RE: Ramp Industries, Denver Colorado

[CAREY JOHNSTON 202-233-9341 <JOHNSTON.CAREY@epamail.epa.gov>]

          Greetings Radsafers,
          
          I have information on the now defunct RAMP Industries which might 
          be of some insight to those following this thread.
          
          Ramp industries operated for 12 twelve years within the city 
          limits of Denver, Colorado, as a broker of low-level radioactive 
          and mixed wastes. Ramp operated under a radioactive materials 
          license and hazardous waste permit as issued by the Colorado 
          Department of Public Health and Environment. In general, Ramp 
          accepted waste from some 1,000 generators and adsorbed, 
          solidified, compacted, consolidated, repackaged, or otherwise 
          processed the material for ultimate disposal. The wastes accepted 
          were promarily scintillation vials and cocktails, 
          laboratory/hospital wastes, sealed sources, and some animal 
          carcasses from laboratory experiments.
          
          The facility had been cited for a variety of hazardous waste and 
          radiological material violations and a preliminary injunction by 
          the Denver District Court on November 18, 1993 prohibited any 
          further receipt of waste until such time compliance could be 
          demonstrated and determined. 
          
          In late August 1994, the Colorado Department of Public Health and 
          Environment received notification by the Ramp General Manager 
          that he would be resigning his position and that as the last Ramp 
          employee, his resignation would leave the facility unattednded as 
          of September 1. At 5 p.m. on August 31 the Emergency Response 
          Branch of EPA Region 8 took actions to secure the facility and 
          posted round the clock guards <dramatic action music>
          
          When EPA secured the property, there were approximately 5,000 55-
          gallon drums of waste on site. The following waste streams have 
          been identified:
          
          Scintillation Wastes    27,000 ft^3
          Scint. Liq.                150 ft^3
          Debris and Soil         20,300 ft^3
          Pallets and other Wood   7,000 ft^3
          NORM                       300 ft^3
          Dry Activated Wastes     7,800 ft^3
          Decay in Storage Wastes    500 ft^3
          
          By April 1995 approximately 1,600 drums of scintillation wastes 
          had been shipped to either the NSSI or Perma-Fix Facility. A 
          Request for Proposal is currently out for bid for the disposal of 
          the dry activated wastes. Some 19 of the major site waste 
          generators have expressed interest in retrieving their on-site 
          wastes; these wastes would total approximately 500 drums.
          For further information, contact Lon Q. Hesla at (303) 293-0977
          
          Carey A. Johnston
          johnston.carey.epamail.epa.gov
          EPA Office of Radiation & Indoor Air