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The Site consists of an energy producing facility where refuse is shredded in a warehouse area and then moved throughout the site to be burned in a network of boilers. The Site is located at 141 Cranberry Highway, Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
At appoximately 1930 hrs on 31 March 2007, an explosion at the facility had occurred which set the facility on fire.
At the request of MassDEP, EPA and START personnel were dispatched to the incident to conduct air monitoring to determine whether potentially hazardous gases and airborne particulates associated with the fire were affecting the surrounding neighborhoods.
EPA and START deployed air monitoring equipment at 6 different locations. A DataRAM and AreaRAE were placed at each location. The 6 locations include 9 Pine Street, Colby Street, corner of Beech/Bob Streets, Tremont/Route 58, Wareham Street, and Lakeview Street/Route 58.
The air monitoring commenced at approximately 0100 hrs on 4/1/07. The air monitoring was concluded at approximately 0600 hrs on 4/1/07. The AreaRAE readings did not indicate any hazardous gases at concentrations above background levels. The time weighted average (TWA) for airborne particulates at each of the six perimeter air monitoring locations was well below the EPA established action level of 2,500 ug/m3. The TWA range for the 6 locations was 146 ug/m3 to 582.3 ug/m3. In addition, EPA, MassDEP, and START conducted air monitoring with hand-held multiRAEs at several other random locations to determine whether hazardous substances were in the air. No readings above background levels were detected.
With the bulk of the fire completely distinguished and based on the monitoring data, EPA and MassDEP determined it to be appropriate to discontinue air monitoring.
At approximately 0800 hrs on 1 April 2007, EPA and START demobilized from the Site.
No further action from EPA is anticipated.
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