Whats Going On In Hemlock?

[JDavis21835]

I happened to go through Hemlock Mi. I see a cut of cars with removable tops sitting next to R&R Ready Mix. Looks like they are loading "super sacks" with a crane. Any idea on who these are for?

[AARR]

My guess would be it's from the nearby Dow plant.

[Raildudes dad]

Looks like the cars belong to this company ENERGY SOLUTIONS, LLC.They even mention 200 new "Super Gondolas".
http://www.energysolutions.com/?id=OTg3

[Steel Inferno]

Maybe the cars are being used to transport contaminated soil from the old Total refinery property.

[stfdbeeker]

I was wondering if it was soil from the Dioxin clean up along the river

[SW]

There were 2 of these on today's Q335. PlymouthStationGuy said he's seen quite a few of these southbound on Q321.

[BerkshireKid]

When I was in Hemlock I seen them loading these cars. On the side in chalk they had something about "AU contents" or something to that effect. AU on the PeriodicTable is gold so I doubt that's it but it would be interesting to find out what is being hauled away. I seen the trucks coming from the west so it isn't out of Hemlock Semiconductor.

[sd70accsxt700]

While I cant say for sure, those are the types of cars that routnely get dirty dirt, that is either raidoactive or contanamated soil.

[Jochs]

While I cant say for sure, those are the types of cars that routnely get dirty dirt, that is either raidoactive or contanamated soil.

I've heard from some railroaders that if you knew the hazardous stuff they hauled in some trains you wouldn't want to live near the tracks or even be near a train going by.

[AARR]

It would make sense if the dirt is coming from Alma or St. Louis but I wonder why they don't load the cars in Alma Yard by the old refinery?

[JDavis21835]

Well, I did some digging. I knew it would be dioxin contaminated, because Dow is disposing of most of that material at one of their landfills. I had a feeling it wasnt contaminated soil from the refinery, because they would not bag it. I work in the environmental field, and we do ship contaminated soil long distances, but always in bulk form.

So what I have dug up is an article from the Morning Sun. http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2 ... 319656.txt
Cliff notes.
A site in Bethany twp is being cleaned up. The acreage had been used by Michigan Chemical to dispose of its waste in the making of picture tubes that required some radioactive elements. The material is being placed in super bags, hauled to Hemlock, loaded into the rail cars, with a final destination of a low level nuclear waste dump in Utah.

[AARR]

Well, I did some digging. I knew it would be dioxin contaminated, because Dow is disposing of most of that material at one of their landfills. I had a feeling it wasnt contaminated soil from the refinery, because they would not bag it. I work in the environmental field, and we do ship contaminated soil long distances, but always in bulk form.

So what I have dug up is an article from the Morning Sun. http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2 ... 319656.txt
Cliff notes.
A site in Bethany twp is being cleaned up. The acreage had been used by Michigan Chemical to dispose of its waste in the making of picture tubes that required some radioactive elements. The material is being placed in super bags, hauled to Hemlock, loaded into the rail cars, with a final destination of a low level nuclear waste dump in Utah.

Great detective work JDavis. So they're bagging the contaminated dirt and loading it into gondola's? It seems like they would load it in bulk form

Someone want to check my math? I calculate 1,900 cubic yards = approximately 4-5 carloads

[JDavis21835]

Great detective work JDavis. So they're bagging the contaminated dirt and loading it into gondola's? It seems like they would load it in bulk form

Someone want to check my math? I calculate 1,900 cubic yards = approximately 4-5 carloads

Found the site today, no pictures, pouring when I got there. Im sure there are a few reasons they are bagging the material. Since they are not directly loading on site, they have to re handle the same material. If you were to load it in a dump truck, and haul it to the rail cars, you are going to have material inside the truck, and possibly on the ground at the load out site. This method would prevent that. The reason that tends to be an issue is you have to clean up. Most of the time water is required to clean up. Water is hard to capture, handle, and more expensive to clean up/treat than soil. This also eliminates the need to clean out the gondola when it reaches its destination.

I swung thru Alma as well. It looks like they chose Hemlock to load out at because the sidings at the old refinery site are full. Looks to be mostly cscx? coal cars, along with a hand full of covered hoppers, and a few tanks.

Also, looks like there are 6-7 gons in Hemlock. Your 1,900 cubic yards, figure average weight for soil in this area is roughly 1.5 tons per cubic yard. That gives you 2,850 tons of soil to go out.

[AARR]

Someone want to check my math? I calculate 1,900 cubic yards = approximately 4-5 carloads

Also, looks like there are 6-7 gons in Hemlock. Your 1,900 cubic yards, figure average weight for soil in this area is roughly 1.5 tons per cubic yard. That gives you 2,850 tons of soil to go out.

Wow, I was a little off then I had figured each gondola could carry 140 cubic yards (9'-6"W x 50'L x 8'H / 27).

[pbmaxno15]

I grew up in St. Louis and watched the end of Michigan Chemical/Velsicol. I remember begging my mother to rush across town at the sound of a a train just to watch it cross Mill St. I also remember sitting in my babysitters yard and waving to many a train as it crossed Clinton St. There were also the occasional waits on Washington St./M-46 as they chemical plant was switched. I remember that with great fondness.
I was also witness to all of the "clean up" that has gone on. While I was in elementary school, I remember the constant rumble of loads of clay coming down Pine River Road/Riverside Drive from a pit http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.44139 ... 4&t=h&z=16northeast of town to be used in the containment cap that was placed over the site.
http://www.epa.gov/region5superfund/npl ... 722439.htm
There was also the Gratiot County Landfill site http://www.epa.gov/region5superfund/npl ... 506281.htmwhich was across Jackson Road from the school woods and outdoor education center.
There was also a large area of soil, that I was told contained the dead bodies of many cattle that were killed in the PBB scare and the remnants of burnt/disposed chemicals such as DDT, that was removed from the edge of Edgewood Hills Golf Course, now Hidden Oaks Golf Course.
http://www.epa.gov/region5superfund/npl ... 794531.htm
In more recent years there was the cleanup of the sediment of the Pine River in areas adjacent to the old chemical plant location. http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&ie=UTF8 ... 13754&z=16 Large cofferdams were built and a wastewater treatment facility was constructed on the chemical plant site. The water was pumped out of the containment areas, treated and returned to the river. The sediment was removed and shipped out by truck. In recent years there has been a growing concern that the cap and containment system is not working and additional contaminants are working their way into the river.
I lived across the street from the athletic field which is bordered to the south by the Pine River. As kids we spent a lot of time fishing and playing near the river. During the flood of 1986, nearly ten feet of water covered the area. The entire althletic complex then became a cleanup site. The silt had to be removed. The entire area was stipped of the sod layer and new soil was brought in and the entire area was reseeded. I spent most of my teen years on that grass and soil playing football and baseball. I always wonder what has happened to me as a result.

[AARR]

I spent most of my teen years on that grass and soil playing football and baseball. I always wonder what has happened to me as a result.

I too am a victim and a survivor of playing in dumps, 2nd hand smoke, working in a toxic environment, toxic-laden railroad ties, etc. etc. etc. Perhaps we should sue someone

[pbmaxno15]

Hey Don, do you glow in the dark too? I also have enough DDT in my system to kill any mosquito that dares to take a drink, and with all of PBB in me, I can work in the steel mills without protective gear because I will never catch on fire.

[AARR]

Hey Don, do you glow in the dark too? I also have enough DDT in my system to kill any mosquito that dares to take a drink, and with all of PBB in me, I can work in the steel mills without protective gear because I will never catch on fire.

My inlaws say my quirky behavior can be explained by the lead in the paint my dad used

[redside20]

not to go totally off topic..River Valley High School near Marion had to be moved along with the middle school about 5 miles southeast because it was built adjacent to an ammunitions and chemical dump that was used during both world wars. Because former students were dying left and right of cancer. This is now being blamed for the current bouts of cancer of some of the students at Clyde Public District in Clyde Ohio. There is a big waist dump near Vickery adjacent to the Ohio Turnpike and it blamed for getting into the water table which is north of Clyde.