Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report Brattleboro Reformer 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vermont June 24, 2016 Prepared for: Town of Brattleboro 230 Main Street, Suite 202 Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 21 North Main Street Waterbury, Vermont 05676 (802) 917-2001 www.leenv.net LEE Project #16-060 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report Brattleboro Reformer, 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vermont Contents 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 3 2.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 6 3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................ 7 4.0 USER SUPPLIED INFORMATION ......................................................................... 8 5.0 RECORDS REVIEW............................................................................................... 10 6.0 SITE RECONNAISSANCE .................................................................................... 15 7.0 INTERVIEWS ......................................................................................................... 16 8.0 FINDINGS ............................................................................................................... 18 9.0 OPINION ................................................................................................................. 19 10.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 21 11.0 DEVIATIONS ....................................................................................................... 22 12.0 ADDITIONAL SERVICES ................................................................................... 23 13.0 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 24 14.0 SIGNATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL .............................. 25 15.0 QUALIFICATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL ...................... 25 16.0 APPENDICIES ...................................................................................................... 26 Appendices: A. Maps B. Photographs C. Regulatory Records Documentation D. Interview Documentation E. Site Reconnaissance Checklist F. Qualifications of Environmental Professionals G. Additional Environmental Record Sources June 24, 2016 Page 2 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report Brattleboro Reformer, 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LE Environmental LLC (LEE) conducted a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of Town of Brattleboro Tax Parcel 00070524.000, 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vermont (property). The ESA was conducted pursuant to the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process (ASTM E 1527-13). This assessment was conducted for the Town of Brattleboro. The owner of the property is Media News Group, Inc. The user of this document is the Town of Brattleboro. The draft Phase I ESA report for the property dated May 18, 2016 was updated to reflect LEE’s acquisition of additional information from the property owner and the document user since May 18, 2016. The property consists of 4.12-acre parcel on the south side of Black Mountain Road, east of Interstate I-91. The property hosts a newspaper manufacturing facility. The Brattleboro Reformer is the building’s sole occupant, and was partially utilizing the space. The building includes offices and conference rooms, a photo finishing area, a printing press area, an assembly area, storage for rolled paper, vending machines and other equipment, and ink and related chemical storage areas. The property also has a paved parking area and driveway. The property was first developed in 1981 according to the town lister’s office. An addition to the building was added in 1995. The building has been used for printing and newspaper related uses since it was constructed. The building is connected to town water and sewer including floor drains inside the building. It is heated and cooled with propane fired equipment and always has been. Several propane USTs are located behind (west of) the building. Two pad mounted electrical transformers are present. They were not visibly leaking during the site reconnaissance and are unlikely to contain PCBs due to their post 1980 installation. Substantial quantities of chemicals are stored and used on the property, including inks, blanket wash, acid fountain concentrate, press oils, anti strip, rubber rejuvenator, exempt wash and cleaners, photofinishing chemicals, and lubricants. Black ink is stored in an estimated 1,500 gallon above ground storage tank. The rest of the chemicals are stored in smaller containers, up to 55-gallon in size. Storage practices were adequate with no indications of substantial spills or releases to the environment. Many of the containers had ink stains on the outside but did not appear to be leaking. Walls and floors in the vicinity of ink storage and use were stained with blotches of ink, which LEE considers to be de minimis and not indicative of a release or likely release to the environment. Inside the facility, floors were in good condition with worn epoxy coatings in trafficked areas. No cracks or substantial spills were noted on the floors. One floor drain and one sub-slab vault were observed. The floor drain accepts effluent from the photofinishing process. The drain is connected to town sewer and the June 24, 2016 Page 3 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report Brattleboro Reformer, 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vermont Brattleboro Reformer has to test the effluent periodically to insure its silver content meets standards. On June 21, 2016, the owner provided LEE with a copy of effluent testing results dated March 2016, showing silver concentrations 4.8 times the Vermont Secondary Groundwater Enforcement Standard. The vault is unused and reportedly used to contain cooling water for machinery. The water was contained in a small tank and circulated through the machinery and was not discharged from the vault. The adjoining Brattleboro North shopping center is an active hazardous site with the DEC due to an unresolved dry cleaning facility perchlorethylene (PCE) release that was discovered in 1994. Site Investigation reports indicate that that PCE is the principal contaminant on the Brattleboro North site. The maximum PCE concentration in groundwater at the site was 84 parts per billion (ppb) in 1994, compared with the state groundwater standard of 5 ppb. A survey performed in 1994 indicated that a PCE soil vapor plume was present beneath the former laundromat. PCE concentrations along the northwestern side of the soil vapor plume (closest to the property) were slightly higher than the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s current shallow soil VI Screening Value (5.7 micrograms per cubic meter) at a distance of 500 feet from the property line. The site investigation report states that off-site migration of the PCE contamination in groundwater is unlikely, and that vertical migration is also unlikely due to the presence of an underlying clay layer. The area of PCE groundwater contamination is approximately 650 feet south of the property in a presumed downgradient location with respect to the direction of groundwater flow. Therefore, migration of PCE to the property via groundwater is not a concern. LEE also believes that PCE soil vapor encroachment onto the property from this release is not a concern in light of the very low soil vapor concentrations reported in 1994, and its distance from the property. The Black Mountain Trailer Park, located to the northwest in a presumed cross- gradient location with respect to the direction of groundwater flow, is an inactive DEC hazardous site due to a kerosene spill that took place in 1994. Approximately 150 gallons of kerosene were spilled and a cleanup took place. Follow up groundwater monitoring determined that the contamination was adequately cleaned up. The site was moved to SMAC status in 1996. On June 20, 2016, the document user provided LEE with additional historical information concerning the past and current uses of the adjoining property to the north and west at 72 Black Mountain Road. Current uses of this adjoining property include a commercial copy shop and thrift store. Historical uses include a camera shop with possible film developing, a fence/gate manufacturing /fabrication company, and a general repair business for lawn mowers, snowplows and general repairs. The adjoining property is potentially upgradient of the property with respect to the direction of groundwater flow. June 24, 2016 Page 4 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report Brattleboro Reformer, 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vermont LEE has reviewed available environmental information concerning the property and has identified two Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) as defined by ASTM E1527: • Potential for contamination of the property due to disposal of silver- containing photofinishing effluent in a floor drain. • Potential for contamination of the property due to historical uses of the adjoining property at 72 Black Mountain Road. These uses include a camera shop with possible film developing, a fence/gate manufacturing company, and a lawn mower/ snowplow and general repair business. LEE