At 2100 hours, EPA OSC Hearn and OSC Burgo arrived at the scene of the Boston Bay Hilton Fire. At this point, the Boston Hilton and some surrounding buildings had been evacuated due to proximity to the fire, and power was shut off to much of the Back Bay area. OSC Burgo demobilized from the scene at 2145.
By 2230 Boston Fire began to demobilize from the scene after having extinguished the fire, and cleared the building for entrance by the PRP (NSTAR Electric & Gas Corporation) to begin reconnaissance activities. Prior to reconnaissance activities, it was anticipated that one of the two 19,000 gallon non-PCB containing transformers that had been feeding the fire had ruptured and the oil had been released into a secondary containment in the basement of the building. However, upon inspection early this morning, it was determined that a pressurized di-electric cable had ruptured feeding the fire and released approximately 1,000 gallons of oil into the sub-basement of the facility. The source of the cable (it runs from Brighton, MA) was shut off. The fire had caused extensive damages to parts of the transformers, but they appeared intact. One of the transformers was weeping oil and will be repaired by the PRP. The firefighting foam and water mixed with the oil and was primarily contained within the sub-basement of the facility and the sub-basement of the adjacent facility. The oily water did not appear to release into the storm drains.
NSTAR hired a clean-up contractor and began pumping operations in the basement. As of 1100 hours on 14 March 2012, it was reported the contractor had pumped 24,000 gallons of water from the sub-basements of the two facilities and anticipated that 15,000 gallonst more were to be pumped by the end of the day. The water had a visible oil-sheen on it.
The Boston Public Health Commission requested EPA support in performing air monitoring operations in the Back Bay Hilton Hotel in order to clear for reoccupation. One START Contractor personnel and the OSC accompanied the Boston Public Health Inspector and the MassDEP F.A.S.T Lab operator through each floor of the hotel and provided air monitoring data for use in the re-occupation decision. The air monitoring results did not pose levels of concern, but the hotel has hired a contractor to vent the building.
Bulk samples for asbestos were taken at the scene by local and state personnel. According to state personnel, all except two of these samples came back negative. The two positive samples were from a pipe in the basement that pre-dates the current building. These pipes were notaffected in the fire.
At 2430, OSC Hearn and START Contractor Personnel demobilized from the scene.
