On Date Region III referred a case to the Department of Justice seeking an administrative warrant from the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, authorizing entry, inspection, sampling, and implementation of a response action at the Leonard?s Plating Site (Site) located at 405 4th Avenue, St. Albans, Kanawha County, West Virginia. The Site is located in a mixed commercial/residential area, which includes a Historical Society building, a former train depot historic building, a domestic abuse shelter, an Emergency Medical Service station, and private residences.
The Site is the former location of a chrome plating shop, which was owned and operated by Leonard Reed Plating & Distributing, Inc. (LRPD). LRPD ceased operations in 2017, and the Site has been abandoned since then. Numerous open vats, tanks, and containers containing hazardous substances, including chromic acid, hydrochloric acid, and liquids containing arsenic, chromium, cadmium and/or lead, are present inside a building on the Site where LRPD conducted its plating activities. The building is in poor condition, with leaks in the building roof, is unsecured, and has been visited by trespassers and vandals. EPA has made several attempts to obtain access from the authorized representative of the property owner, but the representative has repeatedly refused to provide access.
EPA seeks access pursuant to CERCLA Section 104(e)(1), (3), and (4), 42 U.S.C. ? 9604(e)(1), (3), and (4), t