Lorentz Barrel & Drum Co. - San Jose, CA
Posted by: 
DougK
N 37° 19.188 W 121° 51.940
10S E 600505 N 4130953
The Lorentz Barrel and Drum Site is located at the intersection of Alma Avenue and 10th Street in San Jose, California. It appears to be mostly cleaned up. The area is fenced and capped with an asphalt parking lot.
Waymark Code: WM94D1
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/27/2010
Views: 7
Excerpted from the Region 9: Superfund
website:
The Lorentz family began a drum recycling operation on a 6.72 acre portion of a 10.5 acre Lorentz Barrel & Drum Co. property in 1947. Eventually, the size of the Site was reduced to a 5.25 acre parcel. The Site received over two million drums from more than 3,000 parties in connection with the recycling business operations until it was closed by a court action brought by the California Department of Health Services (DHS) in July 1987. The facility received drums that contained aqueous wastes, organic solvents, acids, oxidizers, and waste oils. The drums were reconditioned through a variety of methods including caustic and acid washing, incineration, blasting with steel shot, and steam cleaning. The residues and cleaning materials were dumped into sumps and basins on-site which then drained to a storm sewer. The reconditioned drums were resealed and repainted with substances such as phenolic epoxy resins, rust inhibitors and lead-based paints. The drums were either returned to the original owner or sold.
In 1968, a San Jose industrial waste inspector found hazardous substances in Coyote Creek, which is less than half a mile to the north of the Site. The inspector discovered that the source the Lorentz Barrel and Drum facility ("the Lorentz facility"). In response to the waste inspector's concerns, the Lorentz facility owner temporarily redirected the untreated recycling waste discharge from the storm sewer to on-site basins and sumps.
Between 1980 and 1985, several State agencies issued numerous violations against the facility owner for the inappropriate handling and storing of hazardous substances, as well as for releases into the storm sewer. In 1985, the Department of Health Services ("DHS") cited the Lorentz facility with 14 violations of the California Administrative Code and Federal Regulations concerning the inappropriate handling and storage of hazardous wastes. The Santa Clara County Attorney obtained a Temporary Restraining Order to close down operations at the Lorentz facility, and the Lorentz facility was permanently closed in July 1987. In 1984, EPA proposed the Site to be listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). In 1989, the Site was listed on the NPL.
The cleanup results to date have involved removing drums, highly contaminated soil, contaminated structures, sumps, debris, and asbestos waste, and fencing and paving the Site have reduced the potential of exposure to contaminated materials at the Lorentz Barrel & Drum Co. Site. Contaminated groundwater is being treated while the cleanup of remaining soil contamination is ongoing.
The current status involves the potentially responsible parties continuing to operate and maintain the shallow zone groundwater pump and treatment system and groundwater monitoring. The current property owners routinely submit asphaltic / concrete cap inspection / maintenance reports to the EPA. EPA is responsible for the operation of the soil vapor extraction system, deep zone groundwater sampling, implementation of institutional controls and Site security activities. EPA also continues to monitor the progress of the overall Site remedy, including long-term institutional controls.