Community Meeting:Overview of General

Environmental Management (GEM)

May 25, 2006

Parties Involved

GEM

COMMUNITYREGULATORSOEPA CDAQ NEORSD OSHA Fire Dept

Environment

General Environmental Management (GEM)

“Our objective is to satisfy our customers needs through safe, cost effective, and low risk waste management programs based on recycling technologies”

Ohio EPA (OEPA) Goal- “…to protect the environment

and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws”

Establishes and enforces standards for air water and waste management

Divisions pertinent to GEMAir, water, RCRA

Cleveland Division Air Quality (DAQ)

“….primary objective to ensure that regulated air pollutants from sources are in compliance with federal, state, and local air regulations….”

Goal: “…to improve quality of life in Cleveland… desirable place to live and work.”

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD)

“Protecting your health and the environment”Assuring clean water for a greater

Cleveland Industrial pretreatment: “..conducts

investigations to identify pollutants… work with industrial customers to achieve pollution prevention goals”

Number of Odor Complaints

Month # Month #2/05 3 9/05 163/05 36 10/05 64/05 10 11/05 95/05 10 12/05 56/05 11 1/06 27/05 4 2/06 58/05 7 3/06 6

#: includes multiple complaints

Violations 2002-2006

Agency NOV Fines/Action

OEPA-RCRA 5 NoneDAQ 8 NoneNEORSD 18 NoneFire Dept 4 YesOSHA refuse to investigate

NOV: notice of violation

Incidents 6/22/05 Vapor cloud from ethanolamine 1/6/05 GEM explosion, fire contained 2/24/06 H2S in sewer lines downstream of

GEM 4/10/06 Fire dept tracks odor to GEM,

states concern with vapor collection 4/20/06 GEM explosion, 3-alarm fire with 5

injuries

GEM’s Response to NOV Plays ‘blame game’ Minimal compliance with fire

department requestsDuct tapeQuestionable vapor collection

No compliance with DAQ NOVHas not completed stack tests (issued

2004)

Conflicting information

GEM tells DAQ not treating solventGets pre-approval from NEORSD to

treat solvent bearing waste GEM - tells DAQ that fire department

could not track sourceLt. Dziak tells DAQ that he found source

on GEMs property

Effective Biological Treatment

Aerobic systemRequires oxygen Carbon dioxide common end productMust be acclimated to carbon source

Evidence not workingH2S produced (anaerobic system)Carbon type and amount changed too

frequently for bacteria to be acclimatedFull compounds in exiting stream

Compounds in GEM’s Water Jan 23, 24 2006

Organics

isophorone, phenol, benzene, chloroform, phenanthrene, acetone, ethylbenzene, MEK, styrene, toluene, methylene chloride, CS2, 4-methyl-2-pentaone

Inorganics

As, Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, Se, Zn

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Ni

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Concentration (ug/L)

Ni

Ni

OEPA 52

NEORSD

Sample health symptoms from organics

ENT Headache

dizziness

Skin irr Vomiting Respir.

Acetone √ √ √ √Phenol √ √ √MEK √ √ √ √Methanol √ √ √ √THF √ √ √ √Creosol √ √ √ √ √

Sample health symptoms - metals

ENT Headache

dizziness

Chest pain

Vomiting Respir.

Cadmium √ √ √ √Nickel √ √Arsenic √ √ √ √Lead √ √ √Zinc √ √