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Incineration at the Vertac Chemical Corporation Superfund Site, Jacksonville, Arkan

Site Name:

Vertac Chemical Superfund Site

Location:

Jacksonville, Arkansas

Period of
Operation:

January 1992 - September 1994

Cleanup
Type:

Remedial Action

Vendor:

MRK Industries

Technology:
On-Site Incineration

- Solids pretreated by triple rinsing, shredding, and drying
- Incineration system consisting of rotary kiln and secondary combustion chamber (SCC)
- Enclosed conveyor transported contaminated material to the unit
- Residence time was approximately 40 minutes, kiln temperature of 2,000° F and SCC temperature of 2,200° F
- Treated materials (incineration ash and residual) were collected and disposed of off site in a Subtitle C hazardous waste disposal facility.

Cleanup Authority:
CERCLA, SARA, RCRA, and State: Arkansas
- ROD Date: NA
- State-lead

SIC Code:
2879 (Pesticides and Agricultural Chemicals)
Point of Contact:
Mike Arjmandi
Arkansas Department of Pollution Control & Ecology
P.O. Box 8913
8001 National Drive
Little Rock, AR 72219-8913
(501) 682-0852

Contaminants:
Dioxins and Volatile Organic Compounds

- TCDD; chlorinated benzene; chlorinated phenols; 2,4-D; and 2,4,5-T.
- TCDD concentrations up to 50 mg/L

Waste Source:
Drummed still bottom waste - herbicide manufacturing waste

Type/Quantity of Media Treated:
Storage Drums, Drummed Waste, and Soil
- 9,804 tons of waste
- 1,027 tons of soil

Purpose/Significance of Application:
Two temporary restraining orders were filed to stop the incineration project over public concern about the incinerator

Regulatory Requirements/Cleanup Goals:
Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE) of 99.9999% for all constituents of concern as required by Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) incinerator regulations, 40 CFR part 264, subpart O.

Results:
Emissions and trial burn data indicated that all DRE and emissions standards were met.

Cost Factors:
The incineration system at the site consisted of a rotary kiln and a secondary combustion chamber, followed by an air pollution control system.

Description:
Between 1948 and 1987, the Vertac site operated as a herbicide manufacturer within the city limits of Jacksonville, Arkansas. The by-product TCDD was placed in drums and stored on-site. Investigations at the site conducted by the U.S. EPA and the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology (ADPC&E) as part of Vertac's participation in the 1978 National Dioxin Survey revealed TCDD concentrations as high as 40 mg/L in production wastes and eventually resulted in the site being placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983.

A Consent Decree was entered into by EPA, ADPC&E, and two RPs in January 1982, which required an independent consultant to assess the management of wastes being stored on the site and to develop a proposed disposal method. The proposed remedy was implemented in the summer of 1984 by court order over the objection of EPA who deemed the proposal unsatisfactory.

On-site incineration began in January of 1992 and was completed in September 1994.