1.1.1 Incident Category

Time Critical Removal Action

1.1.2 Site Description
The site is a former chemical plating facility, currently owned by the Kent County Land Bank. When the property tax reverted, historically accumulated plating wastes were abandoned in the building, and discovered by the Land Bank. 

1.1.2.1 Location

The site is located at 1516 Blaine Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan 49507. The site totals approximately 1/4 acre, and contains a one story industrial building and an open lot. The site was recently occupied by the Hard Chrome Plating and HCP Finishing LLC companies, and tax reverted to the Kent County Land Bank in 2014.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

See POLREP 1.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

See POLREP 1.

2.1.1 Narrative

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

2.1.2.1 Actions During Reporting Period

Over the reporting period, work focused primarily on the following activities:

- Continuing to implement air monitoring program

- Continuing to clear debris from within the building and decontaminate building floors. Sweepings are consolidated in cubic yard boxes for disposal

- Continuing to dismantle vats. To date, all 14 vats have been evacuated. Both the nickel and chrome plating lines have now been fully dismantled. All vats were cleaned out. All vats except 1 have been shipped off site for disposal or recycling.

- Removed and disposed of remaining infrastructure associated with the vats

- Completion of removal and disposal of the air filtration system

- Completion of over-packing drums

- Completion of final inventory of drums and containers

- Along with the City of Grand Rapids, evaluated the indoor subsurface piping infrastructure to ensure that piping discharges to sanitary sewer. There is a trap door in a lab in the building that contained a discharge pipe. We did verify that that pipe is connected to the network that discharges to the sanitary sewer.

- Secured the site for temporary shutdown pending disposal.

All waste materials on site have been containerized and secured.

2.1.2.2 Air Monitoring
Every day that cleanup activity work will be ongoing, air monitoring will be conducted to ensure public and worker safety. Please see the air monitoring plan and POLREP 2 for details.

A website has been established to view the current and past air monitoring data for the site. To view the data go to the web address: viper.ert.org. You have to create a login on your first visit to the site. Once logged in, go to the R05 Hard Chrome Metals Deployment to view site data. 

Particulate Air Monitoring:

Over the reporting period, no exceedances of the perimeter or work zone action levels (calculated as work day averages) for particulates were detected. 


MultiGas Air Monitoring:

Over the reporting period, no exceedances of the perimeter or work zone action levels were verified.

Hydrochloric Acid Monitoring

Over the reporting period, no exceedances of the perimeter or work zone action levels were detected. 

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
General notice letters were issued to former owners of the property. Investigation is ongoing.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

See POLREP 1.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
All waste materials on site have been containerized and secured. Over the next few weeks, we will evaluate waste stream analysis results and work to arrange disposal. As soon as disposal is arranged we will return to the site and properly dispose of the waste that is staged for disposal; complete final decontamination of the site; and demobilize. 

-   Security will be on site 24 hours a day 7 days a week during the time we are off-site arranging disposal.

2.2.2 Issues

3.1 Unified Command

3.2 Cooperating Agencies

Kent County Land Bank
MDEQ

2/8/16-2/9/16
EPA: 1
START: 1
ERRS: 6
USCG AST: 2

2/10/16
EPA: 2
START: 1
ERRS: 6
USCG AST: 2 

2/11/16-2/12/16
EPA: 1
START: 1
ERRS: 6
USCG AST: 2

2/16/16
EPA: 1
START: 1
City of Grand Rapids: 3

2/17/16
EPA: 1
START: 1