UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 7 25 FUNSTON ROAD KANSAS CITY KANSAS 66)15 February 1, 1994 MEMORANDUM Subject: Blackhawk Iron and Metal From: To: James F. Kudlinski, OSC FIRE/EP&R/ENSV Ron McCutcheon, Chief EP&R/ENSV I . INTRODUCTION f MaSriJs' Blackhawk Iron and Metal, Inc 2724 Lafayette Street, aiackSawk (Attachment 1: site Location M children playxng in the^rea of me rc to the spill and subsequently rcf erred County Health Department (BCHD) fnH Resources (IDNR) P for !nves?igation U.S. Environmental Protectio? A Response Branch (EP&R) received from IDNR for characterization mercury spill at BHI^ Sn-sc4ne and two Technical Assistance ? Jam IDNR's request for assistance former 8 S ?* 9 ? Yard ' Waterl °°' Iowa of II. RESPONSE 1993, rr Kudlinski was met by Dennis Battalion Chief, Mark LiSdS a Sanifilippo, IDNR. According the site from the late 1950s to Metals, inc., operated at ?he site 1980s. The most recent operator It Inc., which abandoned the site less initiating scrap recycling Sanfilippo could not provi each of the aforementioned o? * tL thL WF ° to the Blackhawk ° f NatUral 1993 ' Che Emer 5ency Planning and rec ^ esc f °r assistance and clean ^P of the ( ° SC) Jim Kud l members responded to Friday, December 3, epartment at 1345 - Ha2ard °^s Materials BCHD ' and Joe °' BHI&M °P e ^ted at 198 ° S ' R & M Midwest years in the late WaS Ca P ital Metals, year after 1991 - ° f °P eration recycled oaoer •300081265 SUPERFUND RECORDS
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY · metal piles, empty aboveground fuel storage tanks, an estimated 20, 55-gallon drums of unknown waste, and several areas where incinerator
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYREGION 7
25 FUNSTON ROADKANSAS CITY KANSAS 66)15
February 1, 1994
MEMORANDUM
Subject: Blackhawk Iron and Metal
From:
To:
James F. Kudlinski, OSCFIRE/EP&R/ENSV
Ron McCutcheon, ChiefEP&R/ENSV
I . INTRODUCTION
f MaSri Js 'Blackhawk Iron and Metal, Inc2724 Lafayette Street, aiackSawk(Attachment 1: site Location Mchildren playxng in the^rea of mercto the spill and subsequently rcf erredCounty Health Department (BCHD) fnHResources (IDNR)Pfor !nves?igationU.S. Environmental Protectio? AResponse Branch (EP&R) receivedfrom IDNR for characterizationmercury spill at BHI^ Sn-sc4neand two Technical Assistance ? JamIDNR's request for assistance
former
8S ?*9? Yard'Waterl°°' Iowaof
II. RESPONSE
1993, rrKudlinski was met by DennisBattalion Chief, Mark LiSdS aSanifilippo, IDNR. Accordingthe site from the late 1950s toMetals, inc., operated at ?he site1980s. The most recent operator ItInc., which abandoned the site lessinitiating scrap recyclingSanfilippo could not provieach of the aforementioned
o? *tLthL
WF°to the Blackhawk°f NatUral1993' CheEmer5ency Planning and
rec^esc f°r assistanceand clean^P of the
(°SC) Jim Kudlmembers responded to
Friday, December 3,epartment at 1345-Ha2ard°^s Materials
BCHD' and Joe°' BHI&M °Pe ted at
198°S' R & M Midwestyears in the late
WaS CaPital Metals,year after
1991-°f °Peration
recycled oaoer•300081265
SUPERFUND RECORDS
Kudlinski and representatives from WFD, BCHD and IDNRconducted a site reconnaissance the afternoon of FridayDecember 3, 1993. The site is comprised of an estimated4.5 acres located on two separate parcels of property whichare divided by a 0.25 acre active railroad spur (Attachment 2:Site Sketch Map) .
According to IDNR the north 3 -acre parcel was utilized byall former operators as a scrap processing and metal reclamationoperation area. At the time of the site reconnaissance, thenorth parcel contained two dilapidated buildings, numerous scrapmetal piles, empty aboveground fuel storage tanks, an estimated20, 55-gallon drums of unknown waste, and several areas whereincinerator ash had been dumped at the surface. In additionbroken "ebonite" battery casings were observed dispersed acrossthe north parcel, primarily in areas adjacent to residentialproperty (Attachment 3 : Photodocumentation) . The north parcelwas partially encompassed by a 6-foot high sheet metal fence onthe west, north and east sides. However, numerous holesincluding the absence of fencing adjacent to the railroad spur,did not control public access to the north parcel Theresidential community encompassing the north parcel consists ofapproximately 23 residential dwellings located on the west, northand east sides.
The south 1.3 -acre parcel is located directly south of thenorth parcel in the Cedar River flood plain. A 0.25-acre activerailroad spur is oriented in an east-west direction between the
entire 1-3 -acre parcel appears to have beenP harprS ^ CaSing and SCrap debris fil1 area- Broken
ebonite battery casings were observed dispersed across andmounded in numerous piles on the south parcel. The heaviestconcentration of battery casing debris appeared to be locatedadjacent to the railroad spur and the central portion of thesouth Parcel. Public access to the south parcel was notcontrolled by any fencing.
The mercury spill was located within battery casing andscrap debris fill area on the south parcel of the site. The
W?!L i!I??T aCr°SS an area estimated at 625 square feet.the spill area numerous empty wooden wire rope spools wereh n^rM^ t0 T and IDNR' local ^ildren who utilizedfn?? r f8 a-PlaY area had «»nged the wooden spools toS ^ ^terviews conducted by BCHD, IDNR and EP&R, have
documented that the spill may have occurred up to five years agoS*n Siiff T119 -'- a jar °f met*Hic rcury dropped ?he]ar shattering it, and dispersing mercury across the fort.Droplets of mercury ranging in size from 1/4 inch to a pin point
^ ^ 0 3 3 th£ gr°Und and at°P of the woode/wire roperepresentatives from WFD, BCHD and IDNR departedthe site
recvcied paper ,.(.,,|<>gv iin(i PIlvironmenl
At 1615 Kudlinski met with Mr. Tom Wesley, former operatorof Capital Metals. Mr. Wesley provided Kudlinski with a verbalnarrative of his involvement ac the site as both an employee ofBHI&M and as the operator of Capital Metals.
According to Wesley his employment history with BHIiM beganin 1982. Wesley was hired as a laborer and worked at BHI&M from1982 to 1983 and then again from 1985 to 1987. The operators ofBHI&M during his employment were reported to be John Smith andSam Long. His primary duties involved battery breaking andcopper wire burning. Wesley reported that all scrap metalreclamation occurred on the north parcel. Battery breakingoccurred in the northwestern corner of the site and alltransformer reclamation occurred on the north parcel, immediatelysouth of where the office building was located. Wesley furtherreported that during his employment at BHI&M, all transformerdebris, transformer oil, battery debris and electrolyte makeupsolution from lead-acid storage batteries were disposed on theground in the south parcel. As debris accumulated in the southparcel, heavy equipment was used to push metal transformer andbattery debris farther into the floodplain. Across the northparcel, disposal activity included the burial of compressed gascylinders, cranes, and various scrap metal debris. Wesley alsoreported that the north parcel had changed significantly over thepast 10 years with the addition of gravel and rock to fill inholes. According to Wesley the north parcel was used exclusivelyfor scrap metal reclamation while the south parcel was usedexclusively for dumping of scrap waste. When questioned whetherthe transformers processed at the site contained polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs), Wesley reported that all transformers werecertified containing less than 2 parts per million (ppm) PCB.
In February 1991, Wesley initiated scrap metal reclamationactivities at BHI&M under the corporation title of CapitalMetals, Inc. Capital Metals purchased the north parcel of theBHI&M site from Nina Smith, wife of John Smith, for $28,500. Allscrap processing equipment and initial scrap inventory on-sitewere purchased on contract from Roger Tompkins, operator of R & MMidwest Metals, for $65,500. According to Wesley, R & M MidwestMetals operated at the former BHI&M site from 1987 to 1989.Tompkins currently operates R & M Midwest Metals at anotherlocation in Waterloo.
According to Wesley, Capital Metals' primary scrapreclamation activities included copper wire incineration, variousnon-ferrous metals and limited mercury reclamation. Wesleyreported he never engaged in battery breaking as the operator ofCapital Metals. After a fire Memorial Day weekend 1991, Wesleyceased scrap metal recovery operations at the site. According toWesley, the financial settlement received from Capital Metals'insurance policy after the fire was used to pay Nina Smith thebalance of the loan on the north parcel. The copper wire
recycled paper ri-oloev and *-nvironment
incinerator was repossessed by creditors =*>«,. t-v, *•off -site. weeley also reported that af?*? £5 * S and m°Vedmoved all of capital Metals usable" "' T°mpkins
and TAT8
monitoring wih a Jerome ercry Vapor aJv^ 'within the immediate area of t£ mScur^spiU llmercury vapor concentrations in the br2ii-h?i real -timePermissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of n n? ?g Z°nS W6re below tneand TAT attempted to vaSum and hand excavl^n T 8*1observed in the south parcel. However due" L ii spllled mercurymercury contamination and the larc*! ™i, * f extent ofbe excavated and disposed, KudlJnski Snd TA? S°^ and debr±S tO
contact/exposure to lead or other Si J T potentlal fo^ direchave remained unabated KudlinskiP^H ™^ contam^ants wouldexcavated soils and debris in an 85 S=i T f1^3^ aH hand
- 0 " 1 V a d r U andan =
it on-site. Soil samples wee conned0? "m1Va?S-drUJ and leftspill area and subsequently submitted for tn? "ith™, the rcurymercury analyses. The area ofTho tal metals andguarded and stabilized wi?£ visaieenefoUrY Spill.was bann^~with metallic mercur fr ^^ dlrSCt COntactvsaeenwith metallic mercury from occurring.
Kudlinski and TAT also collect-^ ani inorth and south parcels of the site fnd f ^ • samples from theproperty. The purpose the additional Lu™ ad?acent residentialdocument the on-site release S J ^ ^ sampling was toverify if hazardous^bstlncef hadZmig?atedUof f f ^ tOad3acent residential property A totll of •>? ^ S int°collected from the former salvaa^ 5^2 £ 26 SQl1 samP!es wereresidential propertiend sanalyses (Attachment 4 , Valid
to Kansas '. ^ 5' 1993' linski and TAT demobilized
III. SOIL SAMPLING RESULTS
from on- and. a m p l w 1including mercury. The primarv conf analyzed for total metalsdocumented released on site w^hJn flSST 3 W^ch.were
d off-siten .
residential property include an?imnn, d off-site intocopper, lead and mercury Soil samn?2Yi' arsenic' cadmium,iy- ion s a m l e los a m n i ' ,sample locations and off-site
recvciea oaoereroioev Him fiivironmrni
analytical data for the primary contaminants which may present apotential health threat at BHI&M are listed in the table below.A complete listing of all samples and corresponding data areincluded in the attachments.
BLACKHAUK IRON AND METAL SITEWATERLOO, BLACKHAUK COUNTY, IOWA
To date, all state and federal regulatory agencies havefocused investigative efforts on the operation and waste disposalpractices of an on-site incinerator and responding to citizencomplaints of noxious odors and site operators dumpingtransformer oil on-site. A review of U.S. EPA ComprehensiveEnvironmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and ToxicSubstances Control Act (TSCA) files for BHI&M indicated thefollowing past federal regulatory activities at the site:
recycled caper environment
• On June 4, 1991, a resident adjacent to Capital Metalscontacted the EPA Region VII EP&R Duty Officer and reportedCapital Metals dumping transformer oil and burning copper wireon-site. The Duty Officer referred the report to Kathleen Lee,IDNR Emergency Response, and Bob Jackson, EPA/TOPE for response.
• On June 25, 1991, a representative from IDNR, under aCooperative Agreement with EPA Region VII, conducted a TSCACompliance Inspection at Capital Metals. The TSCA inspectorcollected 10 soil grab samples for PCB analysis. All sampleswere below the laboratory detection limit of 2 mg/kg for PCBs.
• On February 27, 1992, U.S. EPA Region VII RCRA programconducted a Complaint Investigation at R & M (Capital) Metals inresponse to allegations of Capital Metals tearing apartelectrical transformers and disposing of transformer oil on-siteRCRA issued Capital Metals a "Notice of Violation" pursuant to40 CFR §261.11 for failure to make a hazardous wastedetermination on waste incinerator ash.
• State regulatory history of the BHI&M, R & M Midwest Metals,and Capital Metals has been limited to the construction andoperation of an on-site copper wire incinerator and responding tocitizens' complaints of noxious odors.
No state or federal agency has ever attempted tocharacterize the extent of on-site or off-site contaminationwhich may have been generated during battery, copper wire,transformer or other scrap reclamation activities. Brokenebonite battery casings were observed dispersed across the northand south parcels of the site. The heaviest concentrated area ofbattery casings were observed adjacent to residential property onthe north parcel and across the entire south parcel including therailroad spur.
The mercury spill may present an imminent and substantialendangerment to human health and the environment. Howeverconducting a removal action because of the release of mercuryinto the environment will not abate all threats posed bycontamination at the site. Therefore, the mercury spill shouldbe addressed during potential future mitigation activities forall of the contaminants released into the environment at thesite.
Based upon the valid laboratory analytical data andpreliminary information collected at the site during December 3and 4, 1993, the following future actions are proposed for thissite:
• Additional field screening and subsequent soil sampling toascertain the extent of off-site contamination - Samplescollected from residential properties adjacent to the site have
recycled Daper . I>I,>B» <incl rnnnmmem
documented the release of a hazardous substance (lead) atconcentrations greater than 500 mg/kg. An intrusive XRF fieldscreening survey, followed by confirmation grab sampling, will beconducted to delineate areas of off-site contamination;
• Additional on-site soil sampling to ascertain the verticaland horizontal extent of contamination - Based upon grab samplescollected on-site, the primary contaminants appear to beantimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead and mercury. Additionalsampling will be conducted to quantify potential waste volume on-site;
• Geophysical investigation to provide fill-depth model ofnorth and south parcels;
• Subsurface soil and ground water sampling for metals andPCBs ;
• Upon completion of aforementioned activities, a ActionMemorandum will be prepared by the OSC.
V. ATTACHMENTS
Attachment l - Site Location MapAttachment 2 - Site Sketch MapAttachment 3 - PhotodocumentationAttachment 4 - Valid Analytical Data
'eCVCIed Daper .-roloey and environment
ATTACHMENT 1SITE LOCATION NAP
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRIP REPORTBLACUUIK IRON AND METAL SITE
WATERLOO, IQUA
-ecvcied paper and environment
ATTACHMENT 2SITE SKETCH NAP
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRIP REPORTBLACXHAUK IRON AND METAL SITE
WATERLOO, IQUA
LAFAVETTE ST.
recycled paper anti rnvironm^nl
ATTACHMENT 3PHOTODOCUMENTATION
Emergency Response Trip ReportBlackhawk Iron and Metal Site
Waterloo, IowaDecember 4, 1993
SUBJECT:
Lafayette Street entranceto site. Facing south
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingsouthwest towards rail road spur.
PHOTOGRAPHER: OSC Kudtinski; CAMERA: Nikon FM-2 serial #407332; LENS: Nikon 28fl» serial #485851
recycled paper roloev and environment
ATTACHMENT 3PHOTODOCUMENTATION
Emergency Response Trip ReportBlackhawk Iron and Metal Site
Waterloo, IowaDecember 4, 1993
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingnorthwest looking across formeroffice building damaged by fire.
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingnorth adjacent to perimeter fencing.Note: gap in perimeter fence.
PHOTOGRAPHER: OSC Kudlinski; CAMERA: Nikon FM-2 serial *407332; LENS: Nikon 28nw serial «485851
recycled caper oloey and environment
ATTACHMENT 3PHOTODOCUMENTATION
Emergency Response Trip ReportBlackhawk Iron and Metal Site
Waterloo, IowaDecember 4, 1993
SUBJECT:
North parcel of tite. FacingeMt looking across formerincinerator area of site. Note:pile* of incinerator ash inforeground of photo.
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingeast looking across formerincinerator area of site.
PHOTOGRAPHER: OSC Kudlinski; CAMERA: Nikon FM-2 serial #407332; LENS: Nikon 28RM serial #485851
recycled caperand environment
ATTACHMENT 3PHOTODOCUMENTATION
Emergency Response Trip ReportBlackhawk Iron and Metal Site
Waterloo, IowaDecember 4, 1993
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingnorthwest looking across formeroffice building damaged by fire.
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingsouth looking across formerscrap processing area of site.
PHOTOGRAPHER: OSC Kudlinski; CAMERA: Nikon FM-2 serial 1407332; LENS: Nikon 26am serial #485851
recycled paper <M-oloe> and rnvirnnmem
ATTACHMENT 3PHOTODOCUMENTATION
Emergency Response Trip ReportBlackhawk Iron and Metal Site
Waterloo, IowaDecember -f, 1993
SUBJECT:
North parcel of site. Facingsouth adjacent to property tineon west perimeter of site.
SUBJECT:
North parcel of cite. Facingnorthwest looking across formerbattery breaking area of site.