Complaint ID 117514 — Public Copy

CO-EPD-WP-9834 executed. No further action is required.

Proposed consent order issued.

A site visit was conducted at the request of CCG. The Facility had begun interior demolition of a building across the road from the original building. CCG spoke with representatives of Aludyne and demo was stopped.

Failures to notify of Demolition activity and potential asbestos concerns have been relayed to Pamela Storm and Todd Groendyke, EPA for further investigation.

1030 arrived on site and met with Macon District Office personnel. Site investigation along with Aludyne, Remboll, and Atlantic Coast Dismantling. Advised absorbent boom replacement and maintenance at storm drain outfall to Roaring Branch Creek. Advised removal of stained vegetation and soils at outfall. Site investigation and discussions focused on the need for an engineered stormwater management plan for containment of oils and foundry sands. Discussions also included additional demolition notification requirements to EPD regarding asbestos management. Advised RP to contain all runoff to the property and recover any waste oils. Advised flushing of all drain lines after demolition is completed, up to storm drain outfall at Roaring Branch Creek.

0900 arrived on site and met with FOSC Kevin Eichinger. Site investigation with Aludyne, Remboll, and Atlantic Coast Dismantling. Aludyne advised all equipment and machinery on site have been retrofitted for non-PCB oils. Aludyne and ACD advised an asbestos management plan is in place for the demolition and Terracon has collected samples. Conference call with EPA and Aludyne representatives at 1030 focused on the need for an engineered stormwater management plan for demolition to address fuels/oils and foundry sands. Response contractor (RCS) is focusing active recovery operations on the building housing the ASTs, drainage ditch and basement engine rooms. No active release or discharge of fuel or oil at this time. Demobilizing now.

Per email from SOSC Conti 1300 arrived on site and met with the City of Columbus at the source of the observed oil release at 1600 Northside Industrial Boulevard.  Aludyne is a metal fabrication / manufacturing facility that stopped operations around February 2026.  An environmental consultant and demolition contractor have been on site since that time.  The demolition contractor has been in the process of draining all on-site equipment and machinery of all fuels/oils and removing them from within each building, as well as demolishing the buildings themselves.  The waste fuels/oils recovered from equipment are being pumped into ASTs in one of the buildings.  A secondary containment valve failed and released an unknown amount of waste oil into an on-site drop inlet that routes to a concrete drainage ditch along the NW property boundary.  The valve was plugged and release secured.  A significant amount of waste oil remains outside secondary containment within that building.  Some of the building demolitions have progressed without having yet drained and removed the machinery, and without having recovered remaining foundry sands from manufacturing processes.  The basement engine room has been gutted and exposed on at least 2 buildings within the property and are collecting and containing waste oil.  Foundry sands observed in and around buildings throughout the property as well as the aforementioned drainage ditch to the NW.  An environmental response contractor has been secured to address the building with the ASTs as well as the drainage ditch.  Multiple layers of absorbent boom and rip rap deployed in drainage ditch.  Recovery operations underway with pressure washer and vac truck.  Absorbent pads deployed to plug drain lines routed from each building to the drainage ditch.  At this time, there is not an active release or discharge of fuel or oil.  At this time, there is not proper containment for standing waste oil and foundry sands.  EDP has requested federal assistance from EPA R4.  Demobilizing now.  I will return to the site tomorrow with FOSC Kevin Eichinger.

Per email from City of Columbus "Staff visited the site on the afternoon of 7/14/2026. The reported discharge had stopped at the time of the visit but evidence that diesel fuel and possibly hydraulic fluid had escaped containment was observed. There is also a large amount soot and contaminated particulate matter that has been daylighted and exposed to stormwater. Individuals on site claimed that all work was associated with dismantling of equipment for sale. CCG staff notified employees on site that a clean up would be necessary and the site would be ticketed following our investigation. Staff returned to the site on the afternoon of 7/15/26. Cleanup of isolated areas was underway but demolition without a permit had begun. CCG Stormwater staff ticketed Aludyne on several water quality related violations and asked inspections and codes to issue a stop work order for the demolition. I will send a more detailed account this afternoon. CCG will continue enforcement, but due to drinking water quality concerns and the potential array of pollutants present, we are asking for enforcement assistance from GA EPD at this time." ERT has dispatched SOSC Conti to the site with an ETA of 1300.  He has been put in contact with Ashley and will be meeting with her at the location.  I have added our director Mr. Cooley and Mr. Metzger from hazardous waste to this chain to keep them informed of this response. 

At 1737 I received an update from Shannon Taylor with the City of Columbus who advised the responsible party has addressed all illicit discharge concerns. Pads and boom have been placed for containment, and the sheen has stopped discharging. She does not expect any impact to the city's drinking water intake. Her team will be back on-site tomorrow to do a more thorough inspection of the site. SOSC Conti has been demobilized and ERT will remain on standby if support is needed.

1454 Confirmed with SWP. Called no answer left message. At 1443 ERT received an NRC report made from the Chattahoochee River Keeper who observed a sheen of 300ft on Roaring Branch Creek which is a tributary to the Chattahoochee River.  An active discharge was observed from the riverkeeper yesterday per the NRC.  The City of Columbus has a drinking water intake downstream less than 2.5mi from the facility.  City officials have been notified and located an unknown red substance in the creek.  The riverkeeper has provided pictures that are being attached to CTS.  SOSC Conti has been dispatched to the site to investigate with an ETA of 1935.