On 2/14/15, START continued supporting ERRS in inventory and sampling of unknown containers and drums for hazard categorization. START inventoried 123 unknown containers out of 233 inventoried to date. Team members sampled select containers for subsequent analysis on site. START performed hazard class assessments on 60 samples out of 127 samples to date. The most common hazard class associated to the samples was DOT 3 - Flammability followed by DOT 8B - Basic Corrosive Materials. The results were provided to ERRS contractors to assist in segregation and disposal of chemical containers. START also conducted photo-documentation of site activities, as well as data and project management tasks.

Also on 2/14/15 OSC Heister was contacted by a neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, who claimed that another six acre property owned by Ms. Haydn might also have waste on it. This property was located to the NW of the original site just on the other side of Rattlesnake Creek. Heister walked to 37640 Kimball Rd where he found a very old empty home built around 1910 (see photo log). Across Kimball Rd was a covered area that had no walls and a partially collapsed roof. Beneath this structure were numerous containers (1-5 gallon) similar to those found at the site at 37680 Kimball Rd. Since Heister had no access agreement for the property he took photos from the road and estimated that there were approximately 100-125 containers visible. Heister reported the development to his manager Calvin Terada who instructed him to contact EPA CID to invite them to the site. CID arrived on site the following day.

On 2/15/15, START continued supporting site operations with inventory and sampling of unknown containers and drums for hazard categorization. Work was wrapped up on the upper area of the site with regards to hazard categorization and inventory. START concluded the inventory of chemicals in that location with 456 records of individual containers of unknowns. Team members sampled select containers for subsequent analysis on site. START performed hazard class assessments on an additional 54 samples out of 181 samples to date. The results were provided to ERRS contractors to assist in segregation and disposal of chemical containers. An assessment was performed on the second property for potential future activities. START also conducted photo-documentation of site activities, as well as data and project management tasks.

USEPA/CID ASAC Eric Martensen arrived on site at approximately 10:30 AM on 2/15/15. OSC Heister took him on a tour of the site and then over to 37640 Kimball Rd location.  Martensen requested an interview with the property owner Ms Haydn.  Heister called Haydn and she arrived at the property at approximately 11:30 AM.  We walked to 37680 Kimball Rd and showed her the additional chemicals in the collapsing shed.  We did this from the road because she said the property belong to Weyerhaeuser Corp.(WHC).  She said that there had been a long running dispute about the property line but she and her former partner finally acknowledged that the shed was on WHC property.  She said that she was not aware that the chemicals were there and that she was seeing them for the first time, even though the containers were clearly visible from the road.  She admitted that the containers looked very similar to those on her 37680 Kimball Rd property and that her now deceased partner likely put these containers on WHC property.  Heister obtained written permission from Ms Hayden to enter and inspect the 37640 Kimball Rd property.  Martensen, Haydn, and Heister inspected the old house on the property and determined it was empty and unoccupied.  Martensen continued to interview Ms Haydn and Heister assigned two START to walk the 37640 property to look for waste.  After an hour the STARTS reported that they found nothing suspicious on the property. Martensen finished his interview left the site at approximately 2:30 PM.

Heister began to try and contact WHC authorities in order to gain access to the property, but since it was Sunday and the following Monday was President’s Day this proved difficult.  Heister contacted Clifford Villa, USEPA ORC to discuss the situation.  Villa advised Heister to continue to try and make contact with WHC but given the nature of the situation Heister could claim “Exigent Circumstances” and enter the property to look at the container and clean them up if necessary.  Villa said that he would also try and contact WHC counsel.

At approximately 7:30 PM I was contacted by Mr. Dale Wonn, Environmental Manager, WHC.  We discussed the situation at length and he agreed to meet me at the property the following morning at 7:30 AM.  After the call I forwarded Mr. Wonn relevant documents and photos of the property via email.

On 2/16/15, START moved to the Weyerhaeuser property for inventory and sampling of unknown containers and drums for hazard categorization after ERRS removed the shed structure and removed chemical containers.  Six unknowns were inventoried, sampled and Hazard Categorized.  START demobilized the Lab Truck as ERRS completed container disposal operations.  The site was photo-documented, and data and photos were processed.  Heister met Mr. Wonn (WHC) and discussed the process of removing the containers from the WHC property.  Mr. Wonn gave Heister verbal permission to remove the chemicals and assured him a formal access agreement would be signed by EOB.  Heister’s contractors removed, hazcated unknowns, and overpacked 165 containers from the WHC property.  Contractors also scraped the bare ground area where the containers had been located.  Mr. Wonn said that his contractors would be on site the morning of 2/17/15 to sample and characterize the site.  Mr. Wonn agreed to provide sample results to USEPA upon completion.  Because of similar containers and conditions of the WHC property to the larger site, EPA will review the data and determine if a future removal assessment might be warranted at the 37680 Kimball Rd site.  At approximately 2:00 PM Heister received a signed access agreement from WHC.

On  2/17/15, two START members demobilized to Seattle in the Mobile Lab truck.  One START remained on site to document the sampling conducted by PES Environmental, the Weyerhaeuser contractor.  Eleven samples were taken including one background, in and near the footprint of the old shed.  Photo-documentation and data processing tasks also occurred.  START demobilized completely from the site in the afternoon.  This concluded field activities for START at Rattlesnake Creek Container Site.

On 2/18/15 the START Project Manager left the site.  ERRS continued to prepare waste streams for shipment for disposal.  A chemist from the transportaion and disposal company came on sene to help facilitate this process.

On 2/19 and 2/20/15 all the waste was shipped off site for disposal, rental equipment returned and the emergency removal completed.  FOSC met with the property and toured the site.  Heister explained to her that ODEQ would work with her to recycle the remaining petroleum products that remained on the property. 

START HAZCAT ACTIVITY

 A total of 888 containers were removed from the site and this does not include 16,000, 10ml glass ampules of chromic acid which ERRS consolidated into drums for disposal.