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The Hough Place Station Site (Site) is located at 2500 South Corbett Street, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, in a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial area. The site is approximately 4.5 acres and is bordered to the north by the South Branch of the Chicago River, to the east by a paper storage and distribution facility, to the south by railroad property, and to the west by vacant property. The vacant property to the west and the Site is currently owned by Crowley’s Yacht Yard which previously operated a sailboat storage, sales, and repair facility at the Site.
The Site is a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) that operated as an MGP facility from approximately 1886 to 1934. The Site was built in 1985 by the Equitable Gas Light and Fuel Company and in 1892 began producing “Pintsch gas,” a relatively high quality gas produced by an oil gas process, for the Pintsch Compressing Company. Production of Pintsch gas occurred until about the early 1920s. In 1897 Peoples Gas acquired the facility and dismantled the station in 1934. Portions of the property were subsequently leased to other companies who used the property for storage of building materials and the production of asphalt, concrete, and other paving materials until approximately 1950. In 1953, Chicago Title and Trust Company took possession of the property as trustee. From approximately 1953 and 1978, the J.M. Corbett Company operated an asphalt mixing plant on the property. In 1978, Crowley’s Yacht Yard bought the property.
Several investigations have been conducted at the Site in recent years by Peoples Gas from 2000 to November 2006. These investigations included the excavation of test pits, the installation of shallow monitoring wells, the collection of soil borings, the collection of soil and groundwater samples, a geotechnical investigation, and borings into river sediments. Test pits revealed staining and odors, and black asphalt tar at 2 feet below ground surface (bgs). Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); metals, and cyanide were detected in several surface and subsurface soil samples. BTEX, PAHs, and metals were also detected in groundwater samples collected at the Site. Soil borings indicated tar at levels below the water level in the filled-in boat slip. The river investigation revealed sheens, odors, tar coated/stained material, and traces of tar in some of the sediment borings.
Remediation activities by Peoples Gas began in November 2006 under the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Site Remediation Program. The PRP contractor remediating the Site is Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. (BMcD) along with their subcontractors.
Remediation consists of excavation and disposal of contaminated soils. Excavation depths range from approximately 3 feet to 24 feet bgs. Other site activities by the potentially responsible party (PRP) include daily air monitoring, continuous 24-hour perimeter air monitoring and sampling, confirmation soil sampling, and water disposal.
Prior to the U.S. EPA oversight at the Site, BMcD completed excavation of impacted material in excavation cells CF01 to CF58 (see BMcD map of excavation areas under “documents” on the OSC website). An Administrative Order on Consent was signed by Peoples Gas in early June 2007 prompting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to begin PRP oversight activities at the Site.
On June 12, 2007, a kick-off meeting was held at the 22nd Street Site between U.S. EPA, START, Peoples Gas, and BMcD, to discuss future oversight activities, documents required, and logistics for transmitting data and documents. The meeting addressed three MGP sites that U.S. EPA would be overseeing that are located within one mile of each other: 22nd Street Station, Hough Place, and Pitney Court. Note that one START member is to cover oversight of these three sites and will rotate to a different site each day. Both Hough Place and Pitney Court remediations are expected to be completed by end of 2007 while the 22nd Street Station Site remediation is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
On June 18, 2007, U.S. EPA began PRP oversight activities at the three Peoples Gas MGP sites: Hough Place Station, Pitney Court, and 22nd Street Station. The U.S. EPA Superfund Technical and Response Team (START) contractor is performing PRP oversight during the removal activities at the sites. As part of the removal activities, START collects or observes the collection of confirmation samples of soil to confirm that the PRP cleanup objectives are being met. Site contaminants of concern are:
• BTEX;
• PAHs;
• Synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) lead, chromium, and selenium.
Cleanup objectives are for the Hough Place Station Site are IEPA TACO Tier I residential standards for soil ingestion and inhalation.
During the reporting period, the PRP excavated cells CF76, CF77, CF78, CF80, CF81 and Evans Slip (CF79). The PRP also conducted confirmation sampling of CF79, CF78, CF77, CF81 and the MWRD water treatment system.
On August 28, 2007, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) personnel conducted an inspection of the onsite water treatment area, which includes an oil/water separator, two bag filters, and two carbon filters. MWRD subsequently finalized the discharge permit that authorizes discharging treated water to an onsite MWRD sanitary sewer. BMcD has begun treating and discharging on-site water. The MWRD permit requires the monthly collection of a water sample, to assure that treatment standards are being met.
A summary of the activities performed during the reporting period are as follows:
• Transported 626 loads to CID Landfill in Calumet City, Illinois; truck tires decontaminated prior to leaving site.
• Performed perimeter air sampling and air monitoring on a continuous basis (24-hour air samples and air monitoring is conducted around the perimeter). On August 29, 30 and 31, 2007, one dust air level exceedence was detected. On September 7, 2007, one dust air level exceedence was detected.
• Performed health and safety air monitoring during site activities.
• Performed street sweeping activities in front of the Site and along Senour Street.
• Performed daily de-watering activities in excavation areas. Performed water treatment and discharged 1,227,960 gallons of treated water to the MWRD system.
• Performed dust suppression activities on-site and along Senour Street with use of a water truck.
• Transported 15 loads of concrete from excavation areas to Vulcan for recycling.
• Collected confirmation soil samples from excavation cells CF77, CF78, CF79, and CF81.
• Backfilled completed excavation cells.
• Collected one confirmation water sample from the water treatment system.
On August 31, 2007, START personnel observed as BMcD collected one soil sample each from the floor and west wall of CF79 (Evans Slip). The samples were analyzed for BTEX and PAHs. BMcD reported that the samples met the PRP cleanup levels as stated in the RAP, with the use of an engineered barrier to eliminate exposure pathways.
On September 6, 2007, START personnel observed as BMcD collected a treated water sample from the discharge hose of the water treatment system. The sample was analyzed according to the SDA-002 parameters specified by MWRD in the discharge permit. Results have not yet been reported by BMcD. START personnel observed as BMcD also collected a soil sample from the floor of CF78. BMcD reported that the soil sample met the PRP cleanup levels as stated in the RAP.
On September 11, 2007, START personnel observed as BMcD collected one soil sample each from the floor, west wall and north wall of CF77. The samples were analyzed for BTEX and PAHs. Results have not yet been reported by BMcD.
On September 12, 2007, START personnel collected one confirmation soil sample from the floor of excavation cell CF81, along with BMcD. The sample was analyzed for BTEX and PAHs. Results have not yet been reported.
START is awaiting laboratory results for the following soil samples: CF67 (floor and west wall; collected August 2, 2007), CF68 (floor; collected August 3, 2007), CF69 (floor; collected August 7, 2007), south border test pit (floor; collected August 10, 2007), CF69 (east wall; collected August 13, 2007), CF70 (floor; collected August 15, 2007), northwest corner test pit (collected August 15, 2007), CF71 (floor; collected August 16, 2007); CF72 (floor; collected August 16, 2007), and CF73 (SPLP metals; floor; collected August 21, 2007).
Planned removal actions at the Hough Place Station Site are as follows:
• Excavate soil per the RAP
• Transport excavated soil to CID Landfill for disposal
• De-water excavation areas
• Transport water from excavation areas to disposal/ reclamation facilities
• Backfill completed excavation areas
The next steps to be carried out by the PRP are as follows:
• Complete excavation of cells CF80; including disposal of soil
• Begin excavation of cell CF82
• Continue to de-water excavation areas as required
• Treat water and discharge to MWRD system
• Continue dust suppression activities with water truck
• Continue 24-hour perimeter air monitoring and sampling
• Continue air monitoring in work zones
• Continue street sweeping activities
• Continue to decontaminate trucks prior to trucks leaving site
• Collect confirmation samples of cells CF80, when completed
• Backfill completed excavation cells with clean fill when confirmation results are received
None.
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