Site Name: PETERSON/PURITAN, INC

EPA ID: RID055176283 EPA Region: 01 Metro Statistical Area: 6480

MARTIN ST, CUMBERLAND, RI 02864

Operable Unit: 01

ROD ID: EPA/ROD/R01-93/075 ROD Date: 09/03/93

Contaminant: VOCs, Other Organics, Metals

Keys: Air Stripping; ARAR Waiver; Arsenic; Benzene; Capping; Carbon Adsorption (GAC); Carcinogenic Compounds; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Closure Requirements; Debris; Direct Contact; Drinking Water Contaminants; Excavation; Filling; Floodplain; Ground Water; Ground Water Monitoring; Ground Water Treatment; Institutional Controls; Landfill Closure; Leachability Tests; MCLGs; MCLs; Metals; O&M; Offsite Discharge; Offsite Disposal; Offsite Treatment; Onsite Containment; Onsite Disposal; Onsite Treatment; Organics; PCE; Pesticides; Plume Management; Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW); RCRA; Safe Drinking Water Act; Soil; Solvents; State Standards/Regulations; TCE; Temporary Storage; Toluene; Treatability Studies; Treatment Technology; Vacuum Extraction; VOCs; Wetlands; Xylenes

Abstract:

The Peterson/Puritan site is an area of heavy industrial and commercial facilities located in the towns of Lincoln and Cumberland, Providence County, Rhode Island. Land use in the area is mixed industrial, commercial, residential, and recreational. The site includes the industrial facilities in the vicinity of Martin Street, the J.M. Mills Landfill, State and town recreation areas, interspersed woodlands and grass meadows, wetlands, the Blackstone River and adjoining canal, and the affected municipal water supply wellfields in the towns of Cumberland and Lincoln. Operable Unit 1 is the first portion of the site to be addressed, and has been divided into two principal contaminated source areas; the Custom Manufacturing Facility (formerly the Peterson/Puritan facility) or the "CCL Remediation Area," which also includes the adjacent undeveloped O'Toole property, and the Pacific Chemical Corporation (formerly the Lonza and Universal Chemical Company facility) or "PAC Remediation Area." Each of the CCL and PAC remediation areas are further divided into source and downgradient areas. There are approximately 100 residences located within a one-mile radius; however, there are no known residential wells currently being used as a drinking water source. Approximately two-thirds of the overall site lies within the 100-year floodplain of the Blackstone River, which flows in a southeasterly direction through the valley. In addition, the site overlies the Blackstone Valley Aquifer, but currently is not used as a drinking water source due to pollutant concentrations found above State levels. Operations at Peterson/Puritan involved the packaging of a variety of aerosol products such as perfumes, oven cleaners, pesticides, hair sprays, deodorants, and window cleaners. In 1974, a release of approximately 6,200 gallons of PCE occurred as a rail car was being off- loaded for transfer to the Peterson/Puritan tank farm. This spill, along with historical releases of VOCs into manholes and catch basins associated with the facility's sewer system, is considered the primary source of soil and ground water contamination at the CCL facility. In 1979, State investigations revealed VOCs, including TCA and PCE, in ground water at concentrations ranging from 27 to 166 mg/l. In 1984, in response to contamination detected on its property, Peterson/Puritan implemented a contaminated ground water recovery well program which operated for approximately 8 years. Operations at the PAC facility included manufacturing general industrial chemicals and specialty chemical materials for use in detergents, cosmetics, agriculture, and food. In 1981, a RCRA inspection of the PAC facility revealed the existence of onsite septic tanks and a leach field. Samples taken from the facility indicated the presence of acetone, 2-propanol, toluene, ethylbenzene, and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). Samples of the facility's wastewater taken in 1981 and in 1984 contained high concentrations of arsenic, associated with chromium and nickel, and PCE, and xylene. An important source of contamination at the PAC facility has been the discharge of VOCs, primarily acetone and isopropanol, to onsite septic systems and leachfields. NAPLs were not detected during the RI, but may be present at the site. This ROD addresses the contaminated soil and ground water at both the CCL and PAC remediation areas, as OU1. A future ROD will address the contamination at the J. M. Mills Landfill, as OU2. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the soil, debris, and ground water are VOCs, including benzene, PCE, TCE, toluene, and xylenes; other organics, including the pesticide chlordane; and metals, including arsenic. SELECTED REMEDIAL ACTION: The selected remedial action for this site includes excavating solvent-contaminated soil from manholes and catch basins in the CCL remediation area, and approximately 1,000 yd[3] of contaminated soil from the PAC remediation area leach fields to a depth of 9 feet below ground surface; disposing of the excavated soil offsite in a RCRA -approved facility; capping the tank farm and O'Toole property areas using an in-situ soil vapor extraction system, followed by granular activated carbon to treat the vapors prior to air emission; backfilling the PAC area with perforated pipes and stones for use as an infiltration gallery; extracting and treating CCL source area ground water using air stripping, followed by carbon adsorption treatment of the air stream prior to emission; extracting ground water downgradient of the CCL area; discharging the treated water and the downgradient ground water to the offsite POTW; treating PAC-area ground water using in-situ oxidation to remove dissolved arsenic; allowing for natural attenuation of groundwater downgradient of the PAC area and at the Quinnville well field; regenerating spent carbon from the SVE and air stripping systems onsite using steam, with temporary storage of the concentrated residuals, followed by treatment and disposal offsite; investigating other potential sources of contamination in the PAC downgradient area; monitoring the environment to evaluate the effectiveness of the remedial action; and implementing institutional controls for all remediation areas. The estimated present worth cost for this remedial action is $7,251,000, which includes an estimated O&M cost of $5,350,000. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OR GOALS; Chemical-specific soil cleanup goals were developed to protect the aquifer from contaminant leaching from soil, and include PCE 0.146 mg/kg and TCE 0.039 mg/kg for the CCL soil source area and PCE 0.03 mg/kg; toluene 3 mg/kg; and xylene 33 mg/kg for PAC soil source area. Chemical-specific ground water cleanup goals are based on SDWA MCLs, MCLGs, and State standards, and include arsenic 50 ug/l; benzene 5 ug/l; chlordane 2 ug/l; PCE 5 ug/l; and TCE 5 ug/l for the CCL ground water source area, arsenic 50 ug/l; benzene 5 ug/l; PCE 5 ug/l; and TCE 5 ug/l for the CCL ground water downgradient area, arsenic 50 ug/l and PCE 5 ug/l for the PAC ground water source area, and arsenic 50 ug/l; benzene 5 ug/l; and TCE 5 ug/l for the PAC ground water downgradient area. Periodic monitoring and assessments will be performed to evaluate the level of protection afforded human health and the environment by this remedial action. Final cleanup levels that are more protective will be developed, if necessary. INSTITUTIONAL CONTROLS Institutional controls, including deed, ground water, and land use restrictions will be implemented to prevent the use or hydrologic alteration of ground water, and the direct contact to, or exposure to, contaminated soil.

Remedy:

This ROD sets forth the selected remedy for Operable Unit 1 which includes both source control and management of migration components to obtain a comprehensive remedy.

Major Components of the Selected Remedy

Operable Unit 1 contains two remediation areas. The CCL remediation area, a source of volatile organic contamination, includes the former Peterson/Puritan, Inc. facility, which is the Site's namesake (currently the CCL Custom Manufacturing facility, and referred to as CCL). Adjoining the CCL facility to the south is an undeveloped parcel known as the O'Toole property, which is included as part of the CCL remediation area. The PAC remediation area includes the Pacific Anchor Chemical Corporation (PAC) facility (formerly the Lonza and Universal Chemical Company facility), which is a source of arsenic and volatile organic contamination. Each remediation area is further split into source and downgradient area components, respectively. The components of the selected remedy include:

CCL remediation area:

* Excavation (manholes and catch basins),

* Capping,

* Soil venting of source area soils,

* Source area ground water extraction, treatment and discharge to POTW via the sewer,

* Downgradient area ground water extraction with the untreated ground water discharged to the POTW via the sewer,

* Natural attenuation of ground water at the Quinnville wellfield,

* Institutional controls throughout the CCL remediation area, and

* Environmental monitoring.

PAC remediation area:

* Excavation and disposal of contaminated leach fields and related soils,

* In-situ oxidation treatment of the soils in the PAC source area,

* Natural attenuation of the PAC downgradient ground water,

* Institutional controls throughout the PAC remediation area,

* Focused investigation of other potential sources of contamination in the PAC downgradient area, and

* Environmental monitoring.

Excavation: Excavation at the CCL area will consist of removing soils at manholes and catch basins. Excavation of these soils will remove a portion of the continuing source of ground water contamination. Excavation at the PAC remediation area includes removal of leachfields #1 and #2 and surrounding soils to a depth of approximately nine feet. Excavation will remove the source of contaminants to ground water in addition to removing organic material contributing to the mobilization of arsenic. The excavation soils which are contaminated with volatile organics and arsenic will be transported off-site for disposal at a RCRA-approved disposal facility.

Capping: Source area soils at the CCL remediation area will be capped to enhance the soil venting system operation (see below), limit infiltration through the soil and reduce the potential for direct contact of source area soils. An estimated 14,000 square foot area of the tank farm will be capped with concrete and an estimated 12,000 square feet of the O'Toole property will be paved.

Soil Venting and Vapor Treatment: A soil venting system (also known as Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE)), consisting of wells, blowers, and a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) adsorption/regeneration off-gas treatment system, will be installed at the CCL source area. It is estimated that the SVE system will result in 99 percent removal of VOCs above the ground water table (vadose zone) in the vicinity of the CCL tank farm.

Source Area Ground Water Extraction: A multi-well recovery system in the CCL source area will capture and treat ground water within and immediately downgradient of the source to prevent migration of contaminated ground water from the source. Wells within the tank farm area will capture the grossly contaminated ground water and depress the ground water table in the source area. This depression will extend the vadose zone and allow further recovery of residual contamination at and below the static water table by the SVE system. Wells on the O'Toole property will cut off the source area from the downgradient plume.

A diffused air stripper will be used to treat the extracted ground water. Compared to other options considered in the FS, this process option will be less susceptible to fouling and reduced efficiencies from naturally occurring inorganics in the ground water, such as iron and manganese, due to the higher water velocity traveling through the system. The inorganics travel through the treatment system as suspended solids and will be discharged with the treated water to the POTW via the sewer. The VOC contaminated air passing through the stripping process will be treated by the GAC adsorption/regeneration system.

The GAC adsorption/regeneration off-gas treatment system will treat the contaminated air stream exiting the SVE system and the air stripper. The GAC system will regenerate the spent activated carbon on-site using steam. The concentrated chemical solutions from the steam stripping process will be temporarily stored on-site prior to off-site treatment and disposal.

In-situ Oxidation: In-situ (in place) oxidation, an innovative technology, has been selected to reduce the mobility of the arsenic in ground water migrating from the leachfields at the PAC remediation area. The leachfields will be replaced with perforated pipe and stone backfill to be used as an infiltration gallery. Clean water, amended with a chemical additive, will reduce the mobility of the arsenic by chemically changing the more soluble arsenite to arsenate, which will precipitate or sorb to soil particles.

Downgradient Ground Water Extraction and Discharge: Recovery of the ground water plume that has migrated from the CCL source area will be accomplished by installing a multi-well recovery system. This extracted ground water can be directly discharged to the POTW sewer without pretreatment. Monitoring of the influent to the sewer will ensure continued compliance with POTW requirements.

Institutional Controls: Institutional controls will be required for all remediation areas, including the Quinnville wellfield and the PAC downgradient area. These controls will function to prevent the use or hydrologic alteration of ground water throughout OU 1, and prevent direct contact to, or exposure to, contaminated soils in areas where such soils exceed EPA's risk range.

Environmental Monitoring: Environmental monitoring is incorporated into the remedy to measure the rate of reduction of contaminants and evaluate the effectiveness of the components of the remedial action, including the natural attenuation processes acting on the contaminated media throughout OU 1.

Natural attenuation: Natural attenuation is a process of naturally occurring biodegradation, oxidation, adsorption and dilution which reduces contaminant concentrations. This process will be the sole means of remediation at two areas of OU 1: the Quinnville wellfield and the PAC downgradient area. A focussed investigation will gather information on other potential sources impacting ground water at the PAC downgradient area.