ecology and environment, inc.CLOVERLEAF BUILDING 3, 6405 METCALF, OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS 66202, TEL. 913/432-9961

International Specialists in the Environment

MEMORANDUM

TO: Paul Doherty, EPA/DPO

FROM: Janis Dcsneux, E &

THRU: Joe Chandler, E & E/TATL^\2•£-£—

DATE: September 8, 1992

SUBJECT: Site Assessment: Emory Plating Co., 3929 E. 14th Street, Des Moines, IowaTDD#: T07-9206-044APAN#: EIA0317SAAEPA/OSC: Wood Ramsey

INTRODUCTION

The Ecology and Environment, Inc., Technical Assistance Team (TAT) was tasked by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emergency Planning and Response (EP&R) Branch, underTechnical Direction Document(TDD) T07-9206-044 to perform a site assessment of the Emory Platingsite in DCS Moines, Iowa. Specifically, TAT was tasked to assess and document site conditions, inventoryremaining containers and vats abandoned at the facility, conduct field hazard categorization and collectsamples for laboratory analysis. TAT member (TATM) Janis Desncux was assigned project manager.

BACKGROUND

The Emory Plating Company, located at 14th and Fleming streets in Des Moines, Iowa, was asmall electroplating facility with one full-time employee (Figure 1: Site Location Map). The facility platedautomobile parts with chromium and nickel. Brass and copper plating of light fixtures contributed to asmaller portion of the plating work performed on site. The property was owned by Richard Hansen priorto June 1985. The property was sold to Douglas Musser on June 21, 1985, according to EPA/ResourceConservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Branch records. The facility began operation in July 1985 andwas abandoned by owner/operator, Musser, sometime on or before November 1991. After the facility andchemical wastes were abandoned, it reverted to Hansen who held the loan on the facility.

Site inspections by the Des Moines Fire Department (DMFD) began in 1987. A notice of violationconcerning the improper storage of cyanide was issued by the DMFD. The cyanide storage was notresolved until 1988. The facility was sited in May 1990 for a RCRA violation for failure to identifymetals in a sand pile in accordance with the EP Toxicity test, prior to disposal at the Des Moines CountyLandfill.

JD SOOOSimq EIA0317SAA/9206044A/F

recycled paper

Following closure of the facility, the State of Iowa referred the Emory Plating site to EPA for aremoval assessment. TAT was subsequently tasked to conduct a site assessment.

SITE ACTIVITIES

June 25. 1992: TATM Desneux and the EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Wood Ramseyconducted a site reconnaissance at the Emory Plating facility to confirm the presence of hazardoussubstances. The abandoned building was boarded up and cluttered with site debris, apparently scatteredby vandals.

The site perimeter was inspected for any visual evidence of potentially hazardous substances. Apile of sand used as polishing abrasives was located outside the east garage door (Figure 2: Site Map).Six drums of unknown contents and several empty drums were located east of the building. At least twoof the unknown drums were deteriorated and leaking. Two trailers, approximately 8 by 20 feet and 8 by10 feet, were filled with empty drums and debris.

A partial inventory of labeled and unlabeled containers, including the concrete vats was conductedduring the site reconnaissance and was summarized in the TAT Trip Report under TDD T07-9206-044,July 1992. Drums ranged from good to very poor condition were noted on site, with at least two of themetal drums rusted and leaking and one fiber drum leaking. Not all drums were sealed. The buildingcontained seven concrete vats, one 100-gallon tank, two 55-gallon drums, four 30-gallon drums, six five-gallon containers, one two-gallon acid carboy, 10 one-gallon containers and an approximately 1 1/2- by1-foot piece of sodium hydroxide.

July 13. 1992: TATM Desneux and OSC Ramsey returned to the site at 1115 hours on July 13,1992, for the staging and sampling of containerized wastes and soil and waste pile sampling. Work wastemporarily delayed by heavy rainfall and lightning.

The boarding on the north window in Room 2 (Site Map) was removed and the east and southgarage doors were opened for ventilation. Prior to the commencement of work within the building, OSCRamsey monitored for cyanide using a cyanide Dracger colormetric tube. The tube did not indicate thepresence of cyanide.

Desneux and Ramsey were met on site by TATM Dave Kinroth at 1200 hours. Drums and smallcontainers from Rooms 1, 2,4 and 5 were staged in Room 3 (Site Map). Pathways were cleared of debris,as Room 2 was littered with plating debris, unattached pipe, concrete blocks, ceiling plaster and insulation.Three 5-gallon plastic pails of unknown solids, four 5-gallon plastic pails of unknown liquid, and one 30-gallon trash can containing solids on top of liquid were left remaining in Room 2.

Cans of paint and paint solvents ranging in size from 1 pint to 1 gallon were found in a closet inthe northwest corner of Room 4. The larger 1-gallon containers were staged in Room 3. At the OSC'sdirection an inventory of these containers was not conducted at this time.

Two deteriorated drums from Room 5, labeled Enbond S-64, were overpackcd into two lined 55-gallon steel drums. Staging of containers was completed at 1545 hours, and TAT and the OSC left thesite.

JD 2 El A0317S A A/9206044 A/F

July 14. 1992: TATMs Dcsncux and Kinroth and OSC Ramscy returned to the site the followingday to collect samples and pack uncontaincrizcd waste into drums.

Monitoring for cyanide was conducted within the building prior to sampling. Further monitoringwith a hydrocyanic acid Draeger tube over vat 5 did not indicate the release of cyanide vapors above thevat.

A piece of solid sodium hydroxide was placed into a 55-gallon fiber drum and a piece of unknowngreen crystallized substance was packed into a 5-gallon empty Mac Dcrmid plastic pail in Room 2'. Amound of metal dust/sand located outside the east garage door was removed and placed in a 55-gallonsteel drum (Table 1).

To code containers, vat numbers were preceded by the designation "V", inside containers otherthan vats were designated by a "C" preceding their number, and drums outside the building weredesignated with a "D" preceding their numbers.

Single samples were collected from vats V-l through V-8. V-9 contained three separatecompartments or sections. Section 9-a contained a light colored crystal/powder crust over a layer ofliquid. Dehydration of the liquid in section 9-a had formed the crystallized powder crust. Section 9-balso contained the light colored crystal/powder. The covered content of section 9-c was a liquid. Twosamples were collected from V-9, a composite sample from V-9a/b and a liquid sample from V-9c. Thecomposite sample of V 9a/b included the liquid/solid of section 9-a and the solid from section 9-b. A totalof eight liquid samples were collected from V-l through V-3, V-5 through V-8, and V-9c. A solid samplewas collected from V-4, a composite sample of the solid and liquid from V-9a and the solid from V-9bwas collected.

A new thieving rod was used for each vat to collect the individual liquid sample into an 8-ouncejar. Solid waste samples from the vats were collected with a stainless steel spoon into an aluminium piepan and homogenized into two 8-ounce jars.

A four aliquot soil sample was collected from the floor in Room 2. Three grab/waste sampleswere collected: green waste from the floor in Room 2; metal dust from outside the east garage door; andsand/dust from the shelf in Room 5, located by the east garage door.

The grab/waste samples and the floor sample were collected into aluminum pie pans andhomogenized with stainless steel spoons into 8-ouncc jars.

Four composite soil samples, of 10 aliquots each, were collected into an aluminum pie pan usinga stainless steel spoon, homogenized and placed into an 8-ounce jar. The north sample was a linearcomposite collected between the building and the fence line. Paint chips littered the ground at the tensample collection points for the north sample. The south sample was collected from two rows of fivesample points. The east sample was collected at random sample points. Five of the sample pointswere along the east wall between the trailer and the building. The five remaining points were in the areaeast of the building between the east edge of the concrete ramp and the south edge of the trailers. Thewest sample was collected on the west side of the building from two rows of four and six sample pointseach.

JD 3 EIA0317SAA/9206044A/F

Using pH paper and/or meter, six of the vats were found to contain corrosive substances (Table2 A).

July 15. 1992: TATMS Dcsneux and Kinroth and OSC Ramsey relumed to the site the followingday to finish the limited hazard categorization of wastes.

Field screening for corrosivity, flammability, water and air reactivity and cyanide was performedon 15 containers and drums inside the building (C-l through C-15) and on six drums (D-l through D-6)outside the building. All field screening results arc summarized in the attached Field Screening DataSummary Sheet.

Two of the 15 containers were corrosive, C-5 (labeled Enthobrite Z-914) with a pH of 2 and C-10(labeled Enbond S-64) with a pH of 12. The sodium hydroxide, a corrosive with a pH of 13, was testedfor pH only.

Flammability was determined by observation of the sample on a cotton swab introduced into anopen flame. Only two of the inside drums, C-l2 and C-l3 were found to be flammable. Flash pointswere not determined. None of the containers or drums were water or air reactive.

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) draeger tubes confirmed the presence of cyanide in three of thecontainers, C-l, C-2, and C-10. C-l and C-2 were labeled cyanide products and were tested with the HCNdraeger tubes only. The C-10 drum, labeled Enbond S-64, a non-cyanide product, fumed and reacted tothe cyanide test. The other drum labeled Enbond S-64 did not test positive for cyanide.

A Foxboro 128 organic vapor analyzer (OVA) was used to analyze headspace of closed containersand the ambient air above open containers. The OVA indicated readings of >1000 ppm for drum C-l2and 700 ppm for drum C-l3.

Waste samples were submitted to the Region VII EPA Laboratory to be analyzed for total metals,total cyanides, ammenable cyanides, pH and a single sample for hexavalent chrome from V-l (Table 2A)and soil samples were submitted for total metals and cyanides (Table 2B).

SUMMARY

The Ecology and Environment, Inc., Technical Assistance Team was tasked by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emergency Planning and Response Branch to perform a siteassessment of the Emory Plating site in Des Moines, Iowa. TAT documented site conditions, inventoriedremaining containers and vats abandoned at the facility. Field screening of containerized wastes wasperformed and samples were collected for laboratory analysis.

A total of 65 containers of known and possible hazardous materials were found on site. Six ofthe vats and two of the numbered inside containers were corrosive. Labeled corrosives include nitric acidand acetic acid. Cyanide was confirmed in three of the inside containers using field screening methods.

A discussion of the analytical results will not be included in this report.

TAT has completed the tasks of this project.

El A0317S A A/9206044 A/F

ATTACHMENTS

Table 1: Drums and ContainersTable 2A: Sample Summary VatsTable 2B: Soil and Miscellaneous Sample SummaryField Screening Data Summary SheetFigure 1: Site Location MapFigure 2: Site Map

JD 5 EIA0317SAA/9206044A/F

TABLE 1DRUMS AND CONTAINERS

CONTAINERQUANT SIZE

QUANTITY MANUFACTURERCONTAINER #

LABEL NAME/COMMENTS/

1 500 gal vat 1/2 full NA1 500 gal vat 2/3 full NA1 30 gal cyl 1/3 full NA

N Middle-Room 2

1 500 gal vat 2/3 full NA

11111341

500 gal vat500 gal vat

200 gal vat

150 gal vat

100 gal tank

5 gal plastic5 gal plastic30 gal trash

1/2 full1/4 full

2/3 full

unknown

1/2 full

1/4-3/41/4-fullfull

NANA

NA

NA

NA

NANANA

NE-Room 3

5 1 gal pi jug full4 1 gal pi jug full1 1 gal pi jug full

3 1 gal pi jug full

11111211

1 gal pi jug55 gal30 gal drum30 gal open2 gal carboy5 gal plastic55 gal fiber5 gal pail

fullunknown1/2 full1/2 fullunknownunknown1/4 full1/4 full

5 gal5 gal5 gal pi pail30 gal fiber30 gal metal

unknownfull1/4 fullpart fullunknown

Harshaw/EnglchardHarshaw/EnglchardHarshaw/Englchard

Harshaw/Englehard

unknownunknownunknownunknownunknownunknownunknownSherwin Williams

EnthoneMac DermidunknownunknownEnthone

unknown liquid/V-1unknown liquid/V-2unknown liquid/V-3

unknown liquid/V-5West wallunknown sludge/V-4unknown liquid/V-6North/Center of roomunknown liquid/V-8East wallliq/solid,solid,liquid V-9cleaning vat/North wallunknown liquid/V-7South/Center of roomsludgeliquidsolid/liquid

Anti Pitting Additive NP-M2Bright Nickel AdjusterNova-20 Bright NickelPlating AdditiveZD-B-Z Nickel PlatingAddition AgentAqua AmmoniaWater displacing liquidunknown/NE cornerunknown/NE cornerNitric AcidunknownSodium Hydroxide(overpacked)"Latex Laq"(hand written)Strippable Coating/Lacquer Reducer(Acetone)Alumon D Liquid (corrosive)Copper Addition Agent, S-lunknownZinc Cyanide/C-2Enbond, S-64(overpackcd-55 gal)

JD El A0317S A A/9206044 A/F

CONTAINERQUANT SIZE

1 30 gal metal

QUANTITY

1/2 full

MANUFACTURERCONTAINER #

Enthone

1 30 gal metal4 1 gal pi jug

1 5 gal metal1 30 gal metal

1 15 gal metal1 1 pt bottle1 5 gal metal2 1 qt plastic

1 1 gal glass1 5 gal plastic

Office-Room 4

No containers

unknown1/3 full

unknown1/4 full

1/8 fullfullunknownfull

1/8 full1/2 full

CyanogranHarshaw/Englehard

Mac Dermidunknown

unknownParker Amchcmunknownunknown

unknownunknown

LABEL NAME/COMMENTS/

Enbond, S-64(overpacked-55 gal)/C-10Sodium Cyanide/C-1Chromium Plating MistSuppressorInorganic CyanidePolishing sand (east garagedoor)Caustic Sodaunknown corrosiveunknown corrosiveHydrogen Peroxide-20 VolumeProfessional StrengthAcetic Acidunknown green chrystals(room 2)

Closet-Room 5

Room 5 contained various paints and thinners.

Drum Inventory Outside Building

# CONTAINER QUANTITY MANUFACTURERSIZE

1 55 gal Ot dr1 55 gal Q dr1 55 gal Ct dr

1 55 gal Ct dr1 55 gal Ct dr

1 55 gal drum1 5 gal m pail

66 Total

almost mt1/8 full1/3 full

almost mt1/4 full

3/4 full1/8 full

Houghton & CounknownE.F.Houghton Co

unknownunknown

unknownunknown

LABEL NAME/COMMENTS

Rusty water?/D-lRusty watcr?/D-2Rust Veto, 4214, 31780(Combustible liq)/D-3unknown/D-4Rust Veto, 4214, 39702(Combustible liq)/D-5unknown/top deheaded/D-6Black oil-tar/betweentrailers

JD EIA0317SAA/9206044A/F

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Approximate Scale in Miles

Emory PlatingDes Mo/nes, /owa

Prepared by Jan/s OesneuxEcology & Environment Inc.I TATJune 1992TDD* T07-9206-044PAW* E/A03T7SAA

Figure 1: Site Location Map

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