The Reef LLC facility in Sylacauga, Alabama was a centralized waste treatment facility. The facility began accepting waste in the summer of 2007. The facility planned on accepting waste water and oily waste from other industries for treatment and discharge to the a Sylacauga waste water treatment plant. Shortly after the first waste deliveries began numerous odor complaints were received by the local and state government. Within the past few years the facility has filed for bankruptcy. The State has taken various actions and had very limited success in getting the wastes at the site to be properly disposed. On 10-1-2012 after receiving information that totes were being removed from the facility and numerous odor complaints ADEM personnel investigated the site. ADEM personnel could not make entry into the facility but did observe an oily sheen in the creek downstream of the facility as well as a large bulge in the tarp cover over the Biological Treatment Basin at the facility. Later in the day on 10-1-12 ADEM requested assistance from EPA Region 4 to assess the site and to assist with emergency stabilization. EPA OSC Tim Neal was dispatched to the scene. On the morning of 10-2-12 ADEM and EPA personnel met on site and conducted an assessment. Assessment activities continued throughout the day and evening of 10-2-12.
