Ari-Zonolite/Buster's Street Rods, 6960 North 52nd Avenue, Glendale, Arizona
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EPA
Region		 Location of facility Type of facility Amount
of ore
received
(in tons)		 Did
EPA
visit
the
site?		 Were
samples
taken?		 Results of
evaluation
9 6960 North 52nd Avenue, Glendale, Arizona Former exfoliation facility Unknown Yes-May 9, 2000 Yes An EPA database compiled from W.R. Grace shipping invoices did not contain any records indicating Libby ore was shipped to this site. However, reports issued in 1953 and 1964 by the Bureau of Mines (at that time in the U.S. Department of the Interior) indicated this facility had been a vermiculite exfoliation plant. In addition, a 1970 U.S. Geological Survey report indicated this facility had been a vermiculite exfoliation plant. At the time of EPA's visit, an automotive restoration business occupied this site. The former Ari-Zonolite facility operated at this site from 1951 to 1964 and used vermiculite to make insulation products. The vermiculite processing equipment was removed in 1964, and several businesses occupied the site afterwards, but none of these processed vermiculite. This site was located near the downtown area of Glendale, approximately 1/2 mile from the city hall, downtown shops, and other buildings. The areas to the north, east, and south were primarily residential, with neighborhood businesses located at the intersections of the major streets, 59th and Glendale Avenue. Commercial properties abutted all sides of the site. The site consisted of several brick structures--the largest was an abandoned 3-story sugar beet factory. The vermiculite processing took place inside a 1-story building that formerly housed the boilers for the sugar beet processing factory. Most of the site was paved, and a small portion of unpaved area was covered with gravel. A railroad spur connected to the main rail lines on the west of the site. In 2001, EPA collected seven soil samples from unpaved portions of the site. Three of the seven samples contained less than 1-percent asbestos. The remaining four samples did not contain detectable levels of asbestos. The soil samples were analyzed using polarized light microscopy (PLM). One composite residual dust sample was collected from three separate surfaces in the room where the furnace had been located. This sample contained asbestos fibers at concentrations greater than 10,000 structures per cubic centimeter, which is the level at which a cleanup action may be needed. Two air samples were collected inside the processing building. The samples did not contain detectable levels of asbestos. The dust and air samples were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). EPA determined that there was a small amount of vermiculite in the original furnace room. The responsible party (business owner at the time of EPA’s visit) conducted a voluntary cleanup and had the vermiculite removed and a sealant applied to the area. There was no formal agreement between the responsible party and EPA other than that the responsible party would provide EPA with a copy of the cleanup contractor's invoice on completion of the work. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) health consultation report for this site can be found at ATSDR.

GAO-09-6R