Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
CLEVELAND

Congressional District # 10

CHEMICAL & MINERALS RECLAMATION

EPA ID# OHD980614549
Last Updated: October, 2007

Site Description

The Chemical and Minerals Reclamation, Inc. site (CMR) covers a 3/4 acre area at 5418 Crescent Avenue on the north side of Cleveland, Ohio.   The site is located in a metropolitan area within the floodplain of the Cuyahoga River and is surrounded by the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway to the south and west, the Old Cuyahoga River bed to the north, and industrial property to the east.  Several homes are located on the other side of the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway.  The city of Cleveland had an estimated population of 478,403 people according to the 2000 census.  The entrance to the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie is approximately 1 mile from the site.  A marina is located across the Old Cuyahoga River bed to the north.  The former owner of the property, the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper leased this land to CMR in 1979.  CMR planned to use the site as a recycling facility, however, the site was only used to collect and store wastes in vats and barrels.  The vats and barrels contained miscellaneous wastes including flammable and non-flammable solvents, paints, tar, grease, and resins.  These storage operations continued until July 2, 1980, when a fire occurred at the warehouse on the site.  As a result of the fire, the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway was closed temporarily, but no injuries were reported.  The city of Cleveland, the U. S. Coast Guard, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have all participated in some phase of the cleanup activity.

Site Responsibility

The site is being addressed through federal, state and local actions.

Threats and Contaminants

Samples collected at the time of the removal action indicated that the site's soils were contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl alcohol, toluene, xylene, trichloroethylene (TCE), and dichloroethylene, sludges, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).  These contaminants came from a variety of sources including flammable and non-flammable solvents (both chlorinated and non-chlorinated), paints, tar, grease, resins, and other miscellaneous wastes stored at the site.  

U.S. EPA collected additional samples in 1985 and 1987 and an electromagnetic survey was conducted in 1986.  The EM survey noted an anomalous area in the northern portion of the site, stating that it may represent buried drums or demolition debris.  One boring (B4) was later completed in the anomalous area to a depth of only 6 ft. encountering fill material throughout the boring.  Drums or debris were not encountered in that boring and the depth of the fill material was not determined.

In 1987, EPA began considering remedial alternatives for the site and an ARARs analysis was completed in cooperation with Ohio EPA on November 4, 1987.  In December 1989, EPA issued a thorough, final risk assessment concluding that contaminated soils remaining at the site posed a potential threat to individuals at or near the site.

Cleanup Progress

In 1981, 2,000 containers, ranging in size from five to 55 gallons, of flammable and non-flammable solvents (both chlorinated and non-chlorinated), paints, tar, grease, resins, and other miscellaneous wastes were removed under an emergency response action.  Liquid and solid materials from six 3,500 gallon vats were also removed.  Further action included compatibility testing of chemicals and the removal of chemicals to various recyclers, incinerators, and landfills.  The building on site was demolished and visibly contaminated soil was removed to a licensed landfill.  The site was placed on the Interim Priorities List in October 1981.  The removal action was completed in late 1982.  According to a December 30, 1982 Federal Register notice, the Agency decided not to list the site on the National Priorities List ("NPL"), stating only that the criteria for deletion from the NPL had already been met and all appropriate Fund-financed cleanup had been completed.  A Consent Decree (CD) was signed in 1987, between U.S. EPA and all potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to recover more than 85 percent of U.S. EPA's cleanup costs at the time.

Congressional Interest

Senator Howard Metzenbaum expressed an interest in 1979 regarding the recylcing operations of the site operator, Mr.  Rodney Cronin.  Representative Mottl expressed significant interest in the site starting in 1981 to 1982 encouraging U.S. EPA to respond quickly and remove the chemicals located at the site.  In December 1981, Representative Mottl held a press conference in Cleveland to discuss the decision by U.S. EPA to clean up the site.  Representative Synar also expressed an interest in the status of the site in 1992.

Property Reuse

Discussions are ongoing between the city of Cleveland that owns the property, U.S. EPA's Brownfields program, and parties interested in redeveloping the site.  The contamination remaining at the site is a potential obstacle to its reuse.

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
matthew ohl (ohl.matthew@epa.gov)
(312) 886-4442

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
susan pastor
(312) 353-1325

Aliases

CHEMICAL & MINERAL RECLAMATION

 

Site Profile Information

This profile provides you with information on EPA's cleanup progress at this Superfund site.