U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Portage Creek Area - Removal Polrep
Initial Removal Polrep
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region V
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Subject:
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POLREP #1
Initial
Portage Creek Area
059B05
Kalamazoo, MI
Latitude: 42.2839750 Longitude: -85.5791570
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To:
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Mark Mills, Michigan DNR
Daria Devantier, MDEQ
Debbie Jung, City of Kalamazoo
Lisa Williams, U.S. FWS
Todd Goeks, NOAA
Valincia Darby, Department of Interior
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From:
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Sam Borries, On-Scene Coordinator
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Date:
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10/7/2011
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Reporting Period:
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9/26/2011 - 10/7/2011
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1. Introduction
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1.1 Background
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Site Number: |
059B05 |
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Contract Number: |
EP-S5-08-02 |
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D.O. Number: |
0087 |
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Action Memo Date: |
7/5/2011 |
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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: |
NPL |
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Operable Unit: |
05 |
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Mobilization Date: |
9/26/2011 |
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Start Date: |
8/30/2011 |
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Demob Date: |
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Completion Date: |
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CERCLIS ID: |
MID006007306 |
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RCRIS ID: |
NA |
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ERNS No.: |
NA |
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State Notification: |
Yes |
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FPN#: |
NA |
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Reimbursable Account #: |
NA |
1.1.1 Incident Category
Fund lead removal action.
1.1.2 Site Description
The Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site, is located in Allegan and Kalamazoo County, Michigan, and is pervasively contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), primarily as the result of historic waste practices associated with several paper mills. The Site was listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) on August 30, 1990, and includes four disposal areas, five former paper mill properties, an approximately 80-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River from Morrow Dam to Lake Michigan, and a three-mile stretch of Portage Creek.
This response action will require two or more construction seasons to complete and will result in the removal of approximately 17,000 cubic yards of waste material, containing approximately 2,123 pounds of PCB from the creek. The creek has an average width of approximately 32 feet, an average depth of approximately 2.3 feet and covers a surface area of approximately 8.2 acres. The banks in the Portage Creek Area range in height from approximately 18 inches to 10 feet.
1.1.2.1 Location
This removal action involves what the U.S. EPA Region 5 has designated as the “Portage Creek Area” of the Site. The Portage Creek Area is located in the City of Kalamazoo, Michigan, beginning at East Cork Street and flowing north approximately three miles to the confluence of the Kalamazoo River. Activities associated with this removal action are anticipated to occur in segments along a 1.8 mile stretch of Portage Creek. Work activities will move downstream primarily between Reed Avenue to East Walnut Street bridge, South Pitcher Street bridge to the railroad crossing west of Rochester Street, and the bend in Portage Creek East of Rochester Street to the confluence with the Kalamazoo River.
1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
This response action will mitigate threats to public health, welfare, and the environment presented by the presence of an uncontrolled release of PCB, a hazardous substance, from in-stream sediments, riverbank soils, and floodplain soils located within the Portage Creek Area. This removal action is time-critical in order to address the potential for continuing release of contamination into the food chain and the potential for direct human exposure to the contamination. The proposed response actions include dredging and/or excavation of sediment, riverbank soils and floodplain soils, containment, monitoring, water treatment, stabilization and off-Site disposal of excavated material in accordance with federal PCB regulations at 40 C.F.R. § 761.61.
1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
29 sample locations from the Portage Creek Area (between E. Alcott Street and the confluence with the Kalamazoo River) have PCB concentrations greater than 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) ranging in depth from surface sediment to 44 inches deep. The highest sample results from Portage Creek show a concentration of 590 mg/kg and came from a location between E. Walnut Street and E. Dutton Street. Nearly half of the samples with concentrations greater than 50 mg/kg are located in Portage Creek adjacent to the UpJohn Park recreational area. The highest concentration of PCB in Portage Creek adjacent to the UpJohn Park area is 300 mg/kg.
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2. Current Activities
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2.1 Operations Section
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2.1.1 Narrative
2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
A summary of the site activities that took place from August 30, 2011 to October 7, 2011 are as follows:
· From August 30, 2011 to September 20, 2011, U.S. EPA, ERRS and START contractors mobilized to the Allied Paper Portage Creek site in Kalamazoo, MI to collect pre-construction sediment and soil samples from Slope Areas 7A, 6A, 5AD, Axtell Creek, and the section of land on which ERRS will construct the John Street staging/treatment pad. Once START validates the analytical results for the pre-construction sample collection, the results will be tabulated and posted to our website at: www.epaosc.org/portagecreekarea.
· From September 26, 2011 to October 7, 2011, U.S. EPA, ERRS, and START mobilized to the site to initiate site set-up activities. The site set-up activities included the installation of temporary metal fencing along the western perimeter of the command post/treatment area; the collection of background particulate air monitoring data; the mobilization of four office trailers; the offsite disposal of six loads of vegetative debris and soil from the John Street staging area to C & C Landfill in Marshall, MI; the collection of a six-point composite soil sample from the backfill material that ERRS will use for constructing the John Street staging/treatment pad; the installation of construction and silt fencing along the southern perimeter of the John Street staging area; the construction of the John Street staging pad berms; the grading of the John Steet staging pad; and the initial removal of vegetation at the entrance to SA7.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
The major PRP for this portion of the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site was dissolved through bankruptcy proceedings in April 2010.
2.1.4 Progress Metrics
| Waste Stream |
Medium |
Quantity |
Manifest # |
Treatment |
Disposal |
| Subtitle D |
woody debris and soil |
210.31 tons |
none |
none |
Republic Waste landfill |
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2.2 Planning Section
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A summary of the site set-up and initial removal activities that will take place at the site area over the next couple couple of wees include:
The ongoing site set-up activities will include the removal of vegetation in limited areas of SA7; the
installation of construction and silt fencing erosion controls in SA7; the construction of an access road from Reed Avenue to SA7; construction of the SA7 transfer station and personnel and tire wash decontamination stations; the initial clearing and grubbing activities to access the entrance to SA7; beginning of excavation in SA7; the construction of the John Street staging pad berms; the grading of the John Street staging pad; and the construction of the staging pad itself (e.g., the placement of a high-density polyethylene liner and drainage layer); and continue efforts for the acquisition of site access arrangements from property owners who own land along the project boundaries.
2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
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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The current resources present on site for the removal include:
· Four ½ ton pickups,
· Three office trailers,
· One security trailer,
· One 45-ton excavation,
· One 30-ton front-end loader,
· One 10-foot storage box, and
· One bulldozer
· 10-inch vegetation chipper
· 90kw generator.
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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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2.5.1 Safety Officer
Sam Borries, Craig Thomas, and Paul Ruesch, U.S. EPA FOSC
2.6 Liaison Officer - NA
2.7 Information Officer - NA
2.7.1 Public Information Officer - NA
2.7.2 Community Involvement Coordinator
Don DeBlasio - U.S. EPA CIC
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3. Participating Entities
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3.1 Unified Command
3.2 Cooperating Agencies
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
City of Kalamazoo:
Department of Public Services
Parks and Recreation Department
Economic Development Department
Community Planning & Development
Public Safety Department
Fire Department
Police Department
Bronson Methodist Hospital
Kalamazoo Nature Center
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4. Personnel On Site
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. EPA Oversight Contractors (Weston Solutions, Inc.)
U.S. EPA Oversight Contractors (Dynamac Corporation)
U.S EPA Removal Contractors (Environmental Quality Management, Inc.)
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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
See project website at: www.epaosc.org/portagecreekarea.
6.2 Reporting Schedule
Approximately every 2-4 weeks during the active construction season.
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7. Situational Reference Materials
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See project website at: www.epaosc.org/portagecreekarea.
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