Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc. (MAS), formerly used the Site to manufacture and paint fiberglass auto body panels, truck panels, and other parts. MAS also produced a sheet resin material known as “sheet molding compound” (SMC). SMC was a fiberglass-reinforced thermosetting compound manufactured by dispensing mixed resin, maturation agent, fillers, catalyst, and mold release agent onto sheets of polyethylene film. MAS leased the Site structures from a non-profit organization that currently owns the Site property.
MAS ceased all manufacturing operations at the Site in 2007, after which most hydraulic presses and other production equipment were removed from the production building. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) Southeast District Office (SEDO) Division of Hazardous Waste Management (DHWM) ordered MAS to begin removal activities in 2007 in compliance with the Cessation of Regulated Operations requirements in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), Chapter 3745- 352. However, removal activities had not completed before MAS declared bankruptcy in 2009 and abandoned the Site.
Recent Site activities have included metal scrapping operations and occasional vandalism and thievery. On August 23, 2009, a small fire was started near the former press line in the on-site production building from metal scrapping operations using an acetylene torch. The local fire department extinguished the fire. During the response, the local acting Fire Chief found the production building’s sprinkler system to be non-functional and observed large volumes of flammable hydraulic oil waste staged in open sub-floor pits. In addition, electrical wiring inside the production building had been compromised by unauthorized scrapping of copper wire and electrical components, resulting in electrical shock hazards from exposed wiring. The local acting Fire Chief ordered that the scrapping contractor could conduct no further work inside the production building and notified OEPA SEDO of the fire hazards and wastes observed at the Site. After the fire, the City of Jackson stationed personnel at the Site for round-the-clock fire-watch duty.
OEPA SEDO inspected the Site from August 24 through 26, 2009, and documented large quantities of abandoned manufacturing wastes, including the following:
- Used oil wastes in six hydraulic press pits totaling an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 gallons;
- Drums containing styrene monomer, flammable liquids, and corrosives, and unlabeled drums with unknown contents;
- Universal waste fluorescent lamps;
- One cardboard box labeled “PCB Ballast”;
- Numerous small containers and aerosol cans, including pesticides and laboratory chemicals;
- An instrument containing a radioactive source (americium 241 and beryllium) formerly used to evaluate the thickness and density of fiberglass material; and
- Multiple aboveground storage tanks (AST) with unknown quantities of fuel oil, hydraulic oil, used oil, propane, and resins.
On September 8, 2009, OEPA SEDO requested the assistance of the U.S. EPA Region V ERB in performing a removal site assessment at the Site. In late September and early October 2009, U.S. EPA Region V coordinated with the Ohio Department of Health to remove the radioactive source from the Site for proper disposal.
1.1.1 Incident Category
The Site is located in a mixed residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial area at 1020 East Main Street in Jackson, Jackson County, Ohio. The Site coordinates are 39.033964 degrees North latitude and 82.622629 degrees West longitude. On-site structures consist of one large production building occupying approximately 300,000 square feet and several unattached chemical and waste storage buildings and tank farms.
The Site property is enclosed by a chain-link fence with padlocked gates.
According to the City of Jackson Mayor’s Office, the following are located within 1 mile of the Site: 3,365 homes, 4 schools, 1 community college, 3 nursing homes, 2 retirement communities, and 1 hospital. The current population of Jackson, Ohio, is approximately 6,200.
1.1.2.1 Location
