Deq Site Assessment Program - Strategy Recommendation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DEQ SITE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM - STRATEGY RECOMMENDATION Site Name: Former Schooner Creek Boat Works Site CERCLIS Number: (none) DEQ ECSI Number: 3526 Site Address: 1610 N Pier 99 Street (formerly listed as 1523 N Marine Dr.) Portland, OR 97217-7801 Recommendation By: Steve Fortuna, Site Assessment Section, DEQ Northwest Region Approved By: Sally Puent, Northwest Region Manager for Solid Waste and Site Assessment Sections Date: January 24, 2003 Background and History The subject site is an approximate 1-acre parcel in North Portland, along the western edge of the Interstate Highway 5 (I-5) bridge over North Portland Harbor (see Figures 1 and 2). Boat building, repair, and machine shop activities have occurred on- site since about 1937. Schooner Creek Boat Works, a boat building and repair business, began operating at the site in 1989, but relocated its operations about 1.0 mile northwest, to the north shore of Hayden Island, in July 2000. However, it continued to lease the site through December 2001. DEQ’s Northwest Region Hazardous Waste Program first referred the site to Site Assessment in April 2002 for investigation of a Pollution Complaint. Mermaid Marine had recently begun leasing the site, but became involved in an extensive cleanup of wastes and debris that Schooner Creek Boat Works allegedly left behind when they vacated the site. Site Assessment did not initiate an active follow-up until after Schooner Creek Boat Works’ current operating site (Canoe Bay; ECSI #3333) was also referred to Site Assessment for similar contamination concerns. Location The site is bounded on the east by I-5, and on the north by North Portland Harbor (also called Oregon Slough). Hayden Island lies 1 about 1,000 feet north of the site. Diversified Marine, Inc., a barge and tug boat manufacturing and repair business, shares the site’s western property line (see Figure 3). North Pier 99 Street, I-5 on- and off-ramps (Exit 307), and North Marine Drive are located along the site’s southern boundary. The Multnomah County Fairgrounds and Exposition Center lie across North Marine Drive, about 275 feet southwest of the site. Pollution Complaint History Between September 1991 and June 1999, DEQ received four Pollution Complaints alleging that ongoing activities at the Former Schooner Creek Boat Works site were contaminating the Columbia River and nearby properties. Two additional Pollution Complaints were received in April 2002, shortly after Schooner Creek Boat Works vacated the site. Two other Pollution Complaints, received in May 1990 and March 1999, described oil sheens and petroleum odors from unknown sources on the Columbia River near the Former Schooner Creek Boat Works. Although the release characteristics were similar to those described in Pollution Complaints against the boat works site, there is no information to indicate that the source(s) of these petroleum releases were ever determined. A number of other potential sources are found in the immediate vicinity of the Former Schooner Creek Boat Works site. Other boat works facilities are located on the south shore of North Portland Harbor immediately upstream and downstream from the site, while moorages, a boat refueling facility, and a boat repair facility are located on the north shore of North Portland Harbor, slightly upstream from the site. May 1990 Pollution Complaint On May 22, 1990, DEQ received a Pollution Complaint (NWR-1990-1063) describing an oil sheen of unspecified origin on the Columbia River near 1441 North Marine Drive. Since this involved a release to a navigable water body, DEQ referred the complaint to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for resolution. DEQ files contain no specific information about a USCG follow-up. September 1991 Pollution Complaint On September 11, 1991, DEQ received a Pollution Complaint (NWR-1991-2382) alleging that Schooner Creek Boat Works was improperly disposing of its waste chemicals. A Site Visit by a DEQ Hazardous Waste inspector found the company had improperly placed paint thinner wastes in a trash dumpster for disposal. DEQ advised the company to discontinue the practice. After a brief site inspection, the Hazardous Waste inspector concluded that the company most likely qualified as a Conditionally Exempt Hazardous Waste Generator. Two October 1992 Pollution Complaints On October 6, 1992, DEQ received a Pollution Complaint (NWR-1992-2289) alleging that Schooner Creek Boat Works was pressure washing and stripping cuprous-oxide-containing paint from a boat hull directly into the Columbia River. As the result of its complaint investigation, DEQ issued Schooner Creek Boat Work a Notice of Non-Compliance (NON WQ-92-451; October 28, 1992) for discharging wastes to the river. 2 DEQ received a subsequent Pollution Complaint (NWR-1992-2325) on October 12, 1992 alleging that primer paint and putty being sanded from the hull of another boat at the Schooner Creek Boat Moorage was being allowed to discharge directly to the river. In this instance, primer paint on the boat’s hull was claimed to contain no toxic products once the product was dry. DEQ issued Schooner Creek Boat Works its second Notice of Non-Compliance (NON WQ-92-442; October 20, 1992) in less than a month for discharging waste to the river. Following these two complaints, Schooner Creek Boat Works relocated its hull-washing activities to a graveled area (gravel filter) along the site’s southern property line, about 100 feet from the river (see Figure 4). Because of the graveled area’s proximity to the river and to an apparent storm drain manhole1, as well as a shallow groundwater table at the site, there is concern that potential toxic paint wastes could still reach the river as contaminated groundwater or storm water runoff. March 1999 Pollution Complaint On March 29, 1999, DEQ received a Pollution Complaint alleging a large petroleum sheen and very strong petroleum odor at an unspecified location on the Columbia River south of Hayden Island. A more-specific location was not provided. DEQ forwarded the complaint to the USCG for resolution, but again DEQ records contain no specific information about a USCG follow-up. June 1999 Pollution Complaint A June 18, 1999 Pollution Complaint alleged that Schooner Creek Boat Works was spray-painting boat hulls outdoors without the aid of a spray booth. The company owner explained that it was the first time that year that boat hulls had been spray-painted outdoors, that the painting activities involved only a few boats, and that it would probably not happen again. DEQ initiated no enforcement action against the company for these activities. April 2002 Pollution Complaints On April 9 and 12, 2002, DEQ received two Pollution Complaints from Mermaid Marine, a new lessee at the boat works site, alleging that the previous site operator (Schooner Creek Boat Works) had left behind sufficient wastes to hinder further use of the site. Fiberglass dust was alleged to cover much of the site; the river bank was alleged to be littered with painting debris and old hull paint wastes; crankcase oil from a site crane was alleged to have been drained directly to the river embankment. Oil-saturated soils along the embankment were alleged to be producing an active petroleum seep to the river; site sewage and storm water were alleged to drain directly to the river. The new site lessee claimed to already have removed 80 cubic yards of solid waste left by the previous operator. DEQ Northwest Region’s Hazardous Waste Section forwarded the complaints to Site Assessment for resolution. Site Contaminants of Concern Existing information suggests that site soils and nearby Columbia River sediments may be contaminated with copper oxide, paint thinner, and heavier petroleum constituents such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Considering the types of activities conducted at the site, and the length of time that these activities were conducted, other potential site contaminants are: 1 Figure 4 depicts a “City Storm Drain Man Hole” at the eastern end of the graveled area. Nearby city storm sewers discharge to North Portland Harbor along the site’s northern property line, although city utility diagrams show no manholes near the one depicted in Figure 4. It may be possible that the manhole is part of a private storm sewer, which would most likely also discharge directly to the river. 3 • organotins (from ablative hull paints); • other potential toxic metals, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and zinc (from paint pigments); • volatile organic contaminants (VOCs), such as alcohols, ketones, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) (from paint, lacquer, and resin thinners), and chlorinated solvents (from machine shop metal-cleaning activities); • semi-volatile organic contaminants (SVOCs) such as phthalates (from paints and other coatings), possible pentachlorophenol (PCP)(from treated wood); and • possibly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)(from old on-site and marine electrical equipment). Contaminant Exposure Pathways The site is located in a narrow, isolated strip of industrial properties on the south bank of North Portland Harbor, along North Marine Drive. The Columbia Slough lies about 1 mile south of the site. The area between North Portland Harbor on the north, I-5 on the east, Columbia Slough on the south, and a Burlington Northern – Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way on the west comprises Peninsula Drainage District No. 1. Most of the drainage district is publicly owned wetlands (see Figures 2 and 5). The entire site lies within the Columbia River’s 100-year flood zone, so flood waters could mobilized any surface contamination at the site. The nearest residence (1531/1601 N Marine Drive) evidently shares the same tax lot as the site (see Figures 3 and 4). Other upland residences are located across I-5, about 0.3 mile east-southeast of the site, and across North Portland Harbor, about 0.4 mile northeast and 0.5 mile north-northwest of the site.