The Parsons Paper Mill Site is located at 84 Sargeant Street, near the center of Downtown Holyoke in a mixed industrial/commercial/residential area. It is comprised of approximately 4.61 acres and is currently zoned for “General Industry” uses although residences are located within 500 feet of the property.
On June 9, 2008, a fire destroyed approximately 50% of the mill which is made up of five interconnected buildings. The mill buildings ranged from two to four stories in height that once occupied approximately 330, 642 square feet. The fire burned down two sections of the mill. The largest burned section is the portion situated along the northwestern property line, adjacent to the First Level Canal and adjacent to Sargeant Street. The other burned building is situated adjacent to the southwest and to the south east of the aforementioned building. The remaining portions of the interconnected building complex have been damaged by the fire and are situated in a perpendicular direction (northwest to southeast) relative to the canal system. There are multi-segmented basements and sub-basements throughout the burned and un-burned mill buildings. Apart from the building structures, the Site grounds are generally covered by asphalt pavement or packed gravel for parking uses. The Site is secured by a chain link fence.
According to information provided by the MassDEP, the rubble from the burned and collapsed portion of the mill, estimated to be a volume of approximately 5,000 cubic yards, currently exists in piles at the northern portion of the property, filling portions of the building foundation. This burned rubble contains primarily brick rubble, with some amounts of other solid wastes, including wood and metal. The rubble from the fire is an asbestos-containing waste material according to the MassDEP regulations at 310 CMR 7.00, based on positive asbestos tests of the rubble (demolition debris) and other materials within the mill, which were commingled with the
brick rubble during the fire. Sources of asbestos include asphalt shingles, window glazing/caulking, tank and pipe insulation, transite siding, cements/mastics, and floor tiles.
On September 2, 2009, EPA conducted a Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation (PA/SI). The PA/SI included collecting for asbestos analysis, debris and pipe insulation material that had fallen on the Site for asbestos content. The structurally unsafe areas around the remaining portions of the building, allowed only 10 samples to be collected. The samples were analyzed at EPA’s New England Regional Laboratory. The analysis revealed that friable asbestos (up to 14%) is present in the burned areas. Asbestos-like pipe insulation material was also visible in other locations but could not be accessed. Moreover, MassDEP provided EPA additional data that confirmed the EPA analysis that asbestos exists at the Site. The data consisted of samples collected in August 2008, by MassDEP and Tighe & Bond (a consultant to the owner of the Site). The MassDEP samples revealed friable asbestos up to 40% in the burned rubble and the Tighe & Bond revealed friable asbestos up to 70%.
The PA/SI was concluded and based on Site conditions and preliminary analytical results, a time critical removal action was recommended in a closure memorandum dated September 14, 2009.
