1.1.1 Incident Category
Inactive industrial/storage facility

1.1.2 Site Description

The Former Bendix Property Site (the Site) is an abandoned industrial facility that was primarily used for metalworking, including the milling and grinding of steel drill bits and taps. The Treadwell Tool Co. built the facility in 1961.  In 1982, Bendix Corp., a predecessor to Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell), purchased the property and sold it to B.C. Acquisition, a subsidiary of Besly Products,  in 1984.  Besly Products merged with Allied Signal Inc., which is known as Honeywell International, Inc., (Honeywell).  Besly Products operated the Site from 1984 to 1998, when it was sold to Repal Inc., a wood pallet storage and processing company.  In June of 2008 the Town took the property for back taxes. 

Currently, the Site is partially fenced, inactive,  abandoned for approximately 10 years, and  consists of a single parcel of land totaling 17.3 acres.  The land is developed with two buildings.  The first is an approximate 94,000 square-foot (sq ft) single-story, slab on grade concrete block industrial building that is located along the south-central region of the Site.  General public access is unrestricted as evidenced by the presence of burned debris piles within the building, and graffiti inside and outside of the building.  The Town of Greenfield is the current owner of the Site.

Approximately 85% of the 94,000 sq ft building is filled with various materials including wood pallets (stacked from 5 to 15 ft high or to ceiling height), other bins containing building debris and/or plastic LEGOS, machinery, drums and various other size containers, and numerous ½ cubic yard plastic bags containing a white powder.  The buildings inoperative heat and water piping system is currently on the ceiling and walls, and is wrapped by asbestos containing insulating wrap.  Because of the deterioration of the roof, severe water damage has occurred throughout the entire building.  This has caused a great deal of the pipe wrap to fall on the floors and cross-contaminate whatever material exists directly underneath.  Approximately 380 discarded metal and/or plastic 55 gallon drums, and other various sizes containers, exist throughout the entire (interior/exterior) grounds of the Site.

Due to the conditions and potential threat of release of the hazardous materials from the Site, on July 20, 2010, the EPA Brownfields Program referred the Site to the Emergency Planning and Response Branch (EPRB) for further investigation.

The PA/SI was concluded and based on Site conditions and analytical results, a Time Critical Removal Action was recommended in a closure memorandum dated December 15, 2010. On February 22, 2011, an Action Memorandum to conduct the Removal Action was signed by the Acting Office Director of the Office of Site Remediation and Restoration.

1.1.2.1 Location
The Site is located at 180 Laurel Street, Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts (Longitude/Latitude 42 34' 36.85"N, 72 37' 4.71"W).  The Site is more fully described as Map R41 Lot 2 in the Town of Greenfield Tax Assessor’s Office.  The Site is in a residential area and is zoned “GI-General Industrial.”  Residential properties and a public storage building abut it to the north, interstate 91 to the west, a cemetery and residences to the south, and woodlands followed by residential properties are located east. 

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

Hazardous substances involved in the release or threat of release at the Site include, but are not limited to:  friable asbestos and ACM within the building, chromium contamination within the cubic yard bags containing the white talcum like powder, and VOCs in drums.  The areas that were sampled are exposed to the elements.  Friable asbestos and chromium may pose a health threat to anyone walking on, traveling by, or living near the Site.  Because the building roof has openings, the threat of release of the friable asbestos and chromium to adjacent areas and other receptors exists, particularly during adverse weather conditions.   In addition, the building is abandoned and lacks a functioning fire suppression system.  In the event of a fire, aforementioned substances will become airborne and migrate to the surrounding areas.  The VOCs were detected in drums that are abandoned on the exterior grounds of the Site.  The Site currently has a partial fence around its perimeter.  However, the Town officials have stated that the Site is being accessed by unauthorized individuals.

According to the 2000 census 2,420 people live within one mile radius.  Within one mile are also a public school, and two nursing homes. 

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
On November 4, 2010, the EPRB and its Technical Assessment and Response Team, Weston Solutions, Inc., conducted a Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation (PA/SI).  The PA/SI revealed the following but not limited to, hazardous substances pollutants or contaminants:

·          Secure the Site to prevent unauthorized access.  Site security will be provided during non-working hours to ensure adequate Site surveillance until the waste is transported off site.  Should an extended period of storage be required, some other means of securing the Site may be implemented.

·         Evaluate the structural integrity of the roof to determine stability and potential for collapse.

·         Stabilize any roof areas that are structurally unsafe to enable contractor personnel to conduct the removal action.

·         Conduct the removal and disposal of asbestos and asbestos contaminated material. The process shall include provisions for onsite decontamination of larger debris, and segregation of asbestos-free debris from inside the building.  Asbestos waste will be documented, and shipped off site for disposal at EPA-approved facilities.

·         Perform additional sampling on the talcum powder bags to verify the extent of chromium contamination.   Collect and dispose to EPA approved facilities any material that contains chromium at levels exceeding the MassDEP’s applicable MCPS-1 removal standards.

·         Collect and stage all of the drums/containers that exist throughout the Site.  Inspect their contents and conduct hazardous categorization.  Containerize and ship offsite any hazardous materials found, to EPA-approved facilities.

·         Conduct a visual inspection of the building for mercury containing switches.  Containerize and ship offsite, any mercury found to EPA-approved facilities.