Due to extensive flood damage FEMA has tasked EPA to collect and managed household hazardous wastes (HHW), white goods, e-goods, and orphaned haz-mat containers and asbestos placed on curbsides.  In addition EPA will be providing air monitoring/sampling support throughout the operational theater.

The Operation Section is organized into a Container Collection Branch (with 5 Groups), an Asbestos Collection Group, the Collection-Pad Division, Recon Group and the Monitoring Group. This organization will be adjusted as tasks require  Operations are largely focused in Minot during this period.  Some collection has occurred and continues in Burlington.  Additional details of the response actions are below. 

The staging area for handling HHW, white goods, e-wastes, and orphaned containers is complete.   All areas are in service and receiving waste.  Preparation and clean-up activities in the RV park continue to allow additional trailers to move in for EPA crews.

 ERT has been operating the 6 station ambient air monitoring network for the past 14 days. During that time the system has identified numerous alarms, however in all of the recorded observations we have yet to identify a verifiable exceedance due to actual environmental conditions.  The threshold levels are listed in the table below:

All of the VOC alarms were confirmed by our on-site personnel to be related to moisture issues. There were no exceedances of the 24 hour PM 2.5 action limit of 0.065 mg/m3 recorded during the past 14 days.

Of the 94 ambient air samples analyzed for asbestos to date, none have exceeded the action level of 0.1 f/cc.  Six of the samples analyzed by NIOSH 7400 (PCM) to date, have exceeded the screening level of 0.01 f/cc and were re-analyzed by NIOSH 7402 (TEM) as per the agreed upon sampling strategy. All of the NIOSH 7402 samples analyzed to date  have been non-detect.

Based on this information it would appear that we have sufficient information to characterize the ambient air quality in Minot during this debris removal phase as being below the agreed upon EPA threshold levels for this response.  A map of the sample locations can be found here: http://www.epaosc.org/sites/7093/files/Minot_Air_Monitoring_Locations.pdf

Reconnaissance teams (START and SERAS contractors) during the week of August 1^st have focused on verifying the container preliminary rapid recon findings, and they have assessed asbestos deposit locations.   A request for a boat and assistance in investigating the river banks has been made with USFW, Lake Darling Office.  The focus of this operation will be identification of larger tanks and drums in the main river channel both west and southeast of Minot.

Minot:  HHW and E-waste collection sweeps have continued in Minot, but at a reduced number of crews.  The processing of white goods continues.  To date the ERRS crews have conducted three (3) rounds of Curbside HHW collection throughout the City.

 (.http://www.epaosc.org/sites/7093/files/all%20debris%20zones.pdf)  

Orphan container collection is complete in Moose and Oak Park(s) on land and water as of August 4. Collection in grid NE04 is near completion with the exception of one large tank (apprx 1500 gal tank).  Access to the tank with an excavator is needed recovery. It will be necessary to move the tank to access the openings to sample and determine the contents.   Collection and removal of water based containers is underway in Roosevelt Park and State Fairgrounds areas.  Planning to retrieve large items such as three (3) twin 2000-3000 gallon of propane tanks at Souris Valley golf course area and its upstream

More than 56,000 of HHW items were collected at the curbside, including more than 50,000 small HHW containers, more than 3,000 white goods items and more than 2,400 other items such as batteries, fire extinguishers, etc… In addition, a total of 460 cubic yards of electronic goods were collected. 

Asbestos/Vermiculite reconnaissance and removal of loose, curbside vermiculite from residential property has been identified at locations. Bagged insulation is being collected from the debris piles and curbside; this was performed in the NW area of town.  On August 4 approximately 80 cy of bagged ACM were collected by four (4) crews.  Collection is anticipated to continue for the next week or two.  The volume of material being collected will rapidly exceed the capacity of the staging area to hold the accumulations.  Disposal arrangements are being made.  The remainder of the debris/ACM at 1704 1st Ave, SE was removed August 5th.

Ward County:  HHW collection was started in areas between Burlington and Minot along Hwy 15.  Other areas were evaluated again on 8/4 and determined to be not accessible due to standing water

A link to a website http://react.nvs-inc.com/EPASilver/ contains a visual summary of the recon assessments, as well as other operational data.

Below is a summary of the quantities of collected material as of 1700 CDT on August 4, 2011:.

Total Counts (Curbside Collection and Orphan Container Collection)

HHW  

           51,182  Small Containers (< 5gal)                      

               1265  Containers (5-30 gal)                            

                  138   Drums (30-85 gal)                                

                    27  Tanks (>85 gal)                                    

                1118  Propane Tanks                                     

                   72   Other Gas Cylinders                              

White Goods

                150  AC Units                                              

                981  Refrigerators                                        

              1911  Inert Goods                                           

Electronic Goods*

               466  Cubic Yards                                         

Other Materials

                142  Batteries                                              

                174  Fire Extinguishers                                 

                693  Light Bulbs                                           

                 567  Ammunition / Fireworks/Gun Powder                         

                173   Small Engines

The asbestos containing material disposal arrangements are being finalized.  The ND Dept of Heath has been contacted regarding the appropriate facilities in ND to receive asbestos and that are in compliance. Give the current situation in Minot and the need ensure rapid removal and disposal of asbestos debris waste, it was determined by the OSC to not require asbestos disposal facility to be on the approved CERCLA Off-Site disposal list.  According to the NDDOH, Minot and Sawyer both have State approved asbestos disposal facilities.  Currently, the asbestos waste collected by EPA will be shipped to the Clean Harbors facility in Sawyer.  The CERCLA off-site rule (found @ 40 CFR 300.440) allows the OSC to waive the requirements of the rule in certain circumstances.  The conditions present in Minot satisfy the basis to apply this waiver in order to facilitate the quick disposal needed to safely complete the task of removing vermiculite insulation remove from the streets, sidewalks, and yards of Minot under the ESF 10  Mission Assignment.  This waiver is provided for in the NCP at 40 CFR 300.440(a)(2):

(2) In cases of emergency removal actions under CERCLA, emergency actions taken during remedial actions, or response actions under section 311 of the Clean Water Act where the release poses an immediate and significant threat to human health and the environment, the On-Scene Coordinator

(OSC) may determine that it is necessary to transfer CERCLA waste offsite without following the requirements of this section.

*based on a visual estimate, a more accurate figure will be tracked as the material is packaged for off-site shipment