Site Name: PSC RESOURCES
EPA ID: MAD980731483 EPA Region: 01 Metro Statistical Area: 8000
10 WATER ST, PALMER, MA 01069
Operable Unit: 01
ROD ID: EPA/ROD/R01-92/069 ROD Date: 09/15/92
Contaminant: VOCs, Other Organics, Metals
Keys: ARAR Waiver; Arsenic, Benzene; Capping; Carbon Adsorption (GAC); Carcinogenic Compounds; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Debris; Decontamination; Direct Contact; Dredging; Excavation; Filling; Floodplain; Ground Water; Ground Water Monitoring; Ground Water Treatment; Institutional Controls; Landfill Closure; Leachability Tests; Lead; MCLGs; MCLs; Metals; O&M; Offsite Disposal; Onsite Discharge; Onsite Treatment; Organics; PAHs; PCBs; PCE; RCRA; Safe Drinking Water Act; Sediment; Soil; Solidification/Stabilization; Solvents; State Standards/Regulations; Surface Water Monitoring; TCE; Toxic Substances Control Act; Treatability Studies; Treatment Technology; VOCs; Wetlands
Abstract:
SITE HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: The 21.5-acre PSC Resources site is a former waste oil and solvent reclamation facility located in Palmer, Hampden County, Massachusetts. The PSC Resources Property is composed of approximately 20 acres of surrounding residential, commercial, recreational, woodland, and wetlands areas, including the Quaboag River. Site features include a concrete and brick frame building, a garage, multiple concrete tank cradles, storage tank pads, and a lagoon. The site is bordered by a recreational field, mixed woods and wetlands, residential and commercial property, and to the south by the Quaboag River. The PSC property is also located within the 100-year floodplain of the Quaboag River, which is part of the Chicopee River Basin. The site overlies a ground water aquifer that currently is not used for drinking water purposes. Since 1898, there have been several owners of the PSC property, most involved in oil industry functions. In 1974, PSC Resources, Inc., purchased the property to operate an oil storage and processing facility, and in 1976, the company was changed to Ag-Met Oil Services, Inc. The company began accepting solvents and lacquers for collection and disposal. In late 1976, the company began operating under the name Newtown Refining Corporation; however, the state denied their permit renewals. Several state inspections conducted between 1974 and 1976 revealed improper maintenance along with waste oil and hazardous materials spills. In 1978, the facility was closed, and the state required Newtown Refining to begin removing 1.5 million gallons of waste oils and sludge from the site. By 1982, little of that waste had been removed and an estimated 500,000 gallons of waste remained onsite. Oil had discharged to adjacent wetlands and sampling of soil, sediment, and surface water revealed contamination by VOCs, metals, PAHs, and PCBs. In 1986, the state initiated two interim remedial measures (IRMs) to secure the property and remove oils, sludge, drums, tanks, and associated piping offsite. In 1991, EPA initiated a removal action, which involved construction of a new, full enclosure fence around the PSC property and the adjacent spill area in the wetland. This ROD addresses the final remedy for the site, which includes both source control and management of migration components. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the soil, sediment, debris, ground water, and surface water are VOCs, including benzene, PCE, and TCE; other organics, including PAHs and PCBs; and metals, including arsenic and lead.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OR GOALS: Chemical-specific soil and sediment (lagoon only) clean-up levels are based on health-risk standards and SDWA MCLs, respectively, and include benzene 1 mg/kg/3 mg/kg; TCE 2 mg/kg/4 mg/kg; PCE 2 mg/kg/12 mg/kg; lead 500 mg/kg/15 mg/kg; total PAHs 151 mg/kg; and total PCBs 1 mg/kg. Chemical-specific wetlands sediment clean-up levels are based on health-risk standards and include total PAHs 10 mg/kg; total PCBs 1 mg/kg; arsenic 12 mg/kg; and lead 375 mg/kg. Chemical-specific ground water clean-up levels are based on SDWA MCLs and state standards and include benzene 5 ug; TCE 5 ug/l; PCE 5 ug/l; and lead 15 ug/l. An ARAR waiver will be issued for certain requirements of the chemical waste landfill regulations, which require construction of chemical waste landfills in low permeable clay conditions, the use of a synthetic membrane liner, and that the bottom of the landfill be 50 feet above the historic high water table.
INSTITUTIONAL CONTROLS: Institutional controls in the form of deed, ground water, and land use restrictions will be implemented to ensure that future use of the ground water and future development of the land are prohibited until clean-up standards have been attained.
Remedy:
SELECTED REMEDIAL ACTION: The selected remedial action includes decontaminating, demolishing, and offsite disposal of debris and property structures at a RCRA landfill; consolidating the contaminated soil with lagoon and wetlands sediment onsite, and treating these materials using stabilization; constructing a permeable cap over the stabilized material; restoring affected wetlands; treating lagoon surface water onsite using filtration and a granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption unit, followed by discharging the treated water into the Quaboag River or to an offsite facility; using natural attenuation to achieve ground water cleanup levels; monitoring ground water; conducting sediment and surface water sampling; and implementing institutional controls including deed, ground water and land use restrictions. The estimated present worth cost for this remedial action is $3,420,747, which includes an annual O&M cost of $731,913.