U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Ulah Battery Site - Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV
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Subject:
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POLREP #7
Contaminated Soil Removal Continues
Ulah Battery Site
Asheboro, NC
Latitude: 35.6385953 Longitude: -79.8283982
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To:
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From:
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Perry Gaughan, OSC
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Date:
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10/25/2011
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Reporting Period:
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10/10/2011 through 10/22/2011
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1. Introduction
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1.1 Background
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Site Number: |
04HV |
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Contract Number: |
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D.O. Number: |
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Action Memo Date: |
7/28/2011 |
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Response Authority: |
CERCLA |
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Response Type: |
Time-Critical |
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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: |
8/30/2011 |
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Start Date: |
8/31/2011 |
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Demob Date: |
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Completion Date: |
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CERCLIS ID: |
NCD981864614 |
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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
Time Critical Removal Action
1.1.2 Site Description
Region 4 ERRB received a request from North Carolina Department of Environmental Natural Resources (NC DENR) to perform a Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) at the Ulah Battery Dump along Dinah Road in Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina. NC DENR performed an assessment of the site indicating lead concentrations up to 35,600 parts per million (ppm) in some areas. This exceeds EPA residential Removal Action Level (RAL) of 400 ppm for lead.
1.1.2.1 Location
Dinah Road, Asheboro, North Carolina 27203
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
Lead and arsenic contaminated soils are present from battery cracking operations previously done by lead reclaimers along Dinah Road in Asheboro, NC. The reclaimers operated from 1965 to 1985. Hundreds of batteries were cracked to remove the lead plates and further melted in drums to be recycled to local vendors. Battery acid (sulfuric acid) was reportedly allowed to spill onto the ground.
EPA and Superfund Technical Assessment Response Team (START) conducted a site assessment on April 1st, 2010 revealing x-ray flourescense (XRF) detections up to 59,700 ppm lead and up to 3,735 for arsenic. The Site is a one-acre wooded parcel behind 159 Dinah Road and bordered by a private gravel road, Coy Stella Trail. Battery chips and casings were found to be scattered throughout the property but concentrated in a bermed area along the southern edge adjacent to the private road.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
During the week of July 18th, EPA conducted additional XRF analysis of the property at 159 Dinah Road. This parcel is approximately 140 feet by 280 feet and the front and back yards adjoing the wooded area in the southern half of the property were subdivided into several managable grids for XRF investigation. In this manner, EPA and Start found that lead levels in two grids of the front yard ranged from 400 - 1450 ppm lead, and four grids behind the home levels ranged from 397 - 2890 ppm. In addition, two grids in the back yard indicated elevated arsenic levels over 100 ppm arsenic. The driveway leading to the back of the home indicted lead levels approaching 3300 ppm lead.
To confirm these xrf readings, Start was tasked to collect ten samples for analytical analysis and the resulting analytical matched up well with the field results. XRF correlation ranged from 84.7 to 96.8%. As previously indicted, lead levels in the dump area along the southern perimeter of the site range from 41,000 to 59,000 ppm lead.
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2. Current Activities
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2.1 Operations Section
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2.1.1 Narrative
Monday, October 10th through Saturday, October 15th, 2011
ERRs contractors continued excavating contaminated soil and battery casings from the central and northern contaminated grids at the adjacent, 135 Dinah Road property. Several additional battery chips were found along the eastern fenceline of this property as deep as 18 inches and additional contaminated soil was found along the driveway of the property and the drainage ditch along Dinah Road. From excavaion activities, an additional 140 cubic yards of highly contaminated battery chips and soil were staged for haz waste disposal. START contractors continued assessing the property at 135 Dinah Road and conducting confirmation x-ray fluorescence (xrf) analysis for lead and arsenic.
Monday, October 17th through Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
ERRs contractors continued excavating contaminated soil and battery casings from the two Dinah Road properties. Excavation of soils continues in six inch increments to achieve desired non haz levels. An additional 120 cubic yards of highly contaminated casings and soil were staged for disposal and approximately 500 cubic yards of lightly contaminated soil has been staged to date. ERRs continued treating lightly contaminated soils stockpiled on site with phosphate and procuring fill material and backfilling excavated areas to previous grade levels. START contractors continue conducting confirmation xrf analysis and Site documentation activities.
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
| Waste Stream |
Medium |
Quantity |
Manifest # |
Treatment |
Disposal |
| Lead Contaminated Casings and Soil |
Soil |
170 |
12 |
none |
EQ HazWaste Landfill, Canton, Ohio |
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2.2 Planning Section
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2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
Removal activities are anticipated to take 6-7 weeks including the neighboring properties..
2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
2.2.1.2 Next Steps
2.2.2 Issues
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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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No information available at this time.
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4. Personnel On Site
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Errs Contractors 1-Response manager, 3 laborers, 1 equipment operator, 1 field cost accountant, and
OSC
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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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6.1 Internet location of additional information/report
Information collected from local residents indicates that several people in the Ulah area cracked batteries to reclaim lead during the 70's and early 80's. Mr Hoskins provided a copy of a license/permit from North Carolina essentially permitting him to operate a lead reclaiming operation.
6.2 Reporting Schedule
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7. Situational Reference Materials
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No information available at this time.
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