Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Bend Office
300 SE Reed Market Road, Bend, Oregon 97702
541.388.6146; Fax 541.388.8283
Pendleton Office
700 SE Emigrant, Pendleton, Oregon 97801
541.276.4063; Fax 541.278.0168
January 2008
For the complete story regarding the cover photo’s release of fuel, please see page 23.
Table of Contents
The Department’s Eastern Region encompasses eighteen counties with four staff
offices located in The Dalles, Bend, Hermiston and Pendleton. The Department’s
Hazardous Waste Staff ensure compliance with environmental regulations through
permits, technical assistance, periodic inspections, and enforcement actions against
violators. Additional responsibilities include complaint investigations and response to
environmental emergencies from spills and accidents throughout the region. Visit
Eastern Region’s Local Projects and Programs page to learn more about activities
within the Region (http://www.deq.state.or.us/er/localprojects.htm).
The mission of the Eastern Region Hazardous Waste Program is to protect public
health and the environment from adverse effects of improper handling of business-
generated hazardous wastes. Since the adoption of the nation’s first pollution
prevention planning requirement in 1989, Oregon’s businesses are required to
continuously reduce or eliminate toxic substance use, and therefore generate less
hazardous wastes.
The following Program results are for the period of January 2007 through December 2007
for the Eastern Region Hazardous Waste Program and Emergency Response Operations.
The Hazardous Waste Technical Assistance Program for the Agency focuses on
developing and providing accessible, consistent, and specific information on
managing hazardous waste to the regulated community. The basis of the
program is unique because of the strong educational, rather than regulatory
concentration designed to minimize businesses’ environmental liabilities.
The Eastern Region Hazardous Waste Program completed the year down one
complete hazardous waste technical assistance position.
1
RCRA stands for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Federal Hazardous Waste Regulations
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
The Nation’s first state law to mandate pollution prevention has undergone
recent streamlining changes. The Oregon State Legislature amended
Oregon’s Toxic Use Reduction Act of 1989 in June 2005.
This past year brought the new reporting requirements to those businesses
that generate hazardous waste and must comply to minimize or reduce their
use of hazardous materials. For 2007 in the Eastern Region, 42 Oregon
businesses were able to reduce their toxic use by 2,098,593 pounds and
their hazardous waste generation by 112,999 pounds. This was at a savings
of $670,815 to those businesses.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Good News!
The Deschutes County Landfill will open their new permanent
Household (HHW) and CEG waste facility in February 2008.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
For 2007, the hazardous waste regulatory trainings were held at the
following locations within the region: Bend, Pendleton, and Ontario.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Many times the only Agency contact for some individuals is through a
hazardous waste complaint investigation. Complaint investigations are
conducted as hazardous waste inspections, focusing on hazardous
material discharges and/or mismanagement of hazardous wastes.
The investigation may also address any obvious health and safety
hazards observed at the site. Cross program compliance issues, if
observed will be included in the referrals and notification sent to the
appropriate programs.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Statewide Permitting
The Eastern Region Hazardous Waste Program has the responsibility for all
statewide hazardous waste TSD permitting activities with the exception of the
Umatilla Chemical Depot, which is managed through the Department’s
Chemical Demilitarization Program located in Hermiston, Oregon.
This past year the focus was on continued permitting of the Chemical Waste
Management site located in Arlington, and continued post-closure activities at
the following inactive sites: Lockheed Martin (The Dalles), Permapost Products
Company, Inc (Hillsboro), and Baron Blakeslee (Portland).
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
For modifications that significantly change facility operations, the public must
receive notice and have a chance to participate and comment on the permit
modification request. The following sites had recent hazardous waste permit
work:
Other permit work submitted for the Chemical Waste facility included:
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Safety-Kleen – Clackamas
Ability to manage F004 hazardous wastes was reviewed and issued.
Past inspection issues were discussed, and paperless manifest resolved.
One of the challenges that face the program through the years is identifying the
level of risk resulting from improper hazardous waste management, and
measuring the impacts the program has made in reducing such risk. This data
has lead to the refinement of the 2008 program priorities.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Compliance Priorities
Large Quantity Generators, Small Quantity Generators and Significant
Non-compliant facilities will continue to be a priority within the region.
Complaints will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
TUHWRP Priorities
Toxic use reduction program will continue to focus on new generators,
and utilization of the on-line TUR reporting tool.
Permitting Priorities
Permit modifications, renewals and new hazardous waste permit work
will continue throughout the state. Sites where permit work is in
progress include Chemical Waste Management of the NW, Permapost
Products, Baron Blakeslee and Lockheed Martin, Inc.
Typically, the Department receives almost half of all statewide incident calls reported
to all state agencies via the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS). The
Department’s Statewide Spill Program staff provide on-site oversight to about a third
of all spills reported through OERS. The rest, typically minor spills, are monitored
through telephone contacts with the responsible party and responders.
Prevention and preparedness are also critical Response program activities. Large
amounts of hazardous materials are routinely transported throughout Oregon,
making the potential for spills very high. Spills can pose a major threat to Oregon's
land, air, water, and wildlife.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
OERS Response
A noted increase in reported tanker spills (13%) for 2007, with most
involving tractor-trailer fuel spills averaging 150 -300 gallons per incident.
Reporting
For this reporting period, the Eastern Region spill staff responded to
107 incidents. Notable responses included the following sites:
Seiman’s Power Windmill failure, Taylor Aviation plane crash in Malheur,
Think Link Daycare mercury removal in Baker, PCB transformer release
in Hood River, Cinder Lakes Ranch formaldehyde cleanup in Powell
Butte, and Harris & Reinhard’s gasoline tanker fires in Crescent Lake and
Klamath Falls simultaneously. Two near misses of train derailments
involved 22 train cars.
As a direct result, the region has newly formed the Eastern Region’s
Emergency Response Overhead team. Currently in development, it will
ensure the region has trained staff and the capability to respond to all
incidents in the region as needed.
Training for the staff will include HAZWOPER training, First Aid,
Emergency Response Trailer operations, tribal & cultural training,
clean-up project manager, and incident command systems training.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
The Department’s Emergency Response trailer on location for a regional spill response.
The Spills Program will continue to respond to each notification forwarded by the
Oregon Emergency Response System, as well as direct phone calls to assure
incident response meets Oregon’s regulatory standard.
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
D. Attachments
Attachment I -
Technical Assistance Sites Visited
CEG = Conditionally Exempt Generator (Generates 220 lbs or less a month; or less than 2.2 lbs acute waste)
SQG = Small Quantity Generator (Generates more than 220, but less than 2,200 lbs month)
LQG = Large Quantity Generator (Generates more than 2,200 lbs a month; more than 2.2 lbs of acute waste)
TSD = Transfer, Storage, and Disposal Permitted Facility
** Voluntary Eco-logical Business Certification
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment II -
Hazardous Waste Inspection Sites Visited
17
EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment II - continued
Hazardous Waste Inspection Sites Visited
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EASTERN REGION HAZARDOUS WASTE
& EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM REPORT
____________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment II - continued
Hazardous Waste Inspection Sites Visited
CEG = Conditionally Exempt Generator (Generates 220 lbs or less a month; or less than 2.2 lbs acute waste)
SQG = Small Quantity Generator (Generates more than 220, but less than 2,200 lbs month)
LQG = Large Quantity Generator (Generates more than 2,200 lbs a month; more than 2.2 lbs of acute waste)
TSD = Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Permitted Facility
OMI = Operation and Maintenance Inspection
* = Multiple visits
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Attachment A –
Hazardous Waste Complaint Investigation – D.B. Western Inc. News Release
News Release
For release: January 2, 2008
Contacts:
Jeff Ingalls, Hazardous Waste Program, Bend, (541) 388-6146, ext. 238
Jeff Bachman, Compliance & Enforcement, Portland, (503) 229-5950
Phil Hodgen, Communications & Outreach, Pendleton, (541) 278-4609
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Attachment A – continued
Hazardous Waste Complaint Investigation – D.B. Western Inc. News Release
Cleanup activities that began on Oct. 4, 2007 at the site have generated
hundreds of tons of urea-formaldehyde resin waste and industrial process solid
waste that was disposed of at the Chemical Waste Management site in Arlington,
Oregon. The remediation activities also uncovered the illegal disposal of
hundreds of tons of federally listed hazardous waste formaldehyde from
commercial manufacturing of formaldehyde in plants outside of Oregon, plus
more than 1,000 tons of illegally disposed of solid waste from burn pits and
contaminated cinder from the urea-formaldehyde resin chemical disposal.
Nineteen containers of federally listed hazardous waste were sent to an approved incinerator.
All of the violations cited in both notices could pose a risk to human
health and the environment. Accordingly, they have been referred to DEQ’s
Office of Compliance and Enforcement for formal enforcement action. Formal
enforcement action may include a civil penalty for each day of each violation.
Timely and responsive action in addressing the corrective action measures will
be taken into consideration in any civil penalty assessment issued by DEQ.
21
Attachment A – continued
Hazardous Waste Complaint Investigation – D.B. Western Inc. News Release
The notices stipulated corrective action timelines that D.B. Western has coopera ted
in meeting. The remediation activities have corrected the majority of the violations;
however, DEQ has asked for D.B. Western’s continued cooperation to assure
continued compliance. For additional information, contact Jeff Ingalls at DEQ’s Bend
office, 300 SE Reed Market Road, Bend, OR 97702-2237 or (541) 388-6146, ext.
238.
D.B. Western will host a public meeting in Powell Butte to discuss the
issues in an open forum. Although a specific date has not been determined, the
meeting is planned for early to mid-February 2008. For updated information
concerning this meeting, contact attorney Rick Martson, the D.B Western
representative, at (503) 802-2005.
(Note: When DEQ identifies a serious violation of state laws or regulations, it issues a Pre-Enforcement Notice to
inform the responsible person or business that a civil penalty will likely be issued.)
Urea-formaldehyde embankment pit: Remediation activities at the ranch were completed with
confirmatory sampling in all excavations resulting in non-detect analytical sampling results.
22
Attachment B –
Emergency Response – Harris Transport Fuel Tanker Accident
Inside DEQ
Employee Newsletter - Issue #79
September 2007
The tanker erupted into flames, triggering a forest fire on both sides of Highway 58.
By Jeff Christensen
The recent Crescent Junction tanker truck incident exemplifies a DEQ success story in responding
to a fiery spill event and demonstrates the potentially severe impacts that can result from releases
of petroleum products and other hazardous substances.
On Thursday, July 26, a tanker truck carrying 10,300 gallons of gasoline burst into flames and
exploded near Crescent Lake, Oregon in northeast Klamath County. Although the Harris Transport
Company driver involved in the incident escaped without injury, the vehicle explosion triggered a
forest fire on both sides of Highway 58. Quick action by a local fire department and USFS Fire
Crews prevented the fire from impacting the surrounding residents and community.
23
Attachment B – continued
Emergency Response – Harris Transport Fuel Tanker Accident
Most of the fuel burned during the fire; however, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of
gasoline seeped into soils adjacent to the highway. DEQ staff responded quickly to begin
the process of assessing potential environmental and economic impacts and to begin the
process of excavating contaminated soils.
The presence of a fiber optic cable made the excavation extra challenging.
The on-site team succeeded with no disruption to fiber optic communications.
Eastern Region’s David Anderson (Bend office), Wes Gebb, and Geoff Brown from
the Western Region’s Eugene office arrive Thursday afternoon.
Initial State On-Scene Coordinator, Wes Gebb, holds an incident briefing Thursday
afternoon to establish an incident response Unified Command and a plan for Friday’s
operational activities.
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and private contractors hired by
ODOT and Harris Trucking continue to arrive throughout the evening.
The truck wreckage is removed around 11 p.m. Thursday evening.
DEQ’s emergency response trailer is dispatched from Portland and arrives early
Friday to support the growing Unified Command Structure and technical support
staff. Jeannette Freeman and Mike Renz from the Eastern Region’s Bend office also
arrive Friday morning.
Excavation activities begin around 5:30 a.m. Friday. The soils are placed in a USFS-
owned gravel pit four miles north of the wreck site. Sample analysis received on day
three of the incident documented that the soils were not hazardous waste and could
be managed as typical solid waste.
DEQ Western Region resources (Gebb and Brown) are demobilized from the site Friday
evening. For the balance of the response, Mike Renz serves as State On-Scene
Coordinator, with technical assistance from David Anderson (environmental unit) and
Jeannette Freeman (trailer and communications support and documentation specialist). 24
Attachment B – continued
Emergency Response – Harris Transport Fuel Tanker Accident
~ As the driver described it, he heard a loud pop and
pulled the truck partially over to the shoulder to check
it out. As he went to unlatch the fiberglass cowling he
noticed smoke pouring out and by the time he reached
the other side’s latch it had burst into flames. After
unsuccessfully trying to subdue the ensuing flames
with a fire extinguisher, he quickly grabbed his
overnight bag from the cab just before escaping injury
when it erupted into flames. ~
Remains of the gasoline
tanker.
25