Approval of a Funding Request for a Removal Action Belfield Paint Site Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania PROM: Peter H
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - REGION III ~— S4l Chestnut Building Philadelphia, PennsylvaniiMB O S WMa 19107-4431 , SUBJECTi Approval of a Funding Request for a Removal Action Belfield Paint site Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania PROM: Peter H. Kostmayer Regional Administrator (3RAOO) " TO: * Elliott P. Laws, Assistant Administrator Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) THRUi Henry L. Longest II, Director Office of Emergency And Remedial Response (5201) ATTN: Deborah Y. Dietrich, Director Emergency Response Division (5202) ISSUE The attached CERCLA Funding Request pertains to the Belfield Paint Site (Site) in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania* A removal site assessment performed in accordance with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR Part 300, by the Region III EPA staff has identified an imminent and substantial threat to public health and welfare and to the environment posed by the incompatible storage of substances at the site. Flammable, combustible, organic, and oxidizing materials were found in several drums contained inside the building located at the Site. Hazardous characterization field screening tests of these potentially hazardous materials revealed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) characteristics for flammability and corrosivity. Currently, access to the Site is unrestricted and a fire of suspicious origin has destroyed two surrounding buildings; Based upon the unrestricted access to the site, the Site's location, vulnerability to acts of malicious mischief and the very great potential for future arson-related fires involving the hazardous substances remaining onsite, there exists an imminent threat to the public health and welfare and to the environment. Because conditions at the Belf ield Paint Site meet the Removal Criteria set forth in the NCP and pursuant to the Delegation of Authority 14-1-A, which authorizes the Regional Administrator to approve CERCLA Removal Actions with a total cost of less than $2,000,000, Region III has approved the release of funds for the Belf ield Paint Site in the amount of $1,106,500, of which approximately $1,046,500 are for Extramural Costs. Attachment: Initial Funding Request - ARI 00009 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION III 841 Chestnut Building Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-4431 H SUBJECT: Request for Funds for a Removal Action Belfield Paint Site Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania FROM: Douglas P. Fox, On-Scene Coordinator Eastern Response Section (3HW31) TO: Peter H. Kostmayer Regional Administrator (3RAOO) THRU: AOTaiaOT^FeVdas,' /JJSSQCJffieT"fii^j-sign Director for ^uperfund Programs (3HW02) I. ISSUE The attached CERCLA Funding Request pertains to the Belfield Paint Site (Site) in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, ("the Site"). I have observed conditions at the Site which may pose an imminent and substantial threat to human health and welfare and to the environment due to the presence of uncontrolled hazardous substances in drums and containers. The drums and containers where observed by the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), during a Removal Assessment performed in accordance with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) , 40 CFR Part 300. The OSC has determined that the Site meets the criteria for initiating a Removal Action under Section 300.415 of the NCP. Funds are required to begin a Removal Action pursuant to Section 104 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended, 42 USC § 9604. The actions necessary to abate the threats at this Site are anticipated to require less than 12 months and to be within the $2 million statutory limits for Removal Actions. II. BACKGROUND A. Site Description The Belfield Paint Site consists of one building located at 5252 Belfield Avenue in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The Site is be.lieved to have been used as a storage and staging facility for waste drums by a paint company previously located in an adjacent building. The area surrounding the Site is urban and residential in nature, with automobile dealerships located across the street from the Site. SEPTA'S Fernrock train station is located directly behind the Site. The nearest residence is approximately one block from the site. flRIOOOlO B. SITS BACKGROUND On May, 20, 1994, The Philadelphia Fire Department notified EPA of a suspected arson fire located at 5238 Belfield Avenue. While the Philadelphia Fire Department was inspecting the fire, they nottcetT an adjacent building, at 5252 Belfield Avenue. The Philadelphia Fire Department reported that the 5252 Beltield Avenue building, which is located on the Site, contained an estimated 200 drums unlabeled and haphazardly piled together. On Saturday, May 21, 1994, a second arson-set fire was ignited at the 5252 Belfield Avenue building resulting in a burned roof. On June 2, 1994, EPA performed a Removal Assessment which included haz-cat field screening of 20 of the estimated 200 drums located inside the 5252 Belfield Avenue building. These drums were chosen because they were more safely accessible than the others and were considered to be representative of the bulk of the drums present. There is also unrestricted access to the 5252 Belfield Avenue building which appears to be an abandoned property. C. QUANTITIES AND TYPES OF SUBSTANCES PRESENT Approximately 200 drums were found during the Removal Assessment. Most of the drums are weathered with no labels attached to them. Hazard characterization field screening tests of 20 drums revealed the following: one (1) drum contains an oxidizing and corrosive material (pH equal to 12); two (2) drums contain oxidizing material; eight (8) drums contain combustible material; two (2) drums contain highly flammable material; and seven (7) drums contain material which exhibits organic characteristics which implies that, while this material may not be flammable or combustible, it will readily burn. All of the drums are staged in close proximity to one another (randomly stacked as many as five high), which creates a substantial hazard. Hazardous characterization field screening revealed that the materials in more than half of the drums screened showed RCRA characteristics for flammability and corrosivity. A potential secondary hazard for fire exists in the event that oxidizing materials come in contact with organic materials, a circumstance that could easily occur under the existing conditions. D* State and Local Authorities' Rolea The Philadelphia Fire Department requested EPA assistance in performing a Site Investigation at the Belfield Paint Site. State and Local officials have asked EPA to take the actions necessary to eliminate the threat at the Site. The OSC will continue to coordinate all activities with State and local authorities. E. NFL Sit* Status The Belfield Paint Site has not yet been evaluated for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL). The OSC will provide all Site information to the Site Assessment Section of Region III for determination for the NPL. flRIOOOl III. THREATS TO PUBLIC HEALTH OR WELFARE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Conditions at the Belfield Paint Site continue to pose an immediate threat to human health, welfare, and the environment due to the presence of hazardous material inside the building. Section 300.415, of the National Oil and Hazardous Pollution Substances Contingency Plan, outlines the factors which should be considered appropriate for funding. Section 300.415, paragraphs (b) (2) (i), (iii), (v), (vi), and (vii) are directly applicable to the situation at the Belfield Paint Site. A. 300.415 (b)(2)(i) "Actual or potential exposure to nearby human populations, animals, or food chain from the hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants." The unrestricted access to the Site which currently contains the hazardous substances creates the potential for a direct contact threat to any person or animal that comes onsite. Trespassers have frequented the property and have destroyed or set fire to portions of the building located onsite and to surrounding buildings. Uncontrolled releases from the Site to the ground by spills or to the air from fires have the potential of entering the nearby residential area and impacting the residents. B. 300.415 (b)(2)(iii) "Hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in drums, barrels, tanks, or other bulk storage containers, that may pose a threat of release." Currently, drums of flammable, corrosive and possibly other hazardous substances are contained inside the building and are in poor condition. The threat of a release of these materials is compounded by the fact that there is unrestricted access to the 5252 Belfield Avenue building located on the Site which appears to be an abandoned property. One arson fire has already occurred at the Belfield Paint Site and two arson fires have occurred at adjacent buildings. The accidental or intentional release of these substances can occur through additional acts of vandalism or arson. C. 300.415 (b)(2)(v) "Weather conditions that may cause hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants to migrate or be released" The Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections has condemned the building. The collapse of the building could cause a release of the drummed substances. The roof of the 5252 Belfield Avenue building located on the Site was severely burned flRIOOOI2 from a suspected arson induced fire. The Philadelphia