ARCHIVED REPORTS_PHASE II ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT

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W G]K S(oiuldhiwegt, 1[inic. government land on a USGS topographic map. A 1957 aerial photograph does not suggest any active government operations on the Leamer site other than vehicle and railcar storage in the eastern part of the site. Learner began operating a scrap metal recycling facility on the site in 1971, and during its years of operation, a wide variety of metal objects have been handled at the facility. A California State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) drive-by inspection in 1982 indicated the site was a very messy automobile and scrap metal junking operation with most of the site used for storing scrap, an office and a huge compactor. Another DTSC drive-by inspection in 1988 recorded a used hammer mill located near the front gate and a possible ongoing auto shredding operation. The debris embedded in the soil banks of the South Ditch appears consistent with waste generated from automobile and other metal shredding operations. Files from the SJCEHD and DTSC document numerous instances of waste mishandling at the Learner facility. Agency documented violations include unlabeled waste oil drums and other containers, open waste oil containers, soil contaminated with waste oil, improperly contained waste oil and failure to properly mark and store spent and damaged lead-acid storage batteries. • Records from the DTSC, SJCEHD and The Port indicate that several small petroleum releases to the ground surface have occurred on the Learner site in the past. Although they were reportedly cleaned up, soil sampling and analysis were not conducted to verify this. According to the California Hazardous Material Incident Report System (CHMIRS) database, radioactive scrap steel set off the on-site detector in January 1999, and in January 2001, radioactivity in the form of beta and gamma ray emissions was detected in a load of garbage at the Learner facility. The CHIMIRS database indicates the agencies were notified of these incidents,but further details were unverifiable. In order to control storm water discharge from the site, Learner has in the past directed storm water into catch basins and earthen depressions located across the site. The storm water was allowed to pond in these areas and to dissipate by evaporation and percolation into the underlying soil. 5.3 Previous Investigations According to records on file with the SJCEHD and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB), Learner previously owned and operated two underground • storage tanks (USTs) in the area presently occupied by the AST. The USTs were removed in 704. PRI.05 5 July 21, 2008