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Portage Creek Area

All POL/SITREP's for this site Portage Creek Area
Kalamazoo, MI - EPA Region V
POLREP #41
Progress
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Portage Creek Area - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region V

Subject: POLREP #41
Progress
Portage Creek Area
059B05
Kalamazoo, MI
Latitude: 42.2839750 Longitude: -85.5791570


To: 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

From: Craig Thomas, On-Scene Coordinator
Date: 12/20/2013
Reporting Period: 11/23/2013 - 12/20/2013

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: 059B05    Contract Number: EP-S5-08-02
D.O. Number: 0087    Action Memo Date: 7/5/2011
Response Authority: CERCLA    Response Type: Time-Critical
Response Lead: EPA    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: NPL    Operable Unit: 05
Mobilization Date: 9/26/2011    Start Date: 8/30/2011
Demob Date:      Completion Date:  
CERCLIS ID: MID006007306    RCRIS ID: NA
ERNS No.:    State Notification: Yes
FPN#:    Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category
Fund-lead removal action

1.1.2 Site Description
See POLREP #1

1.1.2.1 Location
See POLREP #1

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
See POLREP #1

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
See POLREP #1

2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative
Though additional work will be necessary in Spring of 2014, restoration activities were completed for the season in SA1A&B, SA3A and SA5A.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
From November 23 to December 20, EPA and ERRS contractors conducted the following activities:

Site Activities - SA1A & B
- Completed restoration plantings according to area-specific restoration plan;
- Removed remaining construction fence in work area; and
- Installed silt fence along creek banks in areas where trees/shrubs planted or seed/fertilizer/straw applied.

Project Management Activities
- Attended and provided a presentation at a public meeting for overall Allied Paper/Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site;
- Continue review of post-construction soil sampling result data from work areas;
- Met with individual property owners affected by project to discuss and obtain signatures on close-out document (signed letters obtained from 7 of 11 property owners to date); and
- Continued review and development of project final report.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
See POLREP #1

2.1.4 Progress Metrics
  
NA

  2.2 Planning Section
    Removal activities anticipated to take place from December 21, 2013 to March 28, 2014 include the following:

Site Activities - SA1A&B
- Conduct additional soil removal/grading activities in SA1A work area as needed;
- Apply seed/fertilizer mixture in areas around restoration plantings and concrete/asphalt repairs;
- Install erosion control blanket in areas where soil removal/grading/seed/straw applied; and
- Conduct additional restoration plantings as requested by property owner(s).

Project Management Activities
- Obtain close out letters from 4 remaining property owners affected by project;
- Plan replacement of 2012 restoration plantings (anticipated Spring 2014);
- Plan additional restoration plantings as requested by property owners (anticipated Spring 2014);
- Plan for additional soil removal/grading of soils in SA1A staging area (anticipated Winter/Spring 2014);
- Plan additional asphalt repairs needed in SA1C; and
- Continue development of project final report.

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
See POLREP #2

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
See above

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
See above

2.2.2 Issues
None

  2.3 Logistics Section
   

The resources present on site during this reporting period include:
 
- ERRS contractor
- ERRS sub-contractor work crews (restoration plantings)


  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.

  2.5 Other Command Staff
    2.5.1 Safety Officer

Craig Thomas, Andy Maguire and Paul Ruesch served as safety officer(s). The HASP is reviewed and signed by all site personnel. All new personnel, including sub-contractors, are provided a site orientation and safety briefing. 

2.6 Liaison Officer
Craig Thomas, Paul Ruesch and Andy Maguire serve as liaison(s) with local officials and interested parties.

2.7 Information Officer
See Section 2.6 
 
2.7.1 Public Information Officer
A public meeting was held on December 4 to provide an update on the status of the project. Approximately 50 interested parties attended the meeting. An updated Fact Sheet (dated November 2013) was developed and distributed by mail and at the public meeting. The updated Fact Sheet is available in the 'documents' section of the project website.

2.7.2 Community Involvement Coordinator
Don DeBlasio and Patti Krause - U.S. EPA


3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command
N/A

3.2 Cooperating Agencies

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

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
            Redevelopment Department
Bronson Methodist Hospital

Kalamazoo Nature Center


4. Personnel On Site
 

U.S. EPA - 1
ERRS contractor (Environmental Quality Management, Inc) - 1
ERRS subcontractor (restoration plantings) - 3

TOTAL PERSONNEL = 5


5. Definition of Terms
  ERRS - Emergency and Rapid Response Services
FOSC - Federal On Scene Coordinator
HASP - Health and Safety Plan
KRVT - Kalamazoo River Valley Trail
mg/kg - milligrams per kilogram
mg/m3 - milligrams per cubic meter
MDEQ - Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
NA - Not Applicable
NPL - National Priorities List
PCB - polychlorinated biphenyl
ppm - parts per million
SA - Slope Area
START - Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team
U.S. EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency

6. Additional sources of information
  6.1 Internet location of additional information/report

See the project website at http://www.epaosc.org/portagecreekarea.


6.2 Reporting Schedule
The next POLREP will be generated on March 28, 2014.

7. Situational Reference Materials
 

See the project website at http://www.epaosc.org/portagecreekarea

Additional information on the overall Kalamazoo River Project can be found at http://www.epa.gov/Region5/cleanup/kalproject/index.htm.



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