Westwood Chemical Corporation manufactured two distinct product lines at their plant located at 146 Tower Drive (the facility routinely used 46 Tower Road), Middletown, Town of Wallkill, Orange County, New York 10941.The chief product line, accounting for approximately 80% of their production, included active ingredients used in antiperspirants. The products in this line included aluminum chlorohydrate , aluminum zirconium tri- and tetrachlorohydrex , as well as other aluminum zirconium chlorate complexes. The manufacturing process included the production of aluminum chlorohydrate by combining hydrochloric acid and aluminum in outdoor reactor vessels. The resultant aluminum chlorohydrate was sold as a product both in solution form and as a dried powder. The aluminum chlorohydrate was also further processed into aluminum zirconium chlorohydrex complexes by combining zirconium hydroxychloride (ZHC) and aluminum chlorohydrate in reactor vessels located inside the production building. The ZHC was manufactured from two raw materials, zirconium basic carbonate (ZBC) and zirconium oxychloride (ZOC), by either reacting ZBC and ZOC together or ZBC and hydrochloric acid together. The various products in the antiperspirant line are hygroscopic, and are corrosive; pH varying from 0.9 to 6 depending on the product.The second product line was the manufacture of flocculent agents used by municipal water supplies. Here again, aluminum chlorohydrate was manufactured as an initial product, however; the aluminum chlorohydrate for this product line was manufactured in a separate set of outdoor reactor vessels . The aluminum chlorohydrate was then further processed into polyaluminum hydroxychlorosulfate by reacting aluminum chlorohydrate solution with sulfuric acid , hydrochloric acid carbonate salts of sodium, magnesium and calcium. In some instances the polyaluminum hydroxychlorosulfate was blended with polyquarternary amine (PQA) or polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride .The Westwood plant also included three laboratories located on the first floor office area. The three laboratories were used to perform quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) testing of all raw materials received by the facility as well as all products manufactured by Westwood Chemical Corporation. In addition to the QA/QC sample analyses, product Research and Development (R&D) was conducted in these laboratories.As a result of financial difficulties, Westwood Chemical Corporation filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in January 2005. On February 10, 2005, the Town of Wallkill Asst Building Inspector performed an inspection at this site along with a member of the Orange County Hazardous Materials Response Team. The Asst Building Inspector had become suspicious and decided to inspect the facility after he noticed that employees of Westwood Chemical Corporation were packing their personal belongings into their vehicles. After the inspection, the Asst Building Inspector notified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) that the facility had been abandoned. As a result of this notification, NYSDEC utilized their contractors to move some corrosive labeled containers from outdoor storage areas to the warehouse portion of the building and to remove containers of petroleum and organic ethers. NYSDEC also restored power to the building and initiated 24 hour site security as an immediate site stabilization measure. In a letter dated February 22, 2005, the NYSDEC formally requested that EPA undertake a Removal Action pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended.On March 02, 2005, verbal authorization was granted by the Acting Division Director for the EPA Region II Emergency and Remedial Response Division. The verbal authorization provided immediate funding for an initial project ceiling of $250,000 in order to allow the initiation of a time-critical Removal Action. On March 08, 2005, one of EPA Region II's Emergency and Rapid Response Services Contractor (ERRS), EarthTech, Inc., and an On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) from EPA Region II, mobilized to the site to begin site stabilization activities. Additional funding is currently being requested for the completion of the Removal Action.Currently on site there are 76 bulk storage tanks (including the reactor vessels); 28 in outdoor tank farms and 48 within the production building. There are approximately 400 intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) also referred to as totes. The majority of the totes and many of the storage tanks are believed to contain wastewater from Westwood Chemical Corporation's manufacturing operations. Most of the totes were staged outdoors; some of which had open tops or were failing. In one instance, (on March 14, 2005) a process line from an outdoor reactor vessel failed and had to be secured by the EPA.There is also a small basement beneath the office area which contains the QA/QC samples and reports. There are in excess of 2,000 lab-sized chemicals currently stored in the three laboratory areas and the basement storage area.
