Vermiculite Northwest Inc./W.R. Grace, 2303 N. Harding Avenue, Portland, Oregon
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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
10 2303 N. Harding Avenue, Portland, Oregon Former exfoliation facility 198,455 Yes-March 2, 2000 Yes According to an EPA database compiled from W.R. Grace shipping invoices, 198,455 tons of vermiculite ore from the Libby mine were shipped to this site between January 1967 and October 1991. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) health consultation for this site, this facility processed vermiculite from the early 1950s through 1993. The facility was originally incorporated as Northwest Insulations Company in 1950 and then changed ownership in 1968 and became Northwest Vermiculite/W.R. Grace (Zonolite Division). The facility remained under W.R. Grace ownership until 1994. The facility was used to expand vermiculite ore and process, package, and store commercial vermiculite insulation. Also, fireproof spray mixtures were produced as well as limited amounts of professional soil mixtures containing expanded vermiculite for the horticulture industry. The site was located in an industrial area of northeast Portland, Oregon, near the Willamette River. The two closest residential neighborhoods were approximately 3/4 of a mile north and to the east of the site. There were two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and public parks within 1 mile of the property. The property was sold in March 1994 and by 2000, the facility was divided into two sections and leased to various businesses over time. In March 2000, EPA collected three dust samples from rafters in the building; these samples contained asbestos in concentrations of 1.42 percent, 2.09 percent, and 0.59 percent. The samples were analyzed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After EPA shared these results with the Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality, the state's asbestos program oversaw an investigation and cleanup of the site by W.R. Grace. The Oregon Department of Human Services asked EPA to re-evaluate the building in 2005 to determine if more work needed to be done. Additional EPA sampling showed there were still airborne asbestos fibers inside the building that could pose a risk to workers' health. On the basis of these results and other pertinent information, EPA decided additional investigation and cleanup of asbestos containing material was warranted. As a result, the potentially responsible party agreed to conduct a cleanup that satisfied EPA. A removal action was completed with EPA oversight in November 2006. EPA conducted a visual walk-through of the site and agreed that no further action was needed. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) health consultation report for this site can be found at ATSDR.

GAO-09-6R