Site referred to EPA on 1/10/02 as an emergency response.
It consisted of one abandoned 55-gallon drum filled with approx. 125 lecture-size compressed gas cylinders in an advanced state of corrosion. Drum was inside a barn on residential property.
On 1/24/02 OSC mobilized ERRS and RST to the Site and performed a Level "B" entry to try to identify the contents from label information. Due to the extreme degree corrosion that literally fused the cylinders together, only 33 were able to be safely removed for examination. Of those 33, 21 had labels indicating the supplier was the Linde Gases-Div. of Union Carbide. From label information it was observed that the loose cylinders contained: ethylene oxide, hyrdrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, diethylamine, and ethylene oxide. After completing the documentation, the drum and loose cylinders was overpacked into a poly drum with a screw lid.
Because there was no identifiable or viable PRP, the OSC contacted the original supplier. Union Carbide had been sold to Dow Chemical, and the Linde Division had been spun-off and is now Praxaire, Bethleham, PA. Dow maintains an ER team in Bound Brook, NJ,and works closely with Praxaire. Praxaire has agreed to accept full responsibility for collection, storage, and disposal of the cylinders, in line with its philosophy of product stewardship and the CMA Responsible CARE program.
OSC met Dow personnel at the Site on 2/27 and 3/11. On 3/11 all cylinders were removed while in the overpack drum and transported to the Praxair facility in Bethleham PA for disposal. Removal action considered complete.
