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Southwest Vermiculite

 
Site Contact:
Althea Foster/Mike McAteer
OSC

(mcateer.mike@epa.gov)

Site Location:
1822 First Street, NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
 response.epa.gov/southwestvermiculite

The Southwest Vermiculite site is located at 1822 First Street, NW. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The site is situated within a mixed commercial/industrial/residential area of the city. The facility is bordered to the north by Haines street and residential properties; to the west by commercial facilities, the southwest by Creamland Dairies, Inc.; the railroad spur to the south and the railroad tracks to the east. The nearest identified residents to the site, two single family homes, are located approximately 173 feet north the site. Transient sleeping quarters were observed along the eastern property boundary. Coronado Park is located approximately 660 feet northwest of the site and the Santa Barbara-Martinez Park is located approximately 950 feet east of the site.

The facility operated as a vermiculite exfoliation facility until 1976, however, the exact date the facility began operations at the site is not currently known. According to WR Grace shipping invoices, the facility received approximately 68,305 tons of vermiculite ore from the WR Grace vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana between January 1967 and July1988. However, records also indicate the facility ceased operations at this location and moved to 5119 Edith Blvd. in Albuquerque in 1976 and operated under the name of Solico, Inc. Vermiculite has been identified on the site as well as properties surrounding the site.

The site is currently occupied by the Silver Recycling Company.

EPA is continuing its evaluation of the Southwest Vermiculite site in response to an Agency-wide initiative to investigate current and former vermiculite facilities that received vermiculite ore from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana.


Photograph DSC00895: View looking southeast at Area A, Grid D east of the rail spur. Photograph DSC00892: View looking south at Area B after cover material placed and graded. Photograph DSC00890: View looking south at scrap metal recently dumped onto the southwestern portion of Area A, Grid D. Photograph DSC00889: View looking south at truck dumping cover material in Area B. Photograph DSC00888: View looking south at compacting and grading of cover material placed in the northern portion of Area B. Photograph DSC00885: View looking east at truck loading in Area B. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00884: View looking south at initial layer of cover material placed in the southern portion of Area B. Additional cover material, compacting and grading still required. Photograph DSC00869: View looking south within the W. Silver Scale Trailer at Dust Sampling being conducted on top of the break room refrigerator. Photograph DSC00863: View looking north/northwest excavated areas of Area B, shown from Grid 10. Note loading operations of stockpiled soil in background. Photograph DSC00859: View looking south at the excavated areas of Area B, shown from Grid 012. Photograph DSC00854: View looking northeast at truck loading activities along Haines Avenue NW and the NMDOT Railroad Right of Way. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00848: View of the collection of ceiling tiles/insulation samples from the W. Silver main warehouse, facing north. Photograph DSC00833: View looking south at confirmation sampling within excavated area the southern portion of the NMDOT Railroad ROW (Area B). Photograph DSC00827: View looking east at truck loading activities along Haines Street and the NMDOT Railroad Right of Way. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00816: View looking north at excavation activity in the southern portion of Area B. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00813: View looking south at southern portion of Area B (the NMDOT Railroad ROW) as excavation is initiated. Photograph DSC00807: View looking south at loading activities on the W. Silver site. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00805: View looking southeast at Area A, Grid E after return from the Holiday break. Photograph DSC00776: View looking northeast at “Dust Sampling” of Locations WARD04 and WARD40 (Duplicate), located on a steel cross beam of a Hopper in the north central portion of the main warehouse. Photograph DSC00766: View looking southeast at Area A, Grid E after excavation was completed, and prior to placement of cover material. Photograph DSC00763: View looking southeast at Grids A/B with covered soil stockpile in foreground and bulk scrap metal in background. Also note W. Silver Grappler in background loading rail car. Photograph DSC00762: View looking southwest at loading from the soil stockpile in Grid A on the W. Silver site. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00759: View looking northeast at the excavated area (Grid 019) south of the main warehouse. Photograph DSC00757: View looking southeast at loading from the soil stockpile in Grid A on the W. Silver site. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00754: View looking southwest and down as sample aliquots are collected from the northwest portion of Grid A on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00753: View looking south at excavation activities in the northwestern portion of Grid A on the W. Silver site. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00751: View looking north and down as sample aliquots are collected from Grid 002 of Area A on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00750: View looking southeast at excavation activities in Grid 002 of Area A on the W. Silver site. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00748: View looking north and down as sample collected from 12-18” bgs at location EW02 in Grid E on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00738: View looking south at initial sampling activities at location EW06 in Grid E on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00737: View looking east/northeast at scrap metal pile located on Grid A/B after relocation from Grid E. Photograph DSC00735: View looking southwest at truck loading operations; dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00732: View looking northeast at cleaned concrete pad of the former exfoliation building. Photograph DSC00730: View looking southeast at activities related to moving scrap metal onto the cleaned Area An, Grids A/B from Grid E on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00725: View looking east at excavation activities in a dirt strip (Grid 001) along the northern portion of the concrete pad adjacent to the former exfoliation building. A layer of visible vermiculite was observed in the soil under the concrete pad. Photograph DSC00724: View looking east at excavation activities in a dirt strip (Grid 002) along the southern portion of the concrete pad adjacent to the former exfoliation building. Photograph DSC00718: View looking northwest at exposed soil area where a visible vermiculite layer was observed under the concrete adjacent to the former exfoliation building concrete pad. Photograph DSC00701: View looking southwest at START personnel conducting “dust sampling” within the main office on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00698: View looking southeast at stockpile area on the W. Silver site with debris from the former exfoliation building placed for disposal at Keer’s landfill at Mountainair Photograph DSC00696: View looking southeast at debris from demolition of the former exfoliation building. Photograph DSC00692: View looking northeast at former exfoliation building following removal of the sheet metal siding and roofing. Photograph DSC00690: View looking west into the structure of the former exfoliation building during demolition activities. Photograph DSC00686: View looking south at initial demolition activities of the former exfoliation building, starting with removal of the sheet metal roofing, Photograph DSC00682: View looking southeast at dust suppression activities related to end dump/roll off loading. Note, W. Silver personnel operating in background. Photograph DSC00680: Close view looking southeast at final excavation depth and placement of barricade fencing in the southern portion of Grid B on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00677: View looking southeast at excavation activities in the southern portion of Grid B on the W. Silver site. Dust suppression in progress. Photograph DSC00673: Expanded view looking south at final excavation depth and ongoing confirmation sampling and placement of barricade fencing in Grid 001 of the City ROW prior to backfilling. Photograph DSC00656: Photo southeast of loading operations on the W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00654: Photo south of forklift stuck on test track of compacted Cover Material. Photograph DSC00652: View of placement and compaction of “Cover Material” (Type A1A Product) within the excavated and cleared areas (B North, A South) on W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00650: View of loading activity from stockpile on W. Silver site Photograph DSC00649: View of Area E, Grid 006 with barricade fencing in the excavation prior to backfilling Photograph DSC00647: Expanded view of Area E, Grid 006 after conformation sample collection and prior to backfilling. Photograph DSC00645: View of Area E, Grid 002 following excavation and backfilling Photograph DSC00644: View of stockpile area and loading operations along 1st Street NW Photograph DSC00639: View of excavated area of Confirmation Sample “ASC” on W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00637: View of excavation activity in City ROW, Area E, Grid 001. Photograph DSC00633: Final grading of “crusher fines” in the City ROW, Area E, Grids 010 and 011. Photograph DSC0635; View southwest of the loading operations on the W. Silver facility. Photograph DSC00633: View of City ROW areas along the north side of Haines Avenue NW following placement and rolling of the backfill. Photograph DSC0632; View west of the excavation activities in the City ROW areas along the north side of Haines Avenue NW, in between 1st and 2nd Street NW. Photograph DSC00631: View of a hand dug area in the City ROW along 1st Street where a high pressure gas line enters the W. Silver facility. Photograph DSC0629; View west of the initial excavation area along Haines Avenue NW. Photograph DSC00620: View of City ROW area along Haines Avenue NW prior to excavation Photograph DSC0616; View southeast of loading operations. Note ongoing wetting/dust suppression activities. Photograph DSC00611: Expanded view north of excavated grid and active operations on W. Silver site. Photograph DSC00610; View southeast of excavated and covered grid on W. Silver site. Note air sampling location on barricade fencing. Photograph DSC00602: Interior view of exfoliation building and bagged asbestos resulting from the abatement of the building. Photograph DSC0594; View east-southeast of loading operations. Note ongoing wetting. Photograph DSC00592: Expanded view of loading operations along the northern portion of the Grid A area. Photograph DSC0591; Expanded view southwest at loading operations. Note wetting (pressure washer) operations. Photograph DSC04190: View of pile of potential cover materials (crushed concrete), at material storage yard south of downtown Albuquerque, NM. Photograph DSC04180; View facing southeast at backfill source area located off Broadway, South of downtown Albuquerque, NM. Photograph DSC00575: View of excavation activities along eastern portion of Grid AB. Note wetting activities. Photograph DSC0573; View facing west at excavated area along SW portion of W. Silver property (Grid AB North). Photograph DSC00571: View of ERRS and START personnel assessing depth of excavation area. Photograph DSC0567; View facing west at excavation and stockpiling activities. Note apparent adequate wetting. Photograph DSC00551: Expanded View of interior of Exfoliation building in advance of abatement. Photograph DSC00539: View of onsite field office located at 15 Haines Avenue, NW View of placement of orange barricade fencing in the excavation base before backfilling with clean soil (NW corner of 15 Haines) View of final/completed grade with decorative rock at 11 Haines (east side driveway). View of final/completed grade with decorative rock and concrete pad at rear yard of 7 Haines. View of final/completed grade with decorative rock and chain-link fence between 11/15 Haines. View of final/completed grade with decorative rock at Right-of-ways/Easements in front of 11 and 7 Haines (vacant lot). View of final/completed grade with decorative rock at 15 Haines (vacant lot). View of placement of plastic sheeting over excavated area along west side of 11 Haines residence. View of air sampling/monitoring station (Downwind 2) at southern portion of 7 Haines residence View of excavation activity along eastern side of 11 Haines, within residence driveway View of excavation activities along the northern portion of 15 Haines, noting dust suppression and plastic sheet on residences Ai sample station SWV-02W, located on east fenceline of Lot 12, which is located directly west of the site. Location of air samplie station SWV-03S, on Lot 16 north fenceline. Location of air sample station SWV-01N, located on southwest fenceline of Lot 6. View of Coronado Park, located approximately 0.18 miles northwest of the site. View of the undeveloped lot located at the intersection of NW 1st street and Haines Ave., NW. View of nearest residence located at 11 Haines Ave., NW, located directly north-northwest of the site. View of nearest residents located at 7 Haines Avenue, NW, located directly north of site. Additional veiw of raw vermiculite located on ground surface along the northeastern fence line of the property. View of grafitti along the eastern fence line of the property. Additional view of raw vermiculite ore along the eastern fence line of the site; with graffitti on the fence. View of raw vermiculite ore on ground surface outside eastern fence line of site. Notice graffitti on the fence. View of northwest section of site. Former exfoliation building is in the background. View of the northwest section of the site from Haines Ave., NW View of the northern section of the site from Haines Ave., NW. View of the northeast section of the site from Haines Ave., NW. View of railroad spur entrance located in southern section of the site. View of west entrance into the facility. Former exfoliation building located in background. View of railroad spur leading to the current recycling operations. View of former railraid spur inside the facility property. View of building structures and concrete surface on the northern section of the site. View of where it is believed that stack of former exfoliation furnace may have been located inside the exfoliation building. View of the remnants of former conveyor belt to the exfoliation furnace. Additional view of soil around the former exfoliation building. Raw vermiculite was observed in the soil. Additional view from the northeast of the former exfoliation building. Additional view from the southwest of the former exfoliation building View of former exfoliation building View of sign stating current occupant of site.
For additional information, visit the Pollution/Situation Report (Pol/Sitreps) section.