In June 2023, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 removal program received a letter from the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), dated May 10,
2023, requesting assistance to address polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs)
contaminated soils located at the Temple Stuart Site. The request indicated
that during a site investigation performed as part of a Targeted Brownfields
Assessment in February and March 2023, high concentrations of PCBs were detected
in surface soils. Due to the PCB concentrations in surficial soils, MassDEP had
requested that EPA’s brownfields contractor restrict access to these areas with
temporary fencing to limit exposure.
The EPA removal program reviewed the Phase I
Environmental Assessment Report dated March 2022, the Targeted Brownfields
Assessment sampling results, and historical reports related to past Site
activities. To further define the extent of PCB contamination, the removal
program requested the EPA brownfields program to conduct additional sampling
near the identified PCB-contaminated areas. The EPA brownfields’ contractor
conducted the additional sampling in September 2023. This additional sampling
confirmed elevated PCB levels in and around the restricted area and by an
adjacent concrete slab which had been used for staging of PCB-contaminated soil
during a prior EPA removal action initiated in 2002.
Based on the review of historical reports, including
the 2022 Phase I Environmental Assessment and the sampling results from EPA’s brownfield
assessments, the removal site evaluation was concluded with the signing of the Site
Investigation Closure Memorandum dated December 13, 2023, which indicates that
site conditions warrant a time-critical removal action to address the release
or threat of release of hazardous substances into the environment.
