1.1.1 Incident Category

 Time Critical Removal Action

1.1.2 Site Description

The Site occupies nine adjacent parcels covering approximately 30 acres, bounded by East Marietta Street to the north, North Jasper Street to the west, and Norfolk Southern rail lines to the south and east.  A residential neighborhood is located immediately north of the facility. 

Phase I Assessment - July 2014

A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase 1) of the Site was completed in July 2014. The Phase 1 was funded by an U.S. EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant for hazardous substances previously awarded to the City of Decatur, IL.  Based on the findings of the Phase 1, the City of Decatur requested further evaluation of the Site by Illinois EPA. 

On July 15, 2014, at the request of the City of Decatur, Illinois EPA’s Office of Site Evaluation collected samples from suspected areas of contamination at the Intermet Site. The State identified the following from its sampling effort: Multiple 55-gallon drums stored in the Waste Storage Building; a Photo Ionization Detector showed an elevated reading in one of the drums but the sample collected from that drum was flagged by the laboratory as insufficient volume to analyze; Several broken bags of green powder were found in Waste Storage Building and although X-Ray Fluorescence detected levels of Chromium in excess of 20,000 ppm, a sample collected for Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure metals did not detect anything above hazardous levels; An area located within one of the builds contained stock-piled Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) capacitors and two drums labeled “Hazardous Waste” contained broken capacitors and analysis of residual material in one of the drums detected Arochlor 1242 at 2,800,000 parts per billion; One large building is covered with metal panels coated with Galbestos which contains asbestos and PCBs; One additional sample was collected from one of the numerous rubble piles outside one of the building and tested positive for asbestos.

Based on Illinois EPA’s July 15 2014 sampling event, Illinois EPA referred this Site to Region 5 Superfund Program in August 2014, based primarily on the threat of a release from asbestos containing material (ACM).

On October 14, 2014 a removal Site visit conduct by U.S. EPA found 9 suspected ACM debris piles on site.   In addition, the chrome powder identified during Illinois EPA’s sampling event was observed, as well as the PCB-containing capacitors and drums.  It was noted that the drums containing the broken PCB-containing capacitors were deteriorating to the point of threatening to immediately release. However, U.S. EPA was unable to obtain access to the Site for anything other than the removal Site visit at that time.

1.1.2.1 Location

The Site is located on 9 separate land parcels in Decatur, Macon County, Illinois. The Site’s geographical coordinates are 39° 50’ 56.7” north latitude and 88° 56’ 20.4” west longitude.  The Site occupies nine adjacent parcels covering approximately 30 acres, bounded by East Marietta Street to the north, North Jasper Street to the west, and Norfolk Southern rail lines to the south and east.  A residential neighborhood is located immediately north of the Site, and some of the homes in that neighborhood are within 100 feet of the Site.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

During the Site visit, EPA found significant volumes of suspected asbestos in nine debris piles.  These piles are unsecured and exposed to the environment.  Asbestos is a hazardous substance under 40 C.F.R. § 302.4 of the National Contingency Plan (NCP).  The Site was not adequately secured, and graffiti on buildings and signs at the Site indicated trespassers have accessed the Site.

Samples of friable materials collected by Illinois EPA from two of the nine suspected ACM debris piles showed one pile contained up to 10 to 20 percent chrysotile asbestos.

EPA confirmed the presence of a threat of release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants at the Site as defined by Section 101(14) of the  Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), including the presence of PCBs, ACM in waste piles exposed to the environment, and various chemical containers. Additionally, potentially elevated levels of metals (chrome dioxide powder) were identified in waste piles that are open to the environment.  Several of the Site buildings are in poor condition; roofs are collapsed in several buildings; almost all windows are missing, broken or boarded, and there is evidence of break-in and vandalism.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

See Section 2.2.1.1, below.

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

Develop and implement a Site-specific Health and Safety Plan, including an Air Monitoring Plan, and a Site Emergency Contingency Plan;

1. Characterize, remove, transport and dispose of all characterized or identified hazardous waste, special wastes and associated debris located at the Site;
2. A structural Engineer will assess the former office building to determine if it needs to be demolished, or if asbestos abatement can safely be conducted without demolition.
3. Dispose of or recycle non-hazardous waste, as appropriate;
4. Decontaminate floors of Site buildings, as needed;
5. Remove capacitors from current storage area.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

1. ERRS will continue segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams, staging hazardous materials inside the waste storage building;  Waste profiles will be developed, and disposal/recycling facilities will be identified.
2. START will  continue conducting perimeter air monitoring, and conduct additional characterization and confirmation sampling as needed.

2.2.2 Issues

2.4.1 Narrative

U.S. EPA is funding a time critical removal action for the Site. An action memo has been approved with a total project ceiling of $2,185,819.00.  Of that amount an estimated $1,946,059.00 may be used for cleanup contractor costs.  Currently $500,000.00 has been budgeted for the ERRS contract and $50,000.00 has been budgeted for START.  Additional funding will obtained as necessary.

* The above accounting of expenditures is an estimate based on figures known to the OSC at the time this report was written. The OSC does not necessarily receive specific figures on final payments made to any contractor(s). Other financial data which the OSC must rely upon may not be entirely up-to-date. The cost accounting provided in this report does not necessarily represent an exact monetary figure which the government may include in any claim for cost recovery.

2.5.1 Safety Officer
OSC Thomas

2.5.2 Liaison Officer

 
2.5.3 Information Officer

3.1 Unified Command

3.2 Cooperating Agencies

Illinois EPA

Decatur Fire Department

City of Decatur

EPA =     1

ERRS =   7          

START = 1

Total personnel on site during this reporting period = 9 

ACM: Asbestos Containing Material

CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

CFR: Code of Federal Regulations

ERRS: Emergency and Rapid Response Services contractor

Illinois EPA: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

NCP:  National Contingency Plan

OSC: On-Scene Coordinator

PCB: Polychlorinated Biphenyl

POLREP: Pollution Report

START: Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team contractor

US EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency