The Carvill Combing Company Site is located at 63 Brunswick Avenue in the Town of Plainfield (the Town), Windham County, Connecticut. Geographic coordinates are 41∘ 43' 01" north latitude and 71∘ 51' 39" west longitude. It is bordered to the north and west by the Moosup River; to the east by a public foot trail owned by the state of Connecticut and private residences, and to the south by Wagar Associates, Inc., and Brunswick Avenue Extension. It consists of an abandoned two-story brick building on a 0.4-acre parcel. The building is constructed of brick and mortar exterior walls with flooring made up of a combination of wood and concrete. Topographic relief is slight, with elevations ranging from 275 ft. above mean sea level (msl) to 280 ft. above msl.
The Site is situated in a residential area. Approximately 57 homes are located within a quarter mile. An elementary school is located approximately half a mile from the Site.
Moosup River is classified as a Class A river under the Connecticut State Water Classification Program. The river is also used for various recreations including fishing.
The Site is a former textile mill abandoned in the late 1970s. The property consists of an abandoned two-story building and one 20,000-gallon underground storage containing several hundred gallons of unknown liquid. The building is in a state of disrepair. Insulating and building materials are suspected to contain asbestos.
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) reported that during the late 1960s through the early 1970s, a series of three lagoons located south of the site received wool scouring wastewater from site operations. The lagoons are located 100 feet west of several private drinking water wells, and 20 feet east of the bank of the Moosup River. The lagoons were later determined to be under different ownership and were investigated separately. They are not a part of this removal action.
In October 2000, the Former Brunswick Mill, located west of the site on the opposite side of the river, was destroyed by a fire. CT DEP personnel subsequently contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emergency Planning and Response Branch (EPRB) and requested assistance with investigating contaminants at both sites.
From January 16, 2001 to October 31, 2001, EPA intermittently conducted the PA/SI and noted the following:
- One 55-gallon steel drum and several miscellaneous sized containers were observed in the basement of the mill. Close inspection of the drum/containers and the remainder of the building was not conducted due to poor structural integrity of the building.
- One 20,000-gallon underground storage tank was identified on the west bank of the Moosup River near the mill. One oil sample was collected and analyzed for oil identification, flash point and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The sampling result found no PCBs and confirmed the oil is number 6 fuel oil.
- No asbestos sampling was conducted due to the fact that an asbestos survey had been conducted and reported in October 2001 by PRP’s consultant, Aaron Environmental. Asbestos-containing material (ACM) was observed in the thermal insulating material on the boiler and in the insulation debris on the floor.
- There were no physical barriers including windows, doors and fences to restrict public access to the mill.
- Two residences and a small business were located adjacent to the Site.
- Evidence including waste food and beverage containers and other domestic garbage were observed in and around the mill building indicating that there were public trespasses.
- Two surface soil samples were taken from the concrete drainage ditch located in the basement of the mill for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) field screening. The surface soil samples were sent to EPA New England Regional Laboratory (NERL) to be analyzed for semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) and PCBs/pesticide and heavy metals.
- One surface soil sample detected 1400 ppm of lead.
- One surface soil sample detected total PAHs at a concentration of 51.6 ppm.
The Supplemental Environmental Site Assessment Report prepared by Aaron Environmental dated October 18, 2001 reported the following:
- chrysotile asbestos at levels ranging from <1% to 70%;
- amosite asbestos at levels ranging from 15% to 25%; and,
- crocidolite asbestos at levels of 5%.
This ACM was reportedly found in the thermal insulating materials throughout the heating system, ceiling panels, floor tiles, window glazing and in an electric cable inside the building and in shingles, tar and paper roofing on the exterior of the building.
