Eastern Oregon Fire Museum 102/104 Elm Street La Grande, Oregon
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Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Eastern Oregon Fire Museum 102/104 Elm Street La Grande, Oregon Prepared for Oregon DEQ January 23, 2015 15827‐00/Task 2 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Eastern Oregon Fire Museum 102/104 Elm Street La Grande, Oregon Prepared for Oregon DEQ January 23, 2015 15827‐00/Task 2 Prepared by Hart Crowser, Inc. Expires: 12/31/2015 Anthony B. Chavez, RG Richard D. Ernst, RG Task Order Manager Program Manager 8910 SW Gemini Drive Beaverton, OR 97008-7123 Fax 503.620.6918 Tel 503.620.7284 Contents 1.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 1 1.1 Recognized Environmental Conditions 1 1.2 Historical RECs 1 1.3 Controlled RECs 2 1.4 De Minimis Conditions 2 1.5 Other Conditions: Regulated Building Materials 4 2.0 INTRODUCTION 4 2.1 Purpose and Scope 4 2.2 Assumptions, Limitations, and Exceptions 5 2.3 Special Terms and Conditions 5 2.4 User Reliance 5 3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 5 3.1 Location and Vicinity General Characteristics 5 3.2 Current Use and Property Description 6 3.3 Adjoining Property Use and Description 6 4.0 USER-PROVIDED INFORMATION 6 4.1 Recorded Instruments on Property 6 4.2 Actual and Specialized Knowledge 7 4.3 Purchase Price 7 5.0 RECORDS REVIEW 7 5.1 Regulatory Records 7 5.2 Physical Setting Sources 11 5.3 Historical Information 12 6.0 SITE RECONNAISSANCE 16 6.1 Subject Property 17 6.2 Adjoining and Surrounding Properties 18 7.0 INTERVIEWS 18 8.0 PHASE I ESA DATA GAP ANALYSIS 18 9.0 CONCLUSIONS 18 10.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT 19 15827‐00/Task2 January 23, 2015 ii | Contents 11.0 REFERENCES 19 FIGURES 1 Site Location Map 2 Site Map APPENDIX A Site Reconnaissance Photographs APPENDIX B Supporting Documentation APPENDIX C EDR Reports APPENDIX D Resumes 15827‐00/Task2 January 23, 2015 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Eastern Oregon Fire Museum 102/104 Elm Street La Grande, Oregon 1.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS This report presents the results of the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) for the Eastern Oregon Fire Museum located at 102/104 Elm Street in La Grande, Oregon (Property). This Phase I ESA was prepared by Hart Crowser to comply with the requirements of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 312 (All Appropriate Inquiries) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard E 1527‐13, Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process. The Property is being assessed as part of a Community‐Wide Assessment Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD). A summary of our findings is presented below. Based on a review of reasonably ascertainable information, potential environmental concerns were classified as recognized environmental conditions (RECs), historical RECs, controlled RECs, de minimis conditions, or an environmentally related condition on the Property that is beyond the scope required by ASTM E 1527‐13. Please refer to the main text of the report for additional discussion. 1.1 Recognized Environmental Conditions RECs are defined in ASTM E 1527‐13 as “the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products in, on, or at a property: (1) due to release to the environment; (2) under conditions indicative of a release to the environment; or (3) under conditions that pose a material threat of a future release to the environment.” We did not identify any RECs for the Property. 1.2 Historical RECs Historical RECs are defined in ASTM E 1527‐13 as “a past release of any hazardous substances or petroleum products that has occurred in connection with the property and has been addressed to the satisfaction of the applicable regulatory authority or meeting unrestricted use criteria established by a regulatory authority, without subjecting the property to any required controls.” The following historical RECs were identified. 1.2.1 Onsite Historical Fuel Pump and Tank The database review identified an underground storage tank (UST) on the Property. According to an interview with Mr. Bruce Weimer with the City of La Grande, a fuel pump and UST were present on the Property for fueling fire trucks. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) records indicate a 500‐gallon UST and fuel pump were installed in April 1970 and later removed in August 1994. The UST reportedly contained gasoline. A soil sample collected below the UST contained no detectable 15827‐00/Task2 January 23, 2015 2 | Eastern Oregon Fire Museum concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). A vent pipe likely associated with the UST was observed near the parking area in the back of the building. Recommendation. The removed fuel pump and UST are considered a Historical REC. As documentation was available regarding the UST’s removal and lack of TPH concentrations, no further investigation related to the UST is necessary. 1.2.2 Nearby Historical Leaking Underground Storage Tank A site located northwest and upgradient of the Property at 102 Depot Street is listed on the DEQ Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) database for a release from a heating oil UST reported in September 2012. The LUST file was closed for the site in November 2012. Recommendation. Because the 102 Depot Street property has been closed by the DEQ and the site is located a block away, no further investigation related to this release is necessary. 1.3 Controlled RECs Controlled RECs are defined in ASTM E1527‐13 as “a recognized environmental condition resulting from a past release of hazardous substances or petroleum products that has been addressed to the satisfaction of the applicable regulatory authority (for example, as evidenced by the issuance of a no further action letter or equivalent, or meeting risk‐based criteria established by regulatory authority), with hazardous substances or petroleum products allowed to remain in place subject to the implementation of required controls (for example, property use restrictions, activity and use limitations, institutional controls, or engineering controls).” No controlled RECs were identified for the Property. Institutional controls are in place at the nearby Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) Rail Yard Site approximately 200 feet northeast of the Property (see also Section 1.4.2 below). 1.4 De Minimis Conditions De minimis conditions are defined in ASTM E1527‐13 as “a condition that generally does not present a threat to human health or the environment and that generally would not be the subject of an enforcement action if brought to the attention of appropriate governmental agencies.” The following were identified as de minimis conditions for the Property. 1.4.1 Onsite Historical Paint Shop According to 1931 and 1949 Sanborn maps a paint shop was present on or near the northwest corner of the Property adjacent to Washington Avenue. The paint shop was not visible on the next available Sanborn map from 1960. Environmental concerns associated with painting include the use of petroleum‐based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints and for cleaning of painting equipment. Illicit disposal or incidental releases of paints or solvents may lead to contamination. Recommendation. There is no documentation or indications of illicit disposal. The paint shop was demolished and later the building on the Property was constructed over this area. Because of the time 15827‐00/Task2 January 23, 2015 Eastern Oregon Fire Museum | 3 since its last use (over 50 years ago) and the potential for degradation of any releases since that time, we have classified the paint shop as a de minimis condition. 1.4.2 Nearby UPRR Diesel Soil and Groundwater Contamination Soil and groundwater contamination is present approximately 200 feet northeast and cross‐gradient of the Property. Long historical use of the UPRR Rail Yard, included maintenance and refueling of diesel‐ fueled locomotives. Free product was initially discovered on the groundwater table below the site in 1981. Between 1982 and 1989, approximately 44,000 gallons of diesel was recovered from the groundwater table. Maps of the extent of contamination also indicate the Property is outside the zone of contamination. An abandoned groundwater monitoring well associated with the investigation of the UPRR Rail Yard Site is located on the Property. Groundwater quality data collected from the monitoring well in 2001 indicate contamination associated with rail yard does not extend onto the Property. Recommendation. Due to the lack of detectable UPRR Rail Yard Site contaminants in the former onsite monitoring well, the site does not pose an environmental threat to the Property. 1.4.3 Nearby Leaking Underground Storage Tank The Post Office located west‐northwest and upgradient of the Property at 1204 Washington Avenue is listed on the DEQ Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) database. The file is listed as active in the LUST database due to a release from a heating oil tank discovered during tank decommissioning in 1991. The release was reportedly limited to soil and caused from tank overfilling. Recommendation. Due to the nature of the contamination (heating oil), the affected media (soil only), and the distance to the Property, the 1204 Washington Avenue site is not likely to have impacted the Property and additional investigation with regards to this release is not warranted. 1.4.4 Nearby Historical Dry Cleaner The Odorless Dry Cleaner was located approximately 600 feet northwest and upgradient of the Property. Based on DEQ’s listing for this site, the dry cleaner was operational for almost 50 years. Reportedly, the dry cleaner only used petroleum‐based solvents. No other information was identified that the site has contamination associated with the historical dry cleaner. Recommendation. We identified this dry cleaner as a de minimis condition due to its upgradient location and long‐term presence.