U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Samoa Pulp Mill - Removal Polrep
Final Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IX
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Subject:
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POLREP #21
Final Polrep
Samoa Pulp Mill
Samoa, CA
Latitude: 40.8049600 Longitude: -124.1933100
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To:
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Harry Allen, EPA Region 9
Peter Guria, EPA Region 9
Dan Meer, EPA Region 9
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From:
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Christopher Weden, OSC
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Date:
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6/9/2016
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Reporting Period:
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5/31-6/10/2016
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1. Introduction
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1.1 Background
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Site Number: |
A949 |
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Contract Number: |
EP-S9-12-01 |
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D.O. Number: |
0937 |
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Action Memo Date: |
7/30/2014 |
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Response Authority: |
CERCLA |
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Response Type: |
Emergency |
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Response Lead: |
EPA |
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Incident Category: |
Removal Action |
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NPL Status: |
Non NPL |
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Operable Unit: |
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Mobilization Date: |
9/30/2013 |
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Start Date: |
10/1/2013 |
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Demob Date: |
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Completion Date: |
6/30/2016 |
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CERCLIS ID: |
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RCRIS ID: |
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ERNS No.: |
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State Notification: |
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FPN#: |
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Reimbursable Account #: |
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1.1.1 Incident Category
Emergency Response
1.1.2 Site Description
The Samoa Pulp Mill Site is a 70 acre former industrial pulp manufacturing facility. The pulp mill was constructed in 1963 by Georgia Pacific. In the early 1970's Louisiana Pacific acquired and ran the facility until 1990. From 1990 until 2008 various smaller groups owned and operated the facility. The last operating owner of the facility was the Evergreen Pulp Company which ran the facility until 2008. Evergreen experienced financial difficulties and "walked away" from the mill site without properly closing operations. Sometime in 2009 a venture group called Freshwater Tissue Company purchased the facility site with intent of converting to a tissue mill. This quickly failed to reach fruition and Freshwater began scrapping the facility and consolidating hazardous waste. In August of 2013 Freshwater Tissue Company sold the facility to the Humboldt
Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District (the “Harbor District”). The facility is currently staffed with 2 part-time Humboldt Bay Harbor District employees.
1.1.2.1 Location
The Samoa Pulp Mill Site is located within Humboldt County in Samoa, CA. The Site is approximately 70 acres of industrial pulp processing operations and is situated on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay. The facility is on the shore line of Humboldt Bay and has an industrial wharf on the Bay. The Pacific Ocean is located within 800 yds to the west of the facility.
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
The primary concern was 11 ASTs containing approximately 3 million gallons of highly caustic liquids (pH greater than 13). Five of these ASTs were not designed to store caustic liquids and periodic seismic activity (6.8 earthquake occurred off coast of Humboldt Co. 3/9/2014) caused grave concern regarding their stability. Additionally, there were a half dozen ASTs containing 2000-3000 gallons of sulfuric acid (pH less than 1), 3,000 tons of corrosive sludges in uncontained areas, approximately 3000 gallons of turpentine, and several thousand containers of various types (i.e., compressed gas cylinders, paints/thinners, mercury containing gauges and equipment).
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
Please refer to previous Polreps
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2. Current Activities
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2.1 Operations Section
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2.1.1 Narrative
The first five tanks of pulping liquor transferred for
reuse were the tiled concrete tanks (Tile Tanks). These tanks were
never intended to store the black and green pulping liquors that were
transferred into them by Freshwater Tissue Company. The decision to start
with these tanks was based on a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred off the
coast of Humboldt County on March 10, 2014 (see Polrep 7) and the fact that
this earthquake had caused more cracks and resultant leaks. Once the Tile
Tanks were emptied our contractor began moving liquors from the remaining tanks
that were constructed of steel. The Tile Tanks were never cleaned of the
pulp slurry residue.
The tops of the Tile Tanks are made of fiberglass and are in
various states of decay and disrepair. This allowed rainwater in and over
the course of the past two years, several feet of rainwater accumulated inside
them. The pH of the contaminated rainwater was approximately 11-12.
This rainwater was neutralized with citric acid and sprayed around the
southwest corner of the site.
The pH of the pulp slurry that remains in the Tile Tanks is 7-9
and is non-hazardous waste.
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
An Agreement on Consent with the Harbor District was signed in early 2015.
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
| Waste Stream |
Medium |
Quantity |
Manifest # |
Treatment |
Disposal |
Recycled |
| Pulping Liquors |
liquids |
3M gallons |
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3 million gallons.
Kapstone Paper Company, Longview, WA |
| Sulfuric Acid - Re-usable |
liquids |
6k gallons |
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Purchased by Valley Acid, Stratford, CA (11/13) |
| Sulfuric Acid - Waste |
liquids |
4k gallons |
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x |
x |
21st Century Environmental Management of CA, LP |
| Hydrochloric Acid - Waste |
liquids |
2,100 gallons |
011138259 JJK |
x |
x |
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| Non-hazardous corrosive sludges |
solidified |
7109 tons |
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x |
Recology, Vacaville, CA
Subtitle D facility |
| Turpentine |
liquids |
3k gallons |
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| Lab Chemicals |
various |
~2k containers |
0000990296DAT |
x |
x |
21st Century Environmental Management of CA, LP |
| "HHW" type |
various |
~2k containers |
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See "Disposal Table March 15-19, 2016" in Document section of webpage |
| Hg debris |
solid |
2 drums of drebris |
On file |
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Clean Harbors |
| Waste oils |
liquids |
~2k gallons |
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~200 gallons removed by Asbury Environmental for recycling |
| Hg elemental |
liquid |
250 lbs |
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Retired at Bethleham Apparatus via Stericycle |
| Hazardous corrosive sludges |
solidified |
~3500 tons |
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US Ecology - Beatty, NV
and Kettleman Hills |
| Non-hazardous corrosive liquids |
liquid |
45,968 gallons |
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US Ecology - Beatty, NV |
| Hazardous corrosive liquids |
liquid |
105,198 gallons |
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US Ecology - Beatty, NV |
| Sulfuric acid tank bottoms |
sludge |
14 over-packed drums |
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Clean Harbors |
| Steel |
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3464 tons |
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Recycled at SIMS Metals in Richmond, CA |
| Stainless Steel |
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84 tons |
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Recycled at SIMS Metals in Richmond, CA |
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2.2 Planning Section
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No further action planned.
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2.3 Logistics Section
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No information available at this time.
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2.4 Finance Section
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No information available at this time.
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2.5 Other Command Staff
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No information available at this time.
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3. Participating Entities
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3.1 Unified Command
USEPA Federal On-Scene Coordinator
3.2 Cooperating Agencies
Humboldt Bay Harbor District
Samoa Volunteer FD
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4. Personnel On Site
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At the end of this reporting period after various demobilizations.
1
- OSC
2 - PST
1 - HBHD
7 - ERRS (5 - EQM, 2 - Global )
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5. Definition of Terms
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No information available at this time.
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6. Additional sources of information
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No information available at this time.
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7. Situational Reference Materials
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No information available at this time.
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