ABANDONED COAL STORAGE YARD

 

SITE DESCRIPTION

During the operation of the Steam Generating Plant Line 1, coal was the primary fuel used. The Coal Pile is bounded on the north and east by railroad tracks and on the southeast by the head of Brush Creek. The coal is now scattered around an area about 4 acres. Runoff from the coal pile, augmented by water brought into the area by the three culverts below the rail tracks could have caused the widespread dispersal of the coal pile.

The coal pile was established in 1950 and used through 1968. Currently, it is not in use, because the fuel for the heating plant was changed to No. 2 Oil. When the use of coal for heating plant was discontinued in 1968, the stockpiled coal was left in place. There was no cover for the pile to reduce infiltration of precipitation therefore it can be expected that leaching and runoff have occurred since 1950.

Although, the coal pile covers an area of approximately 3 to 4 acres, runoff may have spread to a greater area. There has been severe erosion of the pile resulting in furrows several feet deep as evidenced by vegetation stress observed on the adjacent storage yards.

The SI sampling was completed in 1991 and no significant contamination was found.

Site IAAP-042, Abandoned Coal Storage Yard was eliminated from RI consideration because the installation completed a State of Iowa Department of Natural Resources Removal Activity. This excavation was summarized in a Finding of No Significant Impact dated 26 October 1992. The RCRA Branch of Region VII EPA have agreed to this removal action. The removal was completed in late 1993, and the area was covered with clean soil and re-vegetated with native grasses.

This site is considered Response Complete and requires no further action under the IRP as documented in the PA/SI.

This site may need to be reopened for additional sampling to support the no further action determination.