Field Office Compliance - Assistance

Assistance ID - 67447

Northwood Ag. Products, Northwood - 311907005

2106 Central Avenue East Northwood, IA 50459

Worth County

FO 2

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Attached Files/Reports

File Name	File Type	File Date	Note

Comments

Date	Comment	Commenter
2/26/2014	Mike Wolmers called me on 25FEB14 and stated he was working with Steve Eastman on the cleanup of the Northwood Ag Products fire (discussed at a meeting from which I had just returned). Mr. Wolmers asked if I had said that all metals from the fire must be pressure-washed prior to scrapping. I stated I had had indeed said this. Mr. Wolmers stated that it would be impossible to pressure wash the metal because it was too cold, and that it wasn’t needed because the fire would have burned off any chemicals. I replied that it was standard practice to pressure-wash metals that had been involved in hazardous materials incidents, and that the washing need not be done until conditions allowed. Mr. Wolmers stated that he had talked to several remediation contractors and none of them had heard of the practice. I explained that when chemicals burn, they can often transform, via chemical recombination, into other chemicals of unknown toxicity, and that the DNR would require pressure washing of the metal prior to scrapping. Mr. Wolmers noted that the ground was frozen and that it would be difficult to establish some kind of runoff control system. I agreed, but stated that it was imperative that some mitigating measures be put in place to minimize infiltration of residual chemicals. Mr. Wolmers asked what, specifically, we wanted, and I stated that Mr. Eastman should consult with his remediation contractor and propose some specific solutions. I asked Mr. Wolmers if he had been retained as the remediation contractor and he said no, he was just helping because he was 67 years old, had been around, and knew about this type of thing. Mr. Wolmers asked if the DNR would allow a perimeter trench to be dug which drained into a hole, which would then collect the melt runoff and then the liquid could be pumped from the hole. I indicated that this may be feasible, provided the trench and the hole were lined in some way to prevent infiltration. Mr. Wolmers stated that the frost would prevent infiltration. I disagreed, stating that frozen ground could be quite permeable due to expansion cracks. Mr. Wolmers did not believe this. I stated that the entire premise of the cleanup was to prevent contamination from infiltrating the ground, and that an unlined collection trench and recovery pit would not meet this objective. Mr. Wolmers had some additional comments and ideas. I suggested that he should work with Mr. Eastman and the selected remediation contractor and propose some specific solutions.	DAVID MILLER

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