http://www.tceq.texas.gov A collection of photos from the Tricon America state Superfund site. daily 1 2011-08-22T15:51:43Z http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo1 The trackhoe lifted the layer of Tri-loc blocks off the reinforced geomembrane facing of the aluminum and zinc smelting ash containment cell. TCEQ (formerly TNRCC) responded to City of Crowley and nearby residents' concerns by using state Superfund funding to engineer and contract for the removal of all previously consolidated contaminants to an approved off-site disposal facility. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:47Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo2 The pile was approximately 300 feet by 80 feet on the top side and 24 feet high. It was estimated that the pile contained 21,000 cubic yards of material that had been pushed over the side of the hill. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:47Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo3 The TCEQ (formerly TNRCC) contract called for removal of approximately 21,000 cubic yards of residue that had been pushed over the side of the hill to form a containment cell. The Tri-loc blocks that held the geomembrane cover in place, posed no hazard. The blocks were taken to a concrete recycling facility. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:48Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo4 In April and November 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency contracted to have a pile of aluminum and zinc smelting ash stabilized at the Tricon site. The contractor pushed the debris over the side of a hill, then capped the pile with a 40 mil plastic liner and covered it with Tri-loc blocks to hold the plastic cover in place. This view across the face of the containment cell, shows the plastic that was under the Tri-loc covering. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:49Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo5 A silt fence was installed along the property line at the bottom of the pile to control hillside runoff while the contaminated ash and debris was being removed. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:49Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo6 Removal was temporarily slowed while many large pieces of concrete tilt-wall scrap were broken up before the scrap could be lifted into trucks to be removed from the site. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:25:00Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo7 What was thought to be only a layer of ash against the hillside, turned out to be a landfill for debris of all descriptions that had been pushed over the edge of the embankment on the property. The TCEQ (formerly TNRCC) contractor was not able to determine who filled an underground storage tank with concrete before disposing of it in the landfill. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:50Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo8 Various colored ash pockets were exposed as the trackhoes dug deeper into the hillside face. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:51Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo9 Working from the steps, the trackhoes were able to excavate the hillside in 8 to 10 foot layers. An exposed edge of another large piece of concrete tilt wall scrap was buried atop more underlying ash at the right side of the photo. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:51Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo10 In addition to the dense ash contaminant, the hillside also covered an assortment of wood and plastic trash, old tires and rusted barrels that had been pushed over the side from the Tricon site upper level. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:52Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo11 More pieces of scrap concrete tilt walls were layered on top of a 12-foot-thick vein of contaminated ash. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:25:00Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo12 The edge of the pile was located along the west-northwest fence line. The bucket exposed native soil under the layers of ash and debris. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:53Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo13 Clean backfill material was placed onto the excavated vertical slope area located northeast of the existing metal building. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:53Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo14 The clean backfill was contoured and then hydromulched and covered with an erosion blanket to avoid washoff of the grass seed. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:25:00Z Image http://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/superfund/photo_gallery/tricon/photo15 After two weeks, new grass had germinated and taken hold to prevent erosion of the slope. A new chain link fence was installed along the property line. No publisher Robin Maiorisi 2011-08-30T16:22:54Z Image