Pollution/Situation Report Profile

Oregon City Chemical Barn
Oregon City, OR - EPA Region X
POLREP #1
Oregon City Chemical Barn - Initial and Final POLREP

Printer Friendly | PDF

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Oregon City Chemical Barn - Removal Polrep
Initial and Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region X

Subject:

POLREP #1
Oregon City Chemical Barn - Initial and Final POLREP
Oregon City Chemical Barn
10NX
Oregon City, OR
Latitude: 45.3100684 Longitude: -122.6044610

To:

From:

Richard Franklin, OSC

Date:

4/23/2015

Reporting Period:

April 20 - 22, 2015

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	10NY	Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	CERCLA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:	Removal Action
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:	4/20/2015	Start Date:	4/20/2015
Demob Date:	4/22/2015	Completion Date:	4/27/2105
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:	ORP936004142
ERNS No.:		State Notification:	OERS 2015-0810
FPN#:		Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category

Emergency Response and Removal.

1.1.2 Site Description

The site is located in a hilly, semi-rural area of small farms and small acreage residences on the southern tip of Oregon City. The site is comprised of a barn previously used as a small chemical business, whereby chemicals were blended, packaged and then distributed to businesses and public schools for boiler maintenance and boiler water treatment. The barn is part of a small acreage residential property. The main residence lies approximatly 200 feet from the barn, but another residence lies only 30 feet from the barn. There are adjacent residences located both uphill and downhill of the site. A local creek (Beaver Creek) lies directly downhill and approximately 1,000 feet south of the site, and a larger residential neighborhood of Oregon City lies approximately 1/3 mile to the north.

1.1.2.1 Location

The site is located at 20435 South Leland Road, Oregon City, Clackamas County, Oregon.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

EPA conducted hazard categorization and documented 108 containers of chemicals at the site. Several types of chemicals were documented, including: flammable liquids, a flammable solid, oxidizers, peroxides, corrosive acids, corrosive bases, and pesticides (DDT was not found at the site as initially reported). These chemicals, many of which are incompatible with each other, were stored together in an unsafe and hazardous manner inside the barn, which was open on both north and south ends of the structure. Many of the containers were in poor condition and were either leaking onto the floor of the barn and outside the barn, or were showing evidence of past leakage or release. Family members also stated that many of the chemicals had been at the site since the 1970's. Due to a fire at the barn on April 17, 2015, several of the containers were breached and damaged. Any further release of the chemicals would potentially flow uncontained onto nearby soils and downhill into Beaver Creek, threatening on-site and offsite residences.

The Clackamas Fire and Hazmat Team observed that the fire seems to have begun as a result of the contact of incompatible chemicals which had leaked from the containers and reacted with one another and nearby combustible materials such as cardboard and the wooden floor, thus initiating the fire. Had the chemicals not been removed, another potential fire involving these chemicals could have resulted and produced a hazardous air plume affecting nearby residences and livestock.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

On April 20, 2015, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) contacted EPA Region 10 requesting assistance and a removal assessment at the barn. The Clackamas Fire District and Hazmat Team originally responded to the fire incident in the barn as a structural fire, but after discovering multiple containers of potentially hazardous substances in the barn, treated the incident as a hazmat response. Clackamas Fire and ODEQ reported that there were multiple containers on the property containing acids, bases, caustics, and pesticides, and reported that there was a drum potentially containing DDT. Clackamas Fire pulled the containers from an enclosed room in the barn, extinguished the small fire, and conducted some minor containment activities.

Further, ODEQ and Clackamas Fire reported that the property owner was a widow and elderly woman who did not have the resources to hire a contractor to conduct cleanup. Other family members also mentioned the family's lack of resources to conduct clean up.

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date

On April 20, 2015, EPA OSC Franklin and START contractor personnel responded to the site to conduct a site assessment. OSC Franklin met with and obtained site access permission from the owner, who stated that she did not have the resources to conduct a removal, and would like the chemicals removed. EPA also contacted another family member and caretaker (grandson) who confirmed the lack of family resources to remove and dispose of the chemicals.

Upon entry into the barn, EPA initially documented approximately 12 drums and 50+ containers of various chemicals in the barn, including those that were labeled as acids, oxidizers, caustics, pesticides, and microbiocides. Many of the containers were not labeled at all, and several of the containers showed signs of extreme corrosion and leakage onto the barn floor and concrete entry way. After completing the inital assessment, OSC Franklin conferred with the EPA Emergency Response manager about site conditions and high potential for a release of hazardous substances and/or another chemical fire and plume, and concluded that the site warranted an immediate emergency removal action using OSC warrant authority. OSC Franklin also consulted with ODEQ and Clackamas Fire on intended EPA actions. OSC Franklin then contacted the ERRS START contractors and initiated their mobilization to the site for removal activities.

On April 21, 2015 OSC Franklin, ERRS and START contractors mobilized to the site and began hazard categorization, segregation and staging of chemicals in preparation for disposal. Site removal activites were completed on April 22, 2015, with a total of 108 containers sampled, categorized, and overpacked for disposal. EPA demobilized the site on April 22.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

The owner of the property is an elderly widow in her 80's. She stated that her husband had been the owner and operator of the business that blended and packaged chemicals out of his barn, but that he had died the previous year and the business was no longer operating. The woman's grandson also confirmed this. Family members report that the property is in civil foreclosure and that a court judgement lien was made against the property.

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

107 containers of various chemicals were documented, including: 55 five-gallon buckets, 29 bottles, 21 drums, and 2 small cans. DOT hazard classifications included: 7 flammables, 1 flammable solid, 13 oxidizers, 8 oxidizers and corrosive bases, 2 peroxides, 14 corrosive acids, 2 oxidizer and corrosive acids, 20 corrosive bases, and 37 miscellaneous. Disposal profiles and manifests are not yet complete, but Stericycle Waste Management is handling final disposal.

*Waste Stream*	*Medium*	*Quantity*	*Manifest #*	*Treatment*	*Disposal*

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

Approval of waste profiles and generation of transportation manifests are expected to be completed by 04/24/15. Transportation of the drums and solid waste to the appropriate disposal facilities is tentatively scheduled for 04/27/2015.

2.2.2 Issues

Unsafe storage, condition, and release of hazardous chemicals and substances, potentially causing not only the recent fire and future releases to the environment, but future releases and public health threats.

Financial inability of the PRP to conduct the removal action.

2.3 Logistics Section