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Sycamore Point Mercury

All POL/SITREP's for this site Sycamore Point Mercury
Woodstock, GA - EPA Region IV
POLREP #7
Completion of Emergency Removal Activities/Final POLREP
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Sycamore Point Mercury - Removal Polrep
Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV

Subject: POLREP #7
Completion of Emergency Removal Activities/Final POLREP
Sycamore Point Mercury

Woodstock, GA
Latitude: 34.1514970 Longitude: -84.5619190


To:
From: Kevin Eichinger, OSC
Date: 4/24/2015
Reporting Period: March 18 through April 24, 2015

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: B45R    Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date: 3/10/2015
Response Authority: CERCLA    Response Type: Emergency
Response Lead: EPA    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 2/18/2015    Start Date: 2/18/2015
Demob Date: 4/24/2015    Completion Date: 4/24/2015
CERCLIS ID: GAN000403460    RCRIS ID: GAN000403460
ERNS No.: 1108388    State Notification:
FPN#:    Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

Emergency Response to an uncontrolled release of elemental Mercury.

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

March 18, 2015

General Activities:

  • Decontaminated response equipment.
  • Demobilized unneeded supplies and equipment.

Item Decontamination Activities

  • Screened personal property and released additional items that tested less than 6000 ng/m3. The property owner will begin moving some of these items back into the residence this evening.
  • Consolidated items that need additional venting time. Removed unneeded heating/venting tents and structures.
  • Met with the property owner and described how to handle the heating and venting once response crews demobilized from the site.
  • No additional item decontamination/screen operations planned.
Road and Driveway Removal Activities:
  • Completed contaminated driveway removal. Crews graded the area and prepared for the install of the driveway base.
Soil Excavation Activities:
  • Installed weed clean rock in the path of travel from the driveway to the upper deck. This area failed screening and a soil scrap was completed yesterday and the fabric and rock was installed to prevent/minimize erosion. 

March 19, 2015

Soil Excavation Activities:

  • Loaded out soil and shipped off for disposal. Rain slowed down the load out process.

Road and Driveway Removal Activities:

  • Installed crush and run driveway base.
Waste Disposal Activities:
  • Began to ship off staged concrete and other debris off for disposal.
  • Consolidated hazardous waste contaminated soil into cubic yard boxes.
  • Still working on the elemental Mercury disposal. The RCRA compliance check does not look to see if facilities are in compliance with the Mercury export ban rule. Contacted the potential facilities and requested documentation of their compliance.  
March 20, 2015

Soil Excavation Activities:

  • Completed load out of contaminated soil and removal of contaminated soil along Apache Trail.
  • Approximately 90 yards of soil was sent off for disposal. 
  • Screened for Mercury vapor and cleared the excavated areas along Apache Trail. Soil back filling operations began after lunch.

 

Waste Disposal Activities:

  • Continued to ship off staged concrete and other debris off for disposal.

March 21, 2015

  • Completed back filling the excavated areas with clean soil. 
  • Installed rock under the deck to act as a barrier from any remaining mercury. This area was excavated but back filling with fill dirt was impractical. Used rock and concrete to act as a barrier and prevent/minimize soil erosion.
  • Decontaminated and demobilized equipment. 
  • Driveway will be re-installed on Tuesday, vegetative cover will be installed on the exposed soil on Thursday.
March 23, 2015 through April 24, 2015
  • The concrete driveway was installed
  • The stair treads and sections of the exterior deck was replaced.
  • The lower level living space was restored to livable conditions. 
  • Continued with waste transportation and disposal.
2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)
 
624 Apache Trail
Woodstock, GA 30189

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
Non RCRA Solid Waste Solid 320 cubic yard     Subtitle D Landfill
Non RCRA Soil
Solid 90 yards     Subtitle D Landfill
RCRA Hazardous Mercury Contaminated Debris Solid 6 cubic yards    Macroencapsulation Subtitle C Landfill
Elemental Mercury Solid 75 pounds   Reclamation
 House Hold Hazardous Waste Solid/Liquid 275 gallons     Landfill/Incineration


  2.2 Planning Section
    2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
  • Continue CIC coordination with community
2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities
  • No additional response activities are planned at this time

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

  • No additional response activities are planned at this time
2.2.2 Issues
  • Approximately 27 fluid ounces of elemental mercury was been recovered to date. Property owner stated that 2 1/2 gallon containers of elemental mercury was believed to have been stored in the residence.
  • The mercury contamination of the residence, surrounding lot and roadway is extensive.
  • An additional 48 fluid ounces of elementary mercury was found buried behind the house.
  • The amount of free elemental mercury found under the deck continues to be extensive.


  2.3 Logistics Section
    Logistical support is being provided by ERRS, START and Q-Solutions/EPA Warehouse contractors and EPA personnel.

  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.

  2.5 Other Command Staff
    2.5.1 Safety Officer

OSC Eichinger served as the Safety Officer with START and ERRS each providing an Assistant Safety Officer. Activities in the the Apache Trail residence require Level C personal protective equipment if ambient mercury vapor concentrations exceed 0.025 mg/m3. Level B personal protective equipment is required if ambient mercury vapor concentrations exceed 0.625 mg/m3.

2.5.2 Liaison Officer

OSC Eichinger coordinated with Local and State Response Partners.

2.5.3 Information Officer

EPA CIC's canvassed the surrounding homes to pass out a fact sheet and inform neighbors of future road cleanup operations later this week. 
OSC met with neighbors adjacent to the site to discuss the current plans and timeline. Surrounding community is very concerned about the situation.

3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command

A unified command structure was established for this incident with the following agencies:
  • US EPA
  • Georgia Environmental Protection Division
  • Georgia Department of Public Health
3.2 Cooperating Agencies

The following agencies are providing support:
  • Cherokee County Schools
  • American Red Cross
  • Agency for Toxic Substance Disease Registry (ATSDR)


4. Personnel On Site
  The following personnel were on-site at various times throughout this reporting period:
  • EPA OSC - 1
  • START - 0
  • ERRS - 3


5. Definition of Terms
  Abbreviations and acronyms are spelled out within the text of the Pollution Report. Definitions will be added to this section as necessary.

ATSDR - Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency
OSC - On- Scene Coordinator
GA EPD - Georgia Environmental Protection Division
NCP - National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
NRC - National Response Center
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations
RP - Responsible Party
NOFI - Notice of Federal Interest
EMA - Emergency Management Agency
ERRS - Emergency Rapid Response Service
CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
FPN - Federal Project Number
TCLP - Toxicity Characteristic Leaking Procedure
RCRA - Resource Conservation and Reclamation Act

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

Documents, photographs, maps and other important/pertinent information can be found at http://epaosc.org/sycamorepointmercury.

6.2 Reporting Schedule

Pollution Reports (POLREP) will be drafted every three days. This schedule will change and be less frequent as the emergency response progresses. Please note that POLREP must be review and approved prior to publication, so there may be a delay.

7. Situational Reference Materials
  Documents, photographs, maps and other important/pertinent information can be found at http://epaosc.org/sycamorepointmercury.