At 1430, EPA OSC Subash Patel notified Tetra Tech START of a tire fire at 230 Pearidge Road, Canton, Cherokee County, Georgia. OSC Randy Nattis tasked Tetra Tech START to mobilize to the site and supplied a copy of National Response Center Incident Report # 970033 describing details of the incident.
At approximately 1615, EPA Nattis and Tetra Tech START arrived on-site. EPA and START were briefed by Chief Darrel Mitchell, Cherokee County Fire Emergency Services (FES) on details of the site and were implemented into the current ICS structure. The property was an old landfill and had been recently purchased by Mr. Arthur Kellogg. At the time of arrival, tires were on fire along the north perimeter of the landfill. Cherokee County FES personnel were spraying water on the burning tires and debris. Local residents were located to the south of the property.
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
EPA, Tetra Tech START, and Chief Mitchell conducted a visual inspection of the site perimeter. OSC Nattis and Tetra Tech START noted the runoff from fire suppression operations was flowing downhill north of the property into the Hickory Log Reservoir. There was no visible sheen in the runoff from the landfill. Smoke from the fire was migrating to the northwest into a wooded area. Cherokee County FES conducted a chemical classifier field test of the runoff and preliminary results were negative for field test including of pH, hydrocarbons, oxidizers, and chlorinated compounds.
At 1715, EPA and Tetra Tech START began perimeter air monitoring using Multi-RAE and Area-RAE instrumentation. Preliminary monitoring indicated no results above action levels. Perimeter air monitoring was continued during fire suppression operations.
At 1830, Chief Mitchell informed OSC Nattis that an underflow dam had been installed in the runoff ditch northwest of the landfill. Underflow dam was installed by Chief Ranger Bobby Smith of the Georgia Forestry Service. Tetra Tech START recorded GPS coordinates of and provided photographic documentation of the underflow dam. Visual inspection of the runoff indicated there was no sheen in the water on either side of the dam.
At 1715, Environmental Restoration, Inc. (ER) arrived on-site and was briefed by OSC Nattis. OSC Nattis and ER Coordinator Jake Jones conducted a walk-through inspection of the site perimeter. At 20:55, Chief Mitchell conducted a pre-operations safety briefing for all personnel. ER used an excavator to pull back sections of the landfill to determine the extent and depth of the fire. During this time, OSC Nattis and Tetra Tech START conducted perimeter air monitoring with the Multi-RAE air monitoring units. Chief Ranger Smith and Tetra Tech START visually inspected the runoff from the landfill during ER activities. There was no visible sheen in the runoff during landfill operations; however, the water appeared more muddy than during previous observations.
At 2300, OSC Nattis and Chief Mitchell decided to cease operations for the night based on current site conditions and incoming rain. The fire at this time appeared to have been extinguished and all tires and superficial debris had been placed in a pile. All personnel were to meet back at the site at 10:00 on March 15, 2011.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)2.1.4 Progress Metrics
Waste Stream | Medium | Quantity | Manifest # | Treatment | Disposal |
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