The property usage prior to 1870 is unknown. In 1870, the St. Albans Gas & Light Company (later known as the Vermont Lighting Company) purchased the property and conducted gas manufacturing operations until 1953. In 1971 the property was subdivided and redeveloped for residential use. The SAGLF property is approximately 1.3 acres and is occupied by an apartment complex (the Colony Square Apartments) for low-income families. On-site features include three two-story apartment buildings, a paved parking area, a children’s play area, and grassy areas. The two other properties (Nos. 38 and 40 Maple Street) are approximately 0.3 acre in size, each contain a single family raised-ranch style house, grassy areas, vegetable gardens and unpaved driveways. The owner of No. 38 Maple Street also operates a day-care business within the house.
On May 10, 2005, EPRB initiated a preliminary assessment and site investigation (PA/SI) at this Site. EPA, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) regional representative, and EPA’s Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) contractor met onsite to conduct a site walk-through and to establish a sampling grid system. Sampling activities commenced on May 11, 2005, which included collecting 61 surface soil samples, 43 subsurface soil samples, 5 sediment samples and 1 surface water sample from Stevens Brook. The samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), pesticides/polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Target Analyte List (TAL) metals and cyanide. Analytical results for these samples indicate the presence of elevated concentrations of PAHs in the surface and subsurface soils. Based upon the sampling results and an evaluation of the environmental data from ATSDR, the PA/SI was closed on August 23, 2005 with the recommendation that a time-critical removal action be conducted.
