On Friday, 28 June 2013, another EPA division notified EPA Region 10’s Emergency Response Program about an ongoing criminal investigation where approximately 45 55-gallon drums were found to be abandoned on a residential property in Renton, Washington. ERU Manager/ER Chief Terada and EPA START contractors mobilized to the site to conduct an assessment of the condition of the drums and containers on the property.
The assessment revealed that many of the drums were found to be in poor physical condition, had improperly sealed lids or black plastic garbage bags to serve as lids, and a few were clearly visibly leaking their liquid contents to the soil. The preliminary investigation determined that at least 13 of the drums contain RCRA Hazardous Waste, however, not all drums were assessed.
