Bedford Anodizing operates as an aluminum anodizing facility.  The company originaly began operations in 1978 in Bedford, Ohio, but has soley operated at the Macedonia, Ohio location after shutting the doors to the Bedford, Ohio location sometime around 1990.  The Bedford Anodizing Site is located on approximately 21 acres of land.  A building and covered storage area occupies approximately 5 acres of the property.  The Site is located in an industrial area and is surrounded by wetlands.  a creek borders the site to the east, behind the facility, and flows along the southern boundary of the site. 

On March 18, 2011, the Summit County Environmental Services Department was called to the Site after learning that the sanitary sewer system had become blocked.  Upon investigating, they learned that the fcility had continued discharging their waste water containing Aluminum Hydroxide (which forms a gel under prolonged contact with water), and the material had backed up into a ditch on the facility.

Ohio EPA was informed of the spill and upon investigationg, learned that the material had flowed along the ditch into a creek in the back of the facility and also into a nearby storm sewer which emptied on a neighboring property.

While replacing the blocked lateral, the ditch was excavated of the discharged material, however, no removal work was performed on the creek.  Ohio EPA issued a Notice of Violation on March 18, 2011 and instructed the facility owner to clean the material out of the creek.   

On March 21, 2011, Ohio EPA contacted US EPA for assistance as the facility owner was not performing any clean up actions.  Ohio EPA and US EPA continued to work with the facility owner to perform the clean up; however, the facility owner repeatedly informed the agencies that he did not have the funds to properly clean up the spilled material.  Sample results received from Ohio EPA indicated that the material contained hazardous substances such as lead, chromium, nickel and zinc.  On April 14, 2011,  verbal authorization to spend up to $50,000 was granted by the Chief of Emergency Response Branch 1 to begin removal actions to mitigate the spill at the site.  On April 28, 2011 verbal authorization was granted by the Chief of Emergency Response Branch 1 to increase the ceiling to $200,000.

1.1.2.1 Location

The Bedford Anodizing Site is located at 7860 Empire Parkway, Macedonia, Summit County, Ohio.    The geographical coordinates for the Site are 41° 17” 35’ North latitude and -81° 30” 1’ West longitude.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Aluminum Hydroxide (a component of the wastewater) was discharged into two creeks.  The two creeks travel into wetlands and eventually merge, before emptying into the Brandywine creek, located less than 1 mile downstream.  Aluminum Hydroxide forms a gel under pro-longed contact with water.  Analytical results of the spilled material indicated that hazardous substances (heavy metals such as lead, nickel, chrmoium, and zinc) were present in the discharged material. 

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

A site walk conducted on March 21st revealed approximately 1,000 feet of an un-named creek was impacted on the facility's property ranging from 1 to 3 feet deep of material.   In addition, approximately 1,000 feet of a second un-named creek was affected with several inches of the material settled to the bottom.