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Zonolite Road Atlanta GAO144

All POL/SITREP's for this site Zonolite Road Atlanta GAO144
Atlanta, GA - EPA Region IV
POLREP #9
Progress 		Printer Friendly  |   PDF
 
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Zonolite Road Atlanta GAO144 - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV
Subject: POLREP #9
Progress
Zonolite Road Atlanta GAO144
B407
Atlanta, GA
Latitude: 33.8063720 Longitude: -84.3417654

To:
From: Kevin Eichinger, OSC Terry Stilman, OSC
Date: 1/17/2012
Reporting Period: December 29, 2011 through January 18, 2012

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: B407    Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date: 4/8/2011
Response Authority: CERCLA    Response Type: Time-Critical
Response Lead: PRP    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 6/1/2011    Start Date: 6/1/2011
Demob Date:      Completion Date:  
CERCLIS ID:    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification:
FPN#:    Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.2 Site Description

A removal site evaluation indicating that the Zonolite Road Site be given priority for removal eligibility was completed on March 23, 2011.   The Site, also referenced as the “GAO 144 site” was the former location of a vermiculite expansion (or, exfoliation) plant.  According to the previous owner and operator, the expansion plant operated from 1950 until 1970 and received between 499 and 1,225 tons of vermiculite concentrate from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana. 

 1.1.2.1 Location

The Site is located approximately 4.5 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, in a developed urban area of mixed light-industrial, commercial, and residential use.  The site occupies about 16 acres, some or all of which was the former location of a vermiculite expansion plant.  The Site is bordered to the south by Dalon Road, a landscape services and garden business, and the south fork of Peachtree Creek.  To the west of the Site are Peachtree Creek and several residences.  The Site is bordered to the north by railroad tracks and a complex containing numerous commercial and light industrial businesses.  Residential communities are located to the south beyond the south fork of Peachtree Creek, to the west, and to the north beyond the railroad tracks.   
2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
   
2.1.2 Response Actions to DateSummary - To date, approximately 14,120 tons of material has been removed and sent offsite for disposal to the Waste Management Landfill in Ball Ground, Georgia.  OSCs Eichenger, Stilman and START on-site conducting oversite. 

Air sample data was received for December 27th and 28th, 2011.  No asbestos was detected in the perimeter or personnel air samples taken on December 28th.  No asbestos removal work occurred on December 27th, so no air sampling occurred.

December 29, 2011 - Removal operations continued.  51 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 765 tons of material.  Perimeter and personnel air sampling continued.  One personnel sample contained asbestos at 0.00099 fibers/cc.  This level is far below the ABS site cleanup level of 0.02 fibers/cc.  No asbestos was detected in the perimeter samples.  

December 30, 2011 - Removal operations continued.  50 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 750 tons of material.  Perimeter and personnel air sampling continued.  One personnel sample contained asbestos at 0.00098 fibers/cc.  This level is far below the ABS site cleanup level of 0.02 fibers/cc.  No asbestos was detected in the perimeter samples. 

January 2, 2012 - No work occurred due to the holiday.

January 3, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  48 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 720 tons of material.  Perimeter and personnel air sampling continued.  One personnel sample contained asbestos at 0.00096 fibers/cc.  This level is far below the ABS site cleanup level of 0.02 fibers/cc.  No asbestos was detected in the perimeter samples. 

January 4, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  49 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 735 tons of material.  No asbestos was detected in personnel or perimeter air samples.  URS collected a 5-point composite of soil from beneath the southern concrete pad and one additional grab sample from an exposed portion of the pad; submitted the samples for bulk TEM analysis.  DeKalb County delivered diagrams for the grading and proposed utilization of the excavated area.

January 5, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  51 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 765 tons of material. Perimeter and personnel sampling continues. No asbestos was detected in personnel or perimeter air samples.  One Group collected eight grab soil samples for bulk TEM analysis from the wooded area and small berms to the NE of the site, south of the pathway leading to the commercial buildings and storm water drainage culvert.  Additional suspect material where the base of the excavation and northern and southern concrete pads meet (sidewall) was found.

January 6, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  12 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 180 tons of material.  Perimeter and personnel air sampling continued.  One personnel sample contained asbestos at 0.00194 fibers/cc.  This level is far below the ABS site cleanup level of 0.02 fibers/cc.  No asbestos was detected in the perimeter samples.

Contractors moved scaffolding and scrapped the north and south concrete pads.  URS and One Group collected/submitted 3 samples of material different in color (red, dark brown and brown) along the sidewall of the north and south pad; and collected 2 additional samples from the sidewall of shiny “vermiculite-like” material requested by EPA with 24 TAT (Monday) to MAS.  START L. Meadows collected 2 samples from the same vein along the sidewall of the north and south pad with 72 TAT (Thursday) samples will arrive at BATTA Environmental Associates on Monday.

January 9, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  48 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 720 tons of material. Perimeter and personnel sampling continues. No asbestos was detected in personnel or perimeter air samples.  

January 10, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  9 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 135 tons of material. Perimeter and personnel sampling continues. No asbestos was detected in personnel or perimeter air samples.  Contractors began staging backfill material on-site. 

January 11, 2012 - Removal operations were suspended due to the heavy rains and damage to the haul roads. 

January 12, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  9 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 135 tons of material. Perimeter and personnel sampling continues. No asbestos was detected in personnel or perimeter air samples.  Contractor began preparation to pump the storm water/ groundwater from the base of the excavation pit.  Preliminary results for the 8 bulk samples from the berms located between the NW corner of the silt fencing and the trailer were non-detect.  START collected 2 sidewall samples from the north pad (ATV-SW-01) and south pad (ATV-SW-02), which one sidewall sample, from the north pad contained Libby Amphibole at 0.41%.  Based on the sampling results additional contaminated soil (above 0.25% Libby Amphibole) and a portion of the concrete pad will be removed.

Air monitoring was late setting up; after contractor moved asbestos containing material.  Limited number of material was moved though OSC Eichinger requested that air monitoring always be in place prior to removal of asbestos containing material.


OSC Eichinger and START Meadows observed poor housekeeping operations between clean fill dirt and ACM soil being staged.  Suggestions of segregation, scrapping, and removal of final material were forwarded to Grace and Winter representatives.

January 13, 2012 - Removal operations continued.  The main extent of the waste pile has been removed from site.  Crews began removing and restoring the stream bank that runs around the perimeter of the site.  19 dump trucks were loaded and sent offsite with approximately 285 tons of material. Perimeter and personnel sampling continues. No asbestos was detected in personnel or perimeter air samples.

OSC Eichinger coordinated and hosted a site meeting to discuss site status, bulk and ABS sampling, concrete pad delineation, and additional grading proposals.  Representatives from EPA, START, DeKalb County, the South Fork Conservancy, W.R. Grace, and W.R. Grace's contractors attended.  Based on decisions made at the meeting, a final grading plan will be developed.  

January 16, 2012 - Limited crews on-site due to the Martin Luther King Holiday.  Crews continued pumping water from the excavation.  Perimeter and personnel sampling continues.  START and URS collected 16 individual grab aliquots and 4 composite samples for standard turn.

January 17, 2012 - No removal operations occurred.  Crews worked on constructing new haul roads to excavate the stream bank.  The rain slowed down operations and the excavation is in ground water.

January 18, 2012 - No removal operations occurred.  Crews continued to construct the haul roads.  Perimeter and personnel sampling continues.  START and URS collected bulk soil samples from under the southern pads at a depth of 3 feet.
  2.2 Planning Section
    2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

Continue with soil removal and restoration of the drainage creek bank

Receive updated site grading plan from DeKalb County

Sample under the existing pads to a depth of three feet to determine if there is asbestos containing materials under the pads.
  2.3 Logistics Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.5 Other Command Staff
    No information available at this time.
3. Participating Entities
  3.2 Cooperating Agencies

Dekalb County
4. Personnel On Site
  The following personnel were onsite at various times through out the reporting period:

EPA - 6
DeKalb County Natural Resources - 2
South Fork Conservancy - 4
AECOM - 2
START - 2
URS - 2
W.R. Grace (Remedium Group) - 2 
One Group Consulting - 2
Winter Environmental - 21
5. Definition of Terms
  ABS - Activity Based Sampling - Collecting of air samples while engaging in dust generation activities that could disturb asbestos fibers and release them into the air.

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration - an agency of the United States Department of Labor whose mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and occupational fatality by issuing and enforcing standards for workplace safety and health.

PCM - Phase Contrast Microscopy - Sample analysis procedure, following NIOSH Analytical Method 7400, used to determine the presence of fibers in air samples.  This procedure does not differentiate between non-hazardous fibers and asbestos fibers.  Used to determine the effectiveness of engineering controls and work practices during the actual removal of the asbestos contaminated material. 

PEL - Permissible Exposure Limit - Legal limit in the United States for worker exposure to a chemical substance or physical agent.

TEM - Transmission Electron Microscopy - Sample analysis procedure, following NIOSH Method 7402, used to determine the presence, type and concentration of asbestos in air samples.
6. Additional sources of information
  No information available at this time.
7. Situational Reference Materials
  No information available at this time.