiln area and 33,000 ft2 in the former sorter/stacker building area. The former kiln area is located along the south side of Tamarack St, just east of 18th Ave. Several residential homes are located approximately 50 feet north of the debris piles, across Tamarack St.
