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The Kenyon Piece Landfill Site is located off Sand Plain Road near the intersection of Sand Plain Road and County Trail [a.k.a. Rhode Island (RI) Route 2] in Charlestown, Washington County, RI. The Site consists of an irregular L-shaped 62-acre parcel of land identified on the Town of Charlestown Tax Assessor’s Map No. 25 as Lot No. 94. The geographic coordinates of the Site, as measured from its approximate center, are 41 26' 21.6" north latitude and 71 38' 19.8" west longitude. Land use within 1 mile of the property is zoned as mixed residential/agricultural/commercial. The 62-acre Site is bounded by Sand Plain Road to the north; RI Route 2 to the east; and residential properties, woodland, and farmland to the south and west. A right-of-way for overhead electric utility lines traverses the south-central portion of the property in a northeast to southwest direction.
RI DEM had MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc. (MACTEC) performed a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) and Site Investigation (SI). In the MACTEC January 2007 Data Submittal Report, MACTEC identified 7 test pits with buried drums and containers. Analytical results in the report also identified lead, toluene, ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethene, and naphthalene in the soil and groundwater at levels high enough to support the need for a Federal response. In August of 2007, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) notified EPA of the presence of buried drums and containers at this vacant property and requested EPA’s assistance in addressing the Site. On November 6, 2007, EPA initiated a Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI) which included walking the Site with representatives of DEM, reviewing site background information, sampling of surface soils, and mapping magnetic anomalies using geophysical surveys to verify the areas identified in the TBA. The PA/SI was concluded, and a action was recommended in a closure memo dated June 20, 2008.
As the removal action has progressed since starting on August 4, 2008, the size of the exclusion zone has increased as we have dug up trenches which led into the trees south, east, and slightly west of the initial zone. Thus, the 7 test pits identified by MACTEC significantly underestimated the extent of the area on the Site where buried drums and containers would be found.
Operational Activities
Beginning the week of 12/1/2008 and continuing through the week of 1/16/2009:
1) Buried drums and containers exhumed, overpacked, staged, counted, inventoried, inspected, and air monitoring performed at the Site perimeter.
2) As of 1/16/2009, the exhumation activities at the Site were completed and the following is the final total number of containers and drums that have been exhumed, overpacked, and staged during the course of the removal :
681 55-gallon drums
4652 5-gallon pails
12 1-gallon pails
Depending on the condition of these drums and containers (intact, crushed, leaking, etc.), they we placed in either 95-gallon plastic overpacks, 85-gallon steel overpacks, or 55-gallon steel overpacks. 1200 overpacks were used to repackage the 5342 exhumed containers.
Meetings
On 1/8/09, the OSC, ERRS RM, and START attended a meeting with members of the Charlestown, RI Conservation Commission where an overview of the Site activities were presented.
On 1/12/09, the OSC, ERRS RM, and START attended a Town Council meeting. An overview of completed Site activities were presented and future actions were also mentioned.
Groundwater Sampling
EPA will do monthly groundwater sampling of on-site monitoring wells that will be analyzed by RI DEM. This sampling will provide some insight as to whether the ongoing removal action is affecting groundwater. Sampling was done on 12/2/08 and 1/22/09. These results indicate that several contaminants are decreasing in the groundwater.
Action Memo Amendment
An amendment to the Removal Action Action Memo for this Site was signed on 1/20/09. The amendment included the change in scope of the removal and requested $800,000 additional funds to pay for the significant increase in transportation and disposal of the drums and containers exhumed and the costs of the earthen cover which will be over the areas where the drums and containers were removed.
Earthen Cap Design
On 12/1/08, discussions began on planning the design of an earthen cover.
On 12/11/08, an initial Site walk was conducted with a Professional Engineer from Weston. Preliminary ideas were discussed regarding the cap.
On 1/21/09, a work plan and cost estimate was submitted by Weston for review and approval.
On 1/30/09, the work plan was approved and an independent EPA cost estimate for the cap design was submitted.
Planned Removal Actions
1) Identify and characterize waste streams and develope waste disposal profiles;
2) Provide transportation and disposal of hazardous substances at CERCLA-approved off-site disposal and recycling facilities in a safe and as cost-effective a manner as possible;
3) Finalize the work plan and associated cost for the design of the earthen cover.
4) Install a 2ft earthen cover over the excavated areas;
5) Repair any response-related damage; and
6) Demobilize all equipment, supplies and personnel as needed when they are no longer required at the Site.
The OSC will direct and coordinate with START and ERRS the ongoing removal action. The OSC will continue a dialogue with the residents surrounding the Site in order to answer any concerns they may have.
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