United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region I
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The City of Providence is undertaking a Removal Action at the Hartford Avenue Gravel Pits Site (the "Site") under the oversight of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM).  The Site is located off Hartford Avenue, in Johnston, Providence County, Rhode Island.  The property is owned by the City of Providence and operated by the Providence Water Supply Board as protected land for its watershed.

The cleanup is addressing contaminated soils, debris, and building materials on-site identified during an EPA Site Investigation (SI) on June 14, 15, and 16, 2004.  Activities will include removal and disposal of lead-contaminated surface soils, containers of potentially ignitable chemicals (paints and aerosols), and asbestos-containing floor tiles.  

On July 10, 2006 the City of Providence's cleanup contractors mobilized to the Site to initiate cleanup activities.  Excavation and removal of contaminated solid waste and contaminated surface soils and confirmatory sampling continued throughout the summer and was largely complete as of September 25, 2006.

Planned removal activities include:

- removal off-site of approximately ten (10) remaining cubic yards of contaminated soils; and
- final site restoration, including installation of a jute mesh system to control erosion.

The results of test pitting conducted on-site show that, in some areas, contaminated solid waste extends deeper than originally estimated and is present below the groundwater line, and removal of all of the contaminated material might undermine a rail bed and impact the integrity of the slope.

Following an evaluation of sampling results in these areas of concern, the City of Providence Water Supply Board, under the approval of RIDEM, determined that it would be appropriate to leave some subsurface contamination in place.  The City of Providence is currently developing an addendum to their Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) that would incorporate placement of an Environmental Land Usage Restriction (ELUR) on the property to identify contaminated materials left in place.  This RAWP addendum will be submitted to RIDEM for review and approval shortly.

EPA is coordinating with RIDEM regarding the status of site activities.  Should the City of Providence no longer be willing and/or able to conduct cleanup activities, EPA may conduct the Removal Action.