mmmmmm'mm- > 'V > lo) $ 00< co cc (jt.'7) "* "...N ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION -ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT PHASE II COMPREHENSIVE SITE ASSESSMENT REPORT Former Boston Junk/Boston Iron and Metal Company 14 Louis Street Boston, Massachusetts RTN: 3-0580 (RAM Env. Ref. No. 106.24) July 12, 1999 Prepared for: Prepared by: Boston Edison Company RAM Environmental, LLC 800 Boylston Street One Roberts Road Boston, Massachusetts Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360. AMENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION ASSESSMENT * MANAGEMENT PHASE II COMPREHENSIVE SITE ASSESSMENT REPORT Former Boston Junk/Boston Iron and Metal Company 14 Louis Street Boston, Massachusetts RTN: 3-0580 (RAM Env. Ref. No. 106.24) July 12, 1999 Prepared for: Prepared by: Boston Edison Company RAM Environmental, LLC 800 Boylston Street One Roberts Road Boston, Massachusetts Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360 RAM ENVIRONMENTAL EMEDIATION * ASSESSMENT * MANAGEMENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION On behalf of Boston Edison Company ("BECo"), RAM Environmental, LLC ("RAM Environmental") has prepared this Phase II Comprehensive Site Assessment ("Phase II") report in connection with the former Boston Junk/Boston Iron and Metal Company ("Boston Junk") site located at 14 Louis Street in Boston, Massachusetts (the "Site"). The location of the Site is indicated in Figure 1-1, Site Locus Map, Appendix A. The disposal site encompasses the following properties as indicated in Figure 1-2, Appendix A: * SAK Recycling Corporation ("SAK"); * Energy International ("EI"); * Massport/Cypher Street; and * Casey and Hayes (C&H). This report has been prepared as a result of a release ofoil and/or hazardous material ("OHM") from the former Boston Junk and railroad operation at the disposal site. The disposal site is classified as Tier IA and has been assigned DEP Release Tracking Number * ("RTN") 3-0580. This Phase II Report has been prepared pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0835 and does not include a Risk Characterization, that will be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection ("DEP") in the future. S:\RAM\ 106.24\99REP\PH2RPT.WPDa Page 1-1 .RAM ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION ASSESSMENT * MANAGEMENT 8.0 RISK CHARACTERIZATION A site specific risk characterization will be prepared and submitted to DEP in the future. Continued use of the disposal site for commercial purposes will be assessed as part of the risk characterization. We anticipate that the installation of an asphalt cap with the application of an Activity and Use Limitation ("AUL") will result in a achieving a level of "no significant risk." S:\RAM\106.24\99REP\PH2RPT.WPDa Page 8-1 RAM ENVIRONMENTAL EMEDIATION * ASSESSMENT * MANAGEMENT 9.0 CONCLUSIONS RAM Environmental's findings are set forth below. a.) A release of OHM to the environment has occurred as a result of the former Boston Junk and railroad operations. b.) The disposal site encompasses the SAK, El, Massport/Cypher Street; and C&H properties. c.) SAK currently owns the property at 14 Louis Street. El owns the northern portion of the disposal site as indicated in Figure 1-2, Appendix A. SAK bought the property from Louis Freeman in August 1992. Mr. Freeman operated Boston Junk from 1947 to 1985. SAK utilized the property from August 1992 to 1996 when DEP ordered a cessation of all Site activities and the Attorney General's office obtained an injunction to prevent property use. The SAK property at 14 Louis Street is currently inactive and contains several piles of junk, soil, and scattered debris. d.) Based upon Sanborn Maps dating to 1922, prior to 1947 as well as throughout the 1970/80s the disposal site was utilized as a railroad yard. A moveable electric hoisting crane was located within these former railroad track locations. The crane was a 35 ton 0 gantry crane that likely was utilized for railroad engine and car maintenance in this area. e.) The source(s) of PCBs at the disposal site include Boston Junk's historical operations over 40 years of operation and the extensive historical railroad yard operations. There is evidence that the Boston Junk facility had equipment that may have contained PCB impacted oils such as motors, generators, transformers and capacitors. Other PCB impacted equipment historically appears to have been salvaged at this location including automobiles, as evidenced by the shredded materials at the Site. f.) The potential source of the elevated levels of lead would be consistent with, batteries, spent motor or lubricating oil or potentially fill that is ubiquitous to the area. g.) One (1) of the PCB arochlors detected in the former railroad track area is consistent with the type of petroleum impacted PCB arochlor used in the railroad industry that is not found in transformer oil.. h.) The railroad appears to have been a significant source of PCB impacted petroleum at the disposal site. The most elevated levels and deepest location of PCB impacted soil is located at the end of the former railroad track locations as well as within the hoisting crane area as set forth in Section 4.5. S:\RAM\ 106.24\99REP\PH2RPT.WPDa Page 9-1 RAM ENVIRONMENTAL EMEDIATION * ASSESSMENT * MANAGEMENT i) Over 400 samples soil and groundwater samples have undergone laboratory analyses (does not include the samples set forth in Section 3.3) as summarized in Table C-1, Appendix C. j) PCBs, lead, EPH and TPH are the compounds of concern in soil at the disposal site. k.) The compounds detected in groundwater are set forth in Table C-3, Appendix C. The only PCB detected in groundwater was Arochlor 1260. This was detected only at one well location 221-W04. EPH and select VOCs were also detected at this location. None of these compounds were detected at any other location other than 274-W02 where EPH was detected. Arsenic, barium cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead were detected in select groundwater samples collected as set forth in Table C-3, Appendix C. 1.) The estimated extent of PCB impacted soil is indicated on Figure 2-1, Appendix A. In general, PCB impacted soil was detected 0 to 3.0 feet below grade at the locations indicated in the PCB Cross Section A-A' and B-B', Figures 4-1 and 4-2, Appendix A. The estimated vertical extent of PCB impacted soil less than 2 mg/kg is shown in Figure 4-2, Appendix A. m.) There are seven locations that exceed Upper Concentration Limits ("UCLs") in soil, plus three above ground soil piles indicated in Figure 2-1, Appendix A. Elevated concentrations of PCBs exceeding 100 mg/kg are shown in Figure 2-1 and 4-2. PCBs exceed 100 mg/kg at approximately 3 to 5 feet below grade in Areas A and B. In Areas SS-28, SS-64 and SS-92, PCBs exceed 100 mg/kg to approximately 1 to 3 feet below grade. In Areas 221-B08 and 221-B04, PCBs exceed 100 mg/kg approximately 5 to 10 feet below grade respectively. Areas A and B and the above ground soil piles exceed TCLP thresholds for lead. n.) Area 221-B04 is the only location that had PCB impacted soil exceeding UCLs to 10 feet below grade and is the only location that exceeded Method 1 Groundwater Cleanup Standards for PCBs and EPH. No other groundwater samples collected at the disposal site exceeded Method 1 GW-2/GW-3 Groundwater Cleanup Standards. Low level VOCs (solvents) were detected in groundwater at this location that may be dissolving these compounds into groundwater in this area. No PCBs or solvent related VOCs were detected in groundwater at any other locations at the disposal site. Migration of these compounds in groundwater appears to be limited to this area. o.) Four (4) geological units were identified at the disposal site. The upper most unit (Unit A) consists of four (4) to 16 feet of fill. The majority of the fill is sand and gravel containing coal, brick, ash, concrete, bone, glass and wood fragments. In some locations this fill consists primarily of sand and in three (3) locations the soil borings describe a silty fill in the lower portions of the fill unit. Unit B underlies the fill and S:\RAM\106.24\99REP\PH2RPT.WPDa Page 9-2 RAM ENVIRONMENTAL EMEDIATION * ASSESSMENT * MANAGEMENT consists of sand or silty sand. This unit is discontinuous with a maximum thickness of eight (8) feet. Unit C consists of silt, clay and fine sand, and the upper contact was encountered at four (4) to 16 feet below grade. None of these soil borings encountered bedrock. p.) The upper contact of Unit C slopes from a high on the northeast side of the Site to a low in the vicinity of C Street and Louis Street. The upper surface of Unit C also appears to be higher on the south side of this building and, therefore, forms a trough below the building. Geological cross section B-B', Figure 5-1, Appendix A, shows the presence of this trough beneath the south end of the Louis and C Street building. q.) The inferred groundwater flow direction beneath and northeast of the Louis and C Street building is southwest, and groundwater southwest of this building flows northeast, towards a groundwater trough as indicated in Figure 5-2, Appendix A. Groundwater appears to flow southeast through this trough as indicated in Figure 5-2, Appendix A. The groundwater trough is in the same location as the low area in the upper surface of Unit C. Therefore, groundwater flow near C Street and Louis Street appears to be influenced by the presence of this silt, clay and fine sand layer. r.) The horizontal hydraulic gradient at the disposal site, (under an assumed steady state of conditions) is approximately 0.032 ft/ft on the northeast side of the groundwater Strough,and 0.047 ft/ft on the southwest side of the groundwater trough.