The Site is located in a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial area of Woburn and is the former location of the Riley Tannery, which operated at the Site from approximately 1915 until 1989. On August 11, 2005, EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) conducted a joint site investigation which included the collection of surface soils. These samples, which were analyzed at EPA’s New England Regional Laboratory, documented the presence of high levels (up to 86,000 mg/kg) of chromium contamination in surface soils. As a result of the subdivision and redevelopment of the Site from 1994-1997 for commercial and industrial use, the Site currently consists of the following four active commercial and industrial properties: Charls Ice Cream, Organix, Inc., New England Industrial Truck, and W.A Kraft. The portion of the Site on which this chromium contamination is located is owned by Organix, LLC (Organix) and operated by Organix, Inc. See polrep 1 for additional background information.
Organix conducted this removal action under an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent (ASAOC) entered with EPA on June 30, 2006. The work plan developed by Organix and approved by EPA called for a combination of excavation and/or covering the chromium-contaminated material in place, sampling and monitoring, off-site disposal of cleanup-generated wastes, and repairing response-related damage to affected areas of the Site.
On August 1, 2006, Organix conducted a site walk with its cleanup contractor and conducted clearing and grubbing and other site preparation activities. On August 14, 2006, Organix excavated approximately 26 tons of chromium-contaminated surface soils, and then secured the excavated area with geotextile, hay bales, and rip-rap. These materials will serve as a temporary cap to prevent residual contamination from posing a direct contact threat or migrating downstream. Excavated soils were secured in 2 roll-off containers to await final disposal. On September 20 and 21, 2006, Organix shipped the roll-off containers off-site for disposal.
Organix submitted a draft Completion of Work Report on October 20, 2006. Based on EPA's review, Organix made several minor changes and submitted a revised version of this report on October 30, 2006. EPA approved the revised Completion of Work Report on November 15, 2006, at the same time notifying Organix that they had met all their obligations under the ASAOC.
This time critical removal action is complete.
Under the MassDEP's 21E program, Organix will be conducting further site characterization and cleanup activities as needed to fully delineate the extent of contamination and protect public health and the environment.
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