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CHRONOLOGY OF THE INSPECTION AT HEINZ-USA, STOCKTON 5/21/1999 A joint inspection with OES and City of Stockton MUD was done. Jesse Becerra, Product/Safety Supervisor for Heinz-USA, Stockton, gave us permission to inspect. During inspection, I observed a stain on the ground near the cooling tower. According to Kurt Brause, Building Maintenance Supervisor for Heinz-USA, Stockton, the water from the cooling tower overflowed and caused the stain. See photo. Robert Lopez of OES and I took the pH reading on the stain and in the storm drains nearby. The pH was 7 in all locations. I also observed the white powdery substance on the ground, under a raised platform and in the cracks, near an aboveground tank containing sodium hydroxide. See photo. The pH of the substance was 12. There was white powdery substance in the secondary containment of the above ground tank. See photo. The pH was 12. Kent Embree of Heinz-USA, Stockton informed me that there was a spill of sodium hydroxide at the end of April. He discovered that spill. He then asked Dave Bower, Engineer Manager for Heinz-USA, Stockton, what to do. He did not get any response. He then asked John Rhea, Maintenance Supervisor for Heinz-USA, Stockton, what to do. He came out, but he did not do anything. I asked him, "what happened to the spill?" He responded, "one of the employees washed it." I asked, "who washed it?" He responded, "may be Bob Singh."According to Mr. Embree, a mechanic from Heinz-USA, Stockton repaired the pump and did not tighten the line. When the pump was turned on remotely it sprayed liquid. Mr. Becerra added that Heinz-USA, Stockton used to be seasonal, recently it became year-round, and the pump had frozen. In the wastewater treatment area,the white powdery substance was found on the ground. The pH was 12. According to Mr. Embree, the white powdery substance came from the leak in the pump, the seal in the pump leaked. See photo. The pump was pumping sodium hydroxide from the aboveground tank in that area(see photo)to the water treatment tank. Mr. Brause informed me that he had two pumps, one was a standby pump in case the other one was leaking. In the hazardous waste storage area, the label on the waste oil storage tank did-not have accumulation date. There was waste oil in the secondary containment. According to Mr. Becerra, Evergreen had just pumped it out. He had receipt. Mr. Becerra informed me that Wright Environmental took all the waste paint and lab-packed the waste chemicals from the laboratory. Mr. Lopez asked Dave Bower about the spill; Mr. Bower claimed he did not know any thing about the spill. According to Mr. Becerra,he was in the process of moving his office from the back room to the front office. His paper work might be all over the place. I then gave him till Monday, May 24 to get the papers and records together. I would review it then.