Colville Post and Pole, Inc. (CPPI), located approximately four miles outside of Colville, Washington, was a wood-treating facility that used pentachorophenol/diesel (PCP) treating solutions to manufacture predominantly treated fence posts and rails. Wood-treating operations have occurred on the 23-acre site for approximately 60 years under several different owners and companies. Wood-treating operations at this location consisted of heated solution dip tanks and an adjacent drip pad with treated wood product being stored over soil in various locations in the yard. The Site is located within 200 feet of the Colville River and its associated riparian ecosystem and habitats for threatened species. The river is a tributary to Lake Roosevelt (the Upper Columbia River), currently under investigation with the EPA Region 10 Remedial Program for impacts from contaminated sites within the drainage area.
The EPA Region 10 Removal Program conducted a Phase I Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) in October 2002 followed by a Phase II RSE in June 2005. Findings from these evaluations indicated PCP, dioxin, and diesel contamination in surface and subsurface soils, and PCP and diesel in sediments, groundwater, and in surface water. During Phase II, a monitoring well network was installed and shallow groundwater monitored for a year. It was determined that groundwater flowed in a westerly direction and a PCP-contaminated groundwater plume originating in the Process area was traversing the north area of the site, migrating off site, and potentially impacting residential drinking water wells down gradient.
From October 2002 until December 2004, the EPA RCRA and CERCLA programs conducted inspections of the CPPI facility and determined that CPPI was out of compliance with regulations and contamination cleanup was required. An SPCC inspection of the PCP/diesel tanks and a review of the facility’s SPCC Plan found CPPI to be out of compliance with the SPCC regulations. CPPI determined that they were unable to secure the resources to upgrade the facility and conduct the necessary cleanup to meet regulatory requirements and decided to cease operations at the facility in January 2005.
Due to the presence of contamination and the potential for further human health exposure and harm to the environment, EPA conducted a Phase I Time-Critical Removal Action in January 2005. Phase I of the removal consisted of actions needed to secure the facility, restrict access, and stabilize the hazardous waste (spent treating solution, PCP sludge, wastewaters) onsite for transportation and disposal off-site when the owner ceased operations in January 2005 (see Phase I Polrep 1).
In this Phase II of the Time-Critical Removal Action, EPA has initiated actions to: demolish the treatment buildings, excavate contaminated soil in the process area as well as hotspots around the site, install a soil and vegetation cover in the North Stockpile Area, transport and dispose of contaminated soil and debris at an approved landfill, install additional monitoring wells, sample wells on a quarterly basis, and model the shallow groundwater contamination.
September 24-25, 2006
One EPA OSC, 4 ERRS personnel, 2 USCG PST members, and 2 START personnel mobilized to the site to set up site infrastructure and coordinate logistics to kick-off Phase II removal activities.
September 26 - October 1, 2006
One EPA OSC, 9 ERRS personnel, 2 USCG PST, 1 to 3 START personnel conducted the following activities:
1. Set-up trailers and connected electricity and telephone for command post.
2. Removed temporary fencing from Process Area and reinforced site gate to control access.
3. PST reviewed and consolidated various site safety plans into one site-specific plan. Initiated contact with local EMS and Fire to inform of site activities.
4. A building inspector assessed Process Area buildings for asbestos and lead paint. None found with exception of asbestos seal in boiler.
5. ERRS demolished treatment building, maintenance shop, PCP shed, and boiler building.
6. ERRs staged contaminated demolition debris for transportation to and disposal at CERCLA-approved landfill.
7. Three truck-loads of demo debris transported off site.
8. ERRS and OSC coordinated with Kettle Falls International Railway and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad to identify right of way (ROW) issues and address crossing concerns.
9. ERRS installed stormwater diversion to adjacent drainage ditch from culvert discharge to pond drainage area.
10. ERRS cleared debris and leveled surface in soil staging area in North Stockpile area.
11. ERRS steam cleaned and decontaminated salvageable steel from process area. Processed old ASTs, metal armor, thermal tanks, piping, and other metal debris.
12. ERRS established steel cutting, sizing, staging, and loading area in North Stockpile Area.
13. ERRS transferred approximately 2500 gallons of wastewater from sump area of treatment building to Baker tanks on site.
14. ERRS finished demolition of structures in Process Area and started excavating soils in Treatment Building footprint. This hot soil was staged on visqueen in the North Stockpile soil staging area. Known hot soil staged in 200 cubic yard (cy) piles for sampling and transportation.
15. START collected 11 sediment samples in pond drainage area to determine extent of contamination for removal.
16. START collected 4 surface soil samples of treated wood storage areas north of Process Area near railroad ROW.
17. START collected 21 soil samples from floor and walls of excavated area in treatment building footprint.
18. Based on previous assessment results, EPA OSC delineated hot spot areas for hot and warm soil removal.
19. START collected approximately 15 samples of unknown materials from various containers on site for hazard categorization, consolidation, and disposal.
20. EPA OSC coordinated with RP so that he could remove various non-contaminated items from site (boiler, hoist, treated wood product, firewood, metal siding).
21. START conducted DATARAM dust monitoring for site activities each work day. No exceedances of 8 mg/cubic meter action level has occurred.
22. ERRS and PST conducted dust suppression activities with water truck spray.
23. ERRS, START, and OSC installed BMPs (silt fence, hay bales, dust suppression, noise suppression, minimize clearing/impact to vegetation).
24. START collected water levels from 11 on-site monitoring wells.
25. ERRS leveled chip pile mounds across existing footprint and peeled back mounds from edge of drainage.
1. Continued transportation and disposal of contaminated construction debris will occur the week of Oct 2.
2. Excavation of hot soil (> LDR) and warm soil(3. Wastewater will be transported off site for treatment and disposal.
4. Hot and warm soils transportation and disposal is anticipated to start the week of Oct. 23.
5. Soil covering and hydro-seeding of North Stockpile Area is anticipated to start the week of Oct. 30.
6. Additional well installation is anticipated to start the week of Oct. 30.
1. Secure consent for access to install additional wells off site.
2. Manage hot soil piles in 200 cy stockpiles and collect/analyze profile samples to facilitate transportation and disposal.
3. Arrange for procurement of backfill and regrading of excavated areas.
4. Continue prepping North Stockpile Area for installation of cover and hydro-seeding.
1. Close coordination with RP to allow safe access to remove materials for his personal use.
2. Coordination challenges between further excavation and receiving results from field analyses used to guide the excavation.
3. Efficient management of hot soil stockpiles, sampling, analytical, and arranging for transportation to treatment/landfill.
4. Determining extent of contamination to be removed in drainage areas and minimizing impacts to sensitive environments.
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