United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region I
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

In the summer of 2006, the City of Nashua (the City), in coordination with New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), requested that EPA Region 1 Emergency Planning & Response Branch evaluate seven city-owned properties to determine whether surface soils contained asbestos that posed a public health threat.  On 25 July 2006, OSC Wainberg met with city officials and NHDES representative Mark Ledgard to conduct a preliminary assessment (PA) of the seven properties.  During the week of 2 October 2006, the OSC and EPA contractors completed a Removal Program Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI), which included collecting soil samples at the properties of concern.  Of the seven properties, OSC Wainberg recommended a time-critical removal action at the 2 Court Street property, which contains the city-operated Public Library, in a Closure Memorandum dated August 3, 2007.

The Site is located in a high density urban area abutting the Nashua River.  The area of concern at this property is a grassy area used by area residents as a walk-through down to the river and for recreational activities.  According to 2000 census data, Nashua has an approximate population of 86,605.  

Location details are:

•    2 Court Street, Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, 03060; and
•    North 42.7629° latitude, west 71.4650° longitude.


The Site is bordered to the:

•    North by a steep bank sloping down to the Nashua River;
•    East by woods and residential properties;
•    West by the Court St. and commercial properties; and
•    South by commercial properties

The Site setting and features consist of the following:
    
•    The area of concern is approximately 0.5 acres;
•    The property is owned and operated by the City and consists of the library building, a paved public parking lot, and a relatively flat, grassy area north of the parking lot (area of concern);
•    The City has installed fencing and signs around the area of concern to prevent access;
•    The City purchased the property from the US General Services Administration (GSA) in 1965; and
•       It is believed that asbestos-containing material (ACM) was brought to this property at some point as free fill.

On 28 August 2007 an Action Memorandum was approved authorizing a removal action at the 2 Court Street Site to address the public health threat posed by the asbestos in surface soils.

Since POLREP #1, the following activities have been conducted.

Week of 1 October:

- EPA's Emergency Rapid Response Services (ERRS) subcontractor watered and misted work areas to eliminate airborne emissions of ACM;
- EPA's Superfund Technical Assistance and Response Team (START) contractor continued air sampling and particulate monitoring;
- The ERRS subcontractor continued soil excavation activities to secure the edge of geo-tech fabric under the soil cap;
- The ERRS subcontractor placed the asbestos contaminated soil in six lined and sealed roll-off containers and delivered the roll-offs to the City of Nashua Landfill for disposal; and
- The ERRS subcontractor continued to place a 6" layer of stone dust on top of the geo-tech adjacent to the parking area and compacted it with a plate compactor.

Week of 8 October:

- The ERRS subcontractor watered and misted work areas to eliminate airborne emissions of ACM;
- The ERRS subcontractor completed soil excavation activities to secure the edge of geo-tech fabric under the soil cap on 8 October;
- The ERRS subcontractor placed the asbestos contaminated soil in two lined and sealed roll-off containers and delivered the roll-offs to the City of Nashua Landfill for disposal;
- The START contractor did not conduct air sampling and particulate monitoring on 8 October because of heavy rain.  At this point, all air sampling and particulate monitoring was terminated because all intrusive work was completed;
- The ERRS subcontractor completed placing a 6" layer of stone dust on top of the geo-tech adjacent to the parking area and compacted it with a plate compactor.
- The ERRS subcontractor placed curbing along approximately 60 feet of the parking lot where it was damaged or missing to secure the cap.
- The ERRS subcontractor completed placing geo-tech fabric over the area to be capped; and
- The ERRS subcontractor completed placing 6" layer of loam over the entire cap area.  


Week of 15 October:
- ERRS and the ERRS sub-contractor finalized the grades over the capped area cleaned up and removed supplies from the staging area; and
- The City of Nashua hydro-seeded the capped area.

Week of 29 October:
- The OSC conducted a final site visit with a City of Nashua Representative to inspect the capped and seeded area; and
- As of 29 October, all field removal activities were completed and all equipment, supplies, and personnel were demobilized from the Site.

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