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Emergency Spill Response & Remediation - Former Ag Chemical Facility
Emergency Spill Response & Remediation - Former Ag Chemical Facility
At the request
of Ohio EPA - Division of Emergency Response and Remediation,
Allied responded to a reported release of ammonia from an
agricultural chemical manufacturing facility. Initial investigation
by OEPA identified significantly elevated concentrations of ammonia
in an adjoining stream.
| On December 2, 2008, the
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) documented a
drainage trench, flowing from the facility, discharging a dark
brown liquid. Field-testing (by Ohio EPA) showed the dark brown
liquid contained elevated ammonia-nitrogen (ammonia-N). Assessment
of the discharge indicated ammonia-N concentrations as high as
3,600 mg/L. Per USEPA, the maximum default criteria for ammonia-N
at this location was established at 13 mg/L. Ammonia is classified
as a hazardous substance under the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), Section
101 (14). Based on this data, USEPA concluded that a response
action addressing conditions at the Site to protect the public
health, welfare or the environment was warranted.
At the time of response action, the Subject Site consisted of a
27.47-acre parcel of land occupied by a railcar repair facility
north of Cairo, Ohio. Investigation of the property operating
history determined that fertilizer manufacturing and blending
operations had been conducted at the facility format least 1955 to
circa 2005. Allied commenced with emergency response actions on
December 3, 2008. Initial response actions included:
- Installation of earthen dams in three on-Site drainage
ditches to prevent the release of ammonia-N impacted surface
water.
- Excavation of site drainage ditches to increase storm
water holding capacity.
- Vacuum removal of retained surface water within on-Site
ditches and plugging of storm sewer catch basins.
Collection of additional surface
water samples on- and off-Site to characterize the initial
condition of on-Site surface water, down-gradient surface water,
and up-gradient surface water.
Following initial response actions to control
the discharge of contaminated surface water, Allied Environmental
Services (AES) conducted a site investigation over the period from
December 10 to December 15, 2008. The initial site investigation
included the advancement and sampling of 41 soil borings and
identified ten (10) potential source areas for ammonia-N. These
source areas included large quantities of bulk dry fertilizer
remaining on the Site, as well as large areas of contaminated soil.
It was determined that approximately 4 acres of the 27-acre site
was ammonia-contaminated. In addition, significant areas of
asbestos-contaminated soil were identified at the property. The
asbestos contamination was the result of improper demolition of
former site structures.
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Based on the results of the site investigation, Allied developed
a Site-Specific Remedial Action Plan (SSRAP) and Work Plan, which
was approved by EPA Region 5. The Remedial Action Plan included the
removal and off-site disposal of grossly contaminated soils/debris,
off-site disposal of contaminated water, and on-site landfarming of
soils containing lesser quantities of ammonia. The following
materials were transported off-site for disposal:
- 616 tons of bulk fertilizer and grossly contaminated soil;
- 8,500 cubic yards of ammonia-contaminated soil;
- 28 tons of contaminated pit sludge;
- 4,500 tons of asbestos-contaminated soil/debris;
- 50 cubic yards of ammonia-contaminated lumber/construction
debris;
- 3,650,000 gallons of contaminated surface water.
In addition, approximately
8,500 cubic yards of soil was treated by landfarming in a
designated on-Site engineered treatment area. The basic mechanism
through which landfarming works for treatment of ammonia-N impacted
soil is through volatilization of the ammonia from the soil. The
secondary mechanism is the evapotranspiration of moisture from the
soil. Moisture within the soil evaporates and conveys ammonia away
from the soil matrix. At the Subject Site, the soil matrix was
mixed (plowed) periodically to facilitate the treatment process.
Landfarming is currently underway at this site and will continue
for an estimated 24 months, or until acceptable concentrations of
ammonia-N are achieved.
To complete this project, Allied
contained the initial release of ammonia-N, and designed and
implementied an effective remediation strategy for over 4 acres of
impacted soil. Allied also successfully removed/closed an
underground fuel storage tank at the Site.
For additional information on this spill response and
remediation project, please visit
EPA On Scene Coordinator
Website.
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