United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region I
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

From approximately 1952 to 1977, the A.C. Lawrence Tannery (Tannery) facility, formerly located on the west bank of the Little Androscoggin River, used a metal trough to transport their waste to settling lagoons on the southeast bank of the Little Androscoggin River.

In the 1970’s, the South Paris Publicly Owned Treatment Works was constructed and began accepting waste from the Tannery.  In 1977, the lagoons ceased receiving wastes and a soil cap was placed over the sludge lagoons. The Tannery closed in 1985.

The land surrounding the Site is primarily wooded. A residential development is planned immediately south of the Site and currently the nearest residences are approximately 2000 feet northeast along Oxford Street. The land use on the west side of the river is industrial/commercial.  The Site is located over a mapped sand and gravel aquifer.

This inactive seven acre Site is referred to as lot 7 on the Town of Paris, Maine Property Map R2. The cause of the contamination is from a non-oil manufacturing source (Tannery).

It is bounded:

• to the north by Little Androscoggin River;
• to the south by a residential development;
• to the east by Oxford Street; and,
• to the west by a railroad right-of-way and the Little Androscoggin River.

Week of April 23, 2007

OSC McKeown, SL Burton, RM Lutsic, two equipment operators, and two laborers mobilized.  Activities for the week included the continued excavation of Lagoon 3 and the completion of the excavation of Lagoon 2.  The chromium-contaminated soil was stockpiled on top of Lagoon 4.  The Town of Paris notified the OSC that the weight restrictions on Oxford Street were lifted, therefore T&D activities could commence as of 26 April 2007.  

MEDEP representative Wayne Paradis visited the Site to discuss potential soil disposal options with OSC McKeown.

Number of samples collected: 11
Samples analyzed on-site: None
Samples analyzed by NERL: 11
Number of samples analyzed by SHAW Laboratory for disposal purposes: None

Week of April 30, 2007

OSC Rice, who was covering for OSC McKeown, SL Burton, RM Lutsic, two operators, and two laborers  mobilized.  Activities for the week included the continued excavation and stockpiling of chromium-contaminated soil from Lagoons 2 and 3, and the backfilling and rough grading of Lagoon 2 to minimize drop-off from Oxford Street.  The crew size was reduced while EPA and MEDEP evaluated the environmental acceptablity and suitability of adding the waste from this Site to the capped landfill on the AC Lawrence Disposal Site off of Kilgore Road.

Number of samples collected: 7
Samples analyzed on-site: None
Samples analyzed by NERL: 7
Number of samples analyzed by SHAW Laboratory for disposal purposes: 6

SL Burton mapped Lagoons 1-3 using a Trimble GPS unit. The maximum depths of the lagoons were: Lagoon 1 - 18 feet below ground surface (bgs), Lagoon 2 - 5 feet bgs, and Lagoon 3 - 6 feet bgs.

EPA increased the contractor's (Shaw) ceiling from $2,582,000 to $3,282,000.

Week of May 7, 2007

OSC McKeown, RM Lutsic, and one equipment operator mobilized.  Activities for the week include review of Maine State Solid Waste Regulations - Chapter 401 pertaining to landfills, preparation and submission to the US Army Corps of Engineers of rough diagrams for riverbank repair, and initial removal of a portion of the contaminated soil berm supporting the sheet piling.  Based upon EPA review of the Maine State Solid Waste Regulations and discussions with the MEDEP, it was determined that the chromium-contaminated soil would continue to be shipped off-site.

Week of 14 May 2007

OSC McKeown, SL Burton, RM Lutsic, and one equipment operator mobilized.  Activities for the week include loadout of chromium-contaminated soil, and backfilling of Lagoons 1 and 3.  

On May 17 2007 EPA Health and Safety Officer Tony Honellio arrived on site to complete a health and safety audit.

2,097 tons of chromium-contaminated soil was shipped to Juniper Ridge Landfill in Alton, ME at a cost of $87,537.

* Dispose stockpiled chromium-contaminated soil;
* Remove sheet piling along the Little Androscoggin River;
*  Remove remaining berm along the northern wall of Lagoon 1; and
*  Restore the response-related damage along the river bank.

*  Continue with T & D of chromiumn-contaminated soil.
* Continue with backfilling of Lagoons 1-3.

After reviewing the State of Maine Solid Waste Regulations and consulting with MEDEP, OSC McKeown concurred with MEDEP that utilizing the landfill (at the AC Lawrence Disposal Site) was not environmentally acceptable. Therefore, transportion and disposal activities have recommenced.