W. R. Grace - prelimary report - North Cambridge Massachusetts

Scanned from the original, by the Alewife Study Group, March 10, 2001

Parts not included in the scan are indicated on the next page.

Every effort has been made to proofread the scan, especially, numerical data.

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REMOVAL PROGRAM

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT/

SITE INVESTIGATION REPORT

FOR THE

W. R. GRACE SITE

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

22 AUGUST 2000 AND 6 AND 7 SEPTEMBER 2000

Prepared For:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Region I

Emergency Planning and Response Branch

1 Congress Street, Suite 1100

Boston, NIA 02114-2023

CONTRACT NO. 68-W-00-097

TDD NO. 00-07-0037

PCS NO. 1228

DC NO. R-1238

Submitted By:

Roy F. Weston, Inc. (WESTON®)

Region I

Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team 2000 (START)

37 Upton Drive

Wilmington, MA 01887

February 2001

I. Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation Forms

II. Narrative Chronology
(TABLE 1, SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS,
NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SCANNED DOCUMENT)

III. Appendices

Appendix A -Site Location Map (Figure 1)

NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SCANNED DOCUMENT

Appendix B - Site and Sample Location Diagram (Figure 2)

INCLUDED AS SEPARATE FILE ON WEBSITE

(www.alewife.org)

Appendix C - Chain-of-Custody Recorded

NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SCANNED DOCUMENT

Appendix D - Analytical Data

NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SCANNED DOCUMENT

I. Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation Forms

I. EPA REGION I

REMOVAL PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

Site Name and Location

Name: W.R. Grace Location: 62 Whittemore Avenue

Town: Cambridge County: Middlesex State: Massachusetts

Site Status: ( )NPL ( )NON-NPL ( )RCRA ( )TSCA

(X)ACTIVE ( )ABANDONED ( )OTHER

(X)Attached USGS Map of Location (X)Site I.D. No.: RTN 3-17014

Latitude: 42^O 23’ 47" North Longitude: 71^O 08' 23" West

Referral

(X)Citizen ( )City/Town (X)State ( )Preremedial

( )RCRA (X)Other:

Name of referring party: Joseph J. Joseph, Alewife Study Group

Address: Phone:( )

Name of referring party: Craig Kelly, Esq.

Address: Phone:( )

Nameof referring party: Alice K. Wolf, State Representative,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Address: Phone:( )

Nameof referring party: Steven A. Tolman, State Senator,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Address: Phone:( )`

Contacts Identified

1) Mario Favorito [W.R. Grace & Co. , Vice President and Chief

Counsel (Cambridge) - Grace Local Services]

Phone:(617)498-4861

2)Tom Barry (W.R. Grace & Co.) Phone:(617)498-4350

3)David Croce (W.R. Grace & Co.) Phone:(617)498-4416

4)Amy Church (Haley & Aldrich) Phone:(617)886-7394

5) Anthony Anelauskas (New Boston Fund) Phone:(617)723-7760

6)John Bolduc

(Cambridge Community Development Dept.) Phone:(617)349-4628

7) John Wolf (Sverdrop Civil, Inc.)Phone:(617)742-8060

8) Jack Miano (MA DEP) Phone:(978)661-7734

9) Andrew Brennan (MBTA) Phone:(617)222-3126

(X) Report: Haley & Aldrich, Inc. reports entitled: Final Asbestos Sampling Plan, W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn., Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 1998; Report on Evaluation for Asbestos in Soil, W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn, April 1999; Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. reports entitled: Public Health Risk Evaluation for W.R. Grace Site in Cambridge, Massachusetts, (EH&E 95.415), 20 March 1996; Final Report, City of Cambridge Environmental Site Assessment, Subsurface Conditions at Russell Field, 9 October 1998; and Phase I Site Assessment Report and Tier Classification, RTN: 3-17087,

Russell Field Park, Off Rindge Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 23 July 1993.

(X) Other: file materials were provided by MA DEP, the City of Cambridge, and the Alewife Study Group.

Authorizing Person, (NBF) Jerome L. Rappaport, Jr., President, New Boston Fund, Inc.

Background Information: The W.R. Grace Site (the site) is approximately 40 acres and is divided into portions owned by four different owners, including W.R. Grace, the New Boston Fund, the City of Cambridge, and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.

The W.R. Grace portion of the site has been in use as industrial or commercial property since the 1800s. Prior owners of the W. R. Grace portion include clay mining companies, the Boston & Maine Railroad, Dix Lumber Company, the Smith Brickyard Company, the City of Cambridge, an ice cream manufacturing facility, and the Dewey & Almy Chemical Company (Dewey & Almy) Dewey & Almy was founded in 1919 for the manufacture of rubber products. In 1954, Dewey & Almy merged with W.R. Grace & Co. to become the Dewey & Almy Chemical Division of W.R. Grace & Co. According to Haley & Aldrich (H&A) reports, in the early 1930s it is believed that asbestos was stored and used in two on-site buildings as part of a brake lining development program. Asbestos-related activities also occurred on site in the late 1960s and early 1970s when a "small-scale" laboratory analysis and research program was conducted on asbestos-containing fireproofing materials. The above-referenced buildings were constructed in 1929 and used for warehousing, experimental process development, and the manufacture of solvent-based jar sealing compound, air-entraining agents for concrete, a silicone masonry sealant, and a dispersant. One of the products manufactured on site was naphthalene sulfonate, which is a compound used to facilitate the dispersion of rubber in water. During the period of naphthalene sulfonate manufacture, on-site lagoons were used as settling ponds and as sources of cooling water. From 1946 to

1961, one of the buildings housed chemical tank churns, and from 1979 to 1984, this building was used for various chemical manufacturing processes. It is reported that acetone was used on site as a raw material by W.R. Grace. Hazardous substances known to exist in on-site soils include asbestos, naphthalene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Reported asbestos concentrations ranged up to 12 percent in subsurface soils. Demolition of on-site buildings after 1954 may have also introduced asbestos into site soils.

During construction of the MBTA Alewife Red Line Station in the 1980s, soil excavated from the W.R. Grace portion of the property for construction of the subway tunnel was staged on what is now Russell Field Park, raising the possibility that contamination from the W.R. Grace property could have been spread to the City's property. The MBTA was required to restore Russell Field Park after removing the excavated material. In compliance with this requirement, up to 3 feet (ft) of topsoil was spread over Russell Field Park by MBTA.

Description of Substances Possibly Present, Known or Alleged: Previous investigations of the property indicated the presence of asbestos, naphthalene, and PAHs in on-site soils and naphthalene and acetone in groundwater.

(X) Sampling Data: Results of Polarized Light Microscopy(PLM) analysis of 590 surface and subsurface soil samples collected at and adjacent to the W.R. Grace property indicated the presence of asbestos at trace or percentage levels in 5.8% of the samples.

Concentrations of asbestos in soil ranged up to 12%. Other compounds reportedly detected in on-site soils include naphthalene, formaldehyde, fluorene, and several petroleum-based compounds, but available records do not indicate the analytical method(s) used or the concentrations detected. Analytical results of groundwater samples collected from on-site monitoring wells indicated the presence of naphthalene and acetone, but available records do not indicate the analytical method used or the concentrations detected.

Potential Threat

Description of potential hazards to environment and/or population that may be met by the site under 40 CFR 300.415 [b] [2].

Priority for Site Investigation

Report Generation

Comments:.The area under investigationincluded parcels owned by W.R. Grace & Co., the City of Cambridge (Russell Field Park), the New Boston Fund, Inc. (One Alewife Center), and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.(Alewife Red Line Headhouse).

In this version: the symbols are not available; ^{R S} are defined on the next page.]

(X) Lagoons: Waste disposal lagoons were used at the property during the period of on-site naphthalene sulfonate production, which lasted for an unknown length of time. Material within the lagoons was reportedly removed by the MBTA during construction of the Alewife Station from 1982 to 1983.

(X) Tanks: (X) Above: Numerous aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) historically existed at the W.R. Grace portion of the property, but have since been removed from within the fenced areas.

REMOVAL SITE INVESTIGATION

(X) Asbestos: Samples collected from on-site surface and subsurface soils in May and December 1998 indicated the presence of asbestos at concentrations ranging up to 12 percent in subsurface soils, as determined by Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) analysis.

(X) Stressed Vegetation: Stressed vegetation was noted in the bioremediation beds, and throughout the W.R. Grace portion of the site.

(X) Population in Vicinity: The site is located in a densely populated section of Cambridge. Numerous residences exist within 200 yards of the site.

(X) Monitoring: Several monitoring wells exist at the W.R. Grace portion of the site.

The 27-acre W.R. Grace (Grace) portion of the site consists of several multiple-story buildings, landscaped areas, and paved parking areas which cover an unknown area on the northern end of the site. The remainder of the Grace portion of the site, which is surrounded by locked, 6-foot (ft) high, chain-link fencing, consists of areas of overgrown vegetation, asphalt pavement, public-access walkways, and Jerry's Pond on the southern end of the property. The former Lehigh Metals (Lehigh) property, now owned by W.R. Grace, is located directly west of Jerry's Pond. A wetland now exists in the foundation hole of the former Lehigh building. Several monitoring wells are located throughout the Grace property, and two bioremediation beds are located approximately 100 ft west of bleachers adjacent to the Russell Field Park football field.

The One Alewife Center portion of the site, located along Whittemore Avenue at the northern end of the site, consists of a multiple-story brick office building, landscaped areas, and a paved parking area.

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) portion of the site consists of the Alewife Red Line Station Headhouse, which provides access to the Red Line subway, areas of concrete and asphalt pavement, landscaped areas, and public walkways.

The Russell Field Park portion of the site consists of two baseball fields, a football field and bleachers, a soccer field, a running track, public walkways, an asphalt parking area, and areas of open lawn. The sports fields are surrounded by 4-ft high, chain-link fences.

Comments: Sampling was conducted in accordance with the START document entitled, Sampling Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan for the W.R. Grace Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, which was prepared for the site.

Fifty-two grab surface soil samples and three suspected asbestos-containing material (SACM) samples were collected by START and EPA personnel throughout the site. Samples collected from the Grace portion of the site were labeled WRG-01 through WRG-38 and SACM-01 through SACM-03. Samples collected from the One Alewife Center portion of the property were labeled OAC-01 through OAC-05.

Samples collected from City of Cambridge property, including Russell Field Park, were labeled COC-01 through COC-05, and samples collected from the MBTA portion of the site were labeled MBTA-01 through MBTA-03. All samples were analyzed at the EPA New England Regional Laboratory (NERL) for asbestos content by polarized light microscopy (PLM) Upon receipt of the PLM results, EPA selected 28

samples to be analyzed at a private laboratory for asbestos content by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) During sampling activities, START and EPA personnel wore personal air-monitoring pumps with cartridges that were analyzed for asbestos at a private laboratory by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) . Upon receipt of the PCM results, START selected one cartridge to be analyzed at the same laboratory by TEM. Five samples collected from the bioremediation beds were analyzed at a private laboratory for semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs).

(X) Unrestricted Access: Access to the Russell Field Park and MBTA portions of the site is unrestricted. Access to the One Alewife Center portion of the site is unrestricted, except for the interior of the office building, to which access is limited. Access to the Grace portion of the site is unrestricted along the public-access walkways and in the paved parking and landscaped areas surrounding the Grace buildings. Access to the Grace buildings is limited, as is access to the fenced portions of the Grace property.

(X) Population in Proximity: The site is located in a densely populated section of Cambridge, with numerous residences located within 200 yards. Hundreds of people use Russell Field Park and public access walkways throughout the'site each day.

Additional Procedures for Site Determination

Site Determination

Depending on further information, criteria that may be met by the site include 40 CFR 300.415 [b] [2], parts:

Report Generation

On 22 August 2000 and 6 and 7 September 2000, Roy F. Weston, Inc., (WESTON,&) Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) members Michael Argue, Daniel Muzrall, Tiffany Gurney, Gretchen Franzheim, and Patrick Boska conducted Removal Program Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI) activities at the W.R. Grace Site (the site), located at 62

Whittemore Avenue, Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts [see Appendix A - Site Location Map (Figure 1)]. Geographic coordinates of the site are Latitude 42^o 23' 47" North and Longitude 71^o 08' 23" West, as measured from the ' center of the property. The purpose of conducting the PA/SI was to determine the presence and extent of suspected asbestos contamination in on-site surfacesoils.

The site is divided into four properties, including the W.R. Grace & Co. Construction Division Headquarters, One Alewife Center, Russell Field Park, and the Alewife Red Line Head House [see Appendix B - Site and Sampling Location Diagram (Figure 2)]. These parcels are owned by W.R. Grace & Co. (Grace), the New Boston Fund, the City of Cambridge (the City), and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), respectively. The Grace headquarters property is an irregularly shaped 27-acre parcel that borders Whittemore Avenue and One Alewife Center to the north, Russell Field Park to the east and south, Rindge Avenue to the south, surrounds the MBTA Alewife T Red Line Head House, and is bounded by Alewife Brook Parkway to the west. The northern end of the Grace property contains two large, multiple-story, brick and concrete buildings that have a combined footprint of approximately 175,000-square-feet (ft), along with landscaped areas, and an asphalt-paved parking area. The remainder of the Grace property consists of open, grassy areas and areas of overgrown vegetation surrounded by 8-foot (ft), chain-link fencing, public-access walkways, and Jerry's Pond, which is located on the southern end of the parcel. Two bioremediation beds are located on the Grace property within a fenced area between the Alewife Red Line Head House and Russell Field Park. One Alewife Center is bordered to the east and south by the Grace property, to the west by the Grace property and a private residence, and to the north by Whittemore Avenue. This parcel contains a large, multiple-story, brick and concrete office building surrounded by landscaped areas. The MBTA parcel is bordered to the north, east and south by the Grace property, and to the west by Alewife Brook Parkway. This parcel contains the Alewife Red Line Head House, which is surrounded by brick and concrete public access walkways. Russell Field Park is bordered to the north and west by the Grace property, to the south by Rindge Avenue and a Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) swimming pool, and to the east by Clifton Street residences. The park consists of two baseball fields, a football field, a soccer field, a running track, public access walkways, and landscaped areas.

The W.R. Grace portion of the site has been in use as industrial or commercial property since the 1800's. Prior owners of the W.R. Grace portion of the property include clay mining companies, the Boston & Maine Railroad, Dix Lumber Company, the Smith Brickyard Company, the City of Cambridge, an ice cream manufacturing facility, and the Dewey & Almy Chemical Company (Dewey & Almy). According to a Haley & Aldrich (H&A) report prepared for W.R. Grace, Dewey

& Almy was founded in 1919 for the manufacture of rubber products. In 1954, Dewey & Almy merged with W.R. Grace & Co., to become the Dewey & Almy Chemical Division of W.R. Grace & Co. It is believed that asbestos was handled in two on-site buildings in the early 1930s as part of a brake lining development program. Asbestos-related activities also occurred on site in the late 1960s and early 1970s when a "small-scale" laboratory analysis and research program was conducted for asbestos-containing fireproofing materials. The above referenced buildings were constructed in 1929 and used for warehousing, experimental process development, and the manufacture of solvent-based jar sealing compound, air-entraining agents for concrete, a silicone masonry sealant, and a dispersant. One of the major products manufactured on site was naphthalene sulfonate, which is a compound used to facilitate the dispersion of rubber in water. During the period of naphthalenesulfonate manufacture, on-site lagoons were used as settling ponds and as sources of coolingwater. From 1946 to 1961, one of the buildings housed chemical tank churns, and from 1979 to 1984, the buildingwas used for various chemical manufacturing processes. It is reported that acetone was used on site as a raw material by W.R. Grace. Hazardous substances identified in on-site soils during previous investigations of the Grace property include asbestos, naphthalene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Reported asbestos concentrations ranged up to 12 percent in subsurface soils.

An H&A diagram of the Grace property entitled Site Conditions During Dewey & Almy Operations -Storage Areas - depicts several areas in which various chemical compounds were stored in aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) and underground storage tanks (USTs). According to the diagram, these chemical compounds included: acetone, toluene, methanol, "white oil", latex, zinc chloride, ammonia, rosin, propane, diesel fuel, gasoline, light oil, heavy fuel oil, calcium lignosulfate, soap, fatty acid, muriatic acid, alcohol, vinyl acetate, nitrogen, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, naphthalene, and formaldehyde. The H&A diagram also indicates that a tank farm located on the property contained ASTs that held, at various times, styrene, butadiene, methyl acetate, dibutyl. maleate, isobutyl ether, and hexylene glycol.

During construction of the MBTA Alewife T Red Line Station in the 1980s, soil excavated from the W.R. Grace portion of the property for construction of the tunnel was staged on what is now Russell Field Park, raising the possibility that contamination from the W.R. Grace property could have been spread to the City's property. The MBTA was required to restore the field as a condition of its use; top soil has been spread over Russell Field Park to depths ranging up to 3 ft.

The PA/SI consisted of an on-site reconnaissance, which was conducted on 22 August 2000, and a 2 day sampling event which took place on 6 and 7 September 2000. On 22 August 2000, START members Argue and Muzrall met U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Mary Ellen Stanton, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator (CIC) Jim Murphy, and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) representative Beth Timm at the site. START personnel calibrated the air-monitoring equipment, including a combustible gas indicator/oxygen meter (CGI/0₂), a photoionization detector (PID), a flame ionization detector (FID), and a radiation meter (MicroR) to establish ambient conditions at the site. Ambient conditions were recorded as follows: LEL = 0.0 %;0₂= 21.3 %; PID = 0.0 units; PID = 0.0 units; MicroR = <15mR/hr. The on-site reconnaissance was conducted in Level D personal protective equipment (PPE), in accordance with the site Health and Safety Plan (HASP). The HASP

has been prepared as a separate document, entitled: Removal Program Site Health and Safety Plan for the W. R. Grace Site Preliminary AssessmentlSite Investigation, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

OSC Stanton circulated a sign-in sheet and met with New Boston Fund (NBF) representatives Anthony Anelauskas and Jim Faneuf about the on-site activities scheduled for the day. Upon completing her meeting with the NBF representatives, OSC Stanton led a walkthrough of the One Alewife Center (OAC) property and selected five sampling locations along the perimeter of the OAC office building. START member Muzrall recorded the sample stations on the START Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment. Throughout the reconnaissance, START member Muzrall used the GPS equipment to record all of the sample stations that were selected by OSC Stanton. All parties departed the OAC property and re-convened at Russell Field Park.

At Russell Field Park, EPA, START, and ATSDR met with City of Cambridge representative John Bolduc and attorney Jeff Roelofs regarding EPA's planned sampling event. All parties conducted a walkthrough of the park, and OSC Stanton selected five sampling locations, two of which were located within the diamonds of the park's two baseball fields, as requested by ATSDR. All parties then returned to the Russell Field Park parking lot for a meeting with Sverdrop Civil, Inc. representative John Wolf, and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) representative Jack Miano.

Mr. Wolf inquired about the objective of the proposed sampling, and OSC Stanton stated that EPA and START will be collecting soil samples to determine whether an immediate risk to human health exists at the site. Mr. Wolf inquired if there was a specific analytical result that determines risk, and OSC Stanton replied that there is no specific benchmark, but that a number of factors are considered in making that determination.

Mr. Bolduc and Mr. Roelofs departed the site, and Mr. Wolf asked what the alternatives for remediation would be if asbestos was found at the site. OSC Stanton stated that the two most likely alternatives would be excavation or capping of the site.

START, EPA, and ATSDR personnel met in Russell Field Park with representatives of Grace and their consultant, H&A. The Grace representatives included Tom Barry, David Croce and Mario Favorito. The H&A representatives included Amy Church, Wesley Stimpson, and Bill Beck. All parties walked the perimeter of the Grace buildings, and inspected a small brick building on the north side of Whittemore Avenue known as the former ice cream manufacturing building. The building is currently used by Grace for materials storage and concrete mold manufacture. The interior and the exterior of the building were examined. No exposed soil was observed around the perimeter of the building, and no storage of hazardous materials was observed within the building.

All parties proceeded to the fenced areas of the Grace property for a walkthrough lead by H&A representative Church. During this portion ofthe walk through, OSC Stanton selected approximately 20 soil locations to be sampled for asbestos. Points of interest noted by EPA, START, and ATSDR included two bioremediation beds used by H&A to remediate site-derived soils that were contaminated by naphthalene and other petroleum products. OSC Stanton noted a petroleum odor within one of the bioremediation beds. East of the bioremediation beds, START observed several fragments of suspected asbestos-containing material (SACM) on the ground surface. MA DEP

observed at least three different types of SACM in this area. START observed SACM that appeared to be non-friable on the ground surface in at least two other locations, including a work area directly south of the southernmost Grace building, and in a fenced area south of the work area. )While inside one of the Grace buildings, ATSDR observed a pallet of Zonolite, attic insulation, which is a Grace vermiculite product suspected to be asbestos-containing.

On 6 September 2000, START members Argue and Gurney arrived at Russell Field Park, met OSC Stanton, established a sampling support zone, and calibrated the air-monitoring equipment. H&A representatives Church and Jennifer Mullen arrived at the site to observe sampling activities and collect split samples. All parties commenced flagging the locations to be sampled. Sampling locations were selected in areas where asbestos had been detected in previous surveys; in areas with SACM on the ground surface; and in areas where sampling had not been conducted previously. START members Franzheim, and Boska arrived at Russell Field Park and met START, EPA, and H&A personnel already on site. Site Leader (SL) Argue activated personal air monitors to be worn by OSC Stanton and START member Boska, and conducted a tailgate safety meeting.

START members Gurney, Franzheim, and Boska donned Level C PPE, and commenced sampling activities while OSC Stanton and SL Argue flagged additional sample locations. Soil sampling activities were conducted in accordance with the site sampling quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) plan, entitled: Removal Program Sampling Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan for the W.R. Grace Site Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation, Cambridge, Massachusetts. All samples were collected as grabs from 0- to 3-inches below ground surface (bgs). Samples were collected using dedicated sampling equipment and analyzed at the EPA New England Regional Laboratory (NERL) for asbestos content by polarized light microscopy (PLM). Extra volume was collected at each sampling station as a portion of the samples would be selected for analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at a private laboratory, pending PLM results. Additional aliquots of samples WRG-24 through WRG-28, which were collected from the bioremediation beds, were sent to a private laboratory for semivolatile organic compound (SVOC), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) analyses. Splits of all samples collected on the Grace property and in Russell Field Park were relinquished upon collection to the H&A and City of Cambridge representatives. Cartridges from the personal air monitors were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) at a private laboratory and then held by the laboratory for TEM analysis, pending PCM results. Chain-of-Custody (COC) records for the sampling event are located in Appendix C (see Appendix C - Chain-of-Custody Records). Analytical results are located in Appendix D (see Appendix D - Analytical Data).

Prior to departing site for the day, START member Gurney photodocumented locations that had already been sampled and recording sample positions with the GPS equipment. The photodocumentation log has been prepared as a separate document, entitled Removal Program Photodocumentation Log for the W. R. Grace Site Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI), Cambridge, Massachusetts. START personnel concluded sampling activities for the day, and SL Argue completed COC documentation.

On 7 September 2000, START members Argue, Gurney, Franzheim, and Boska met OSC Stanton and CIC Murphy at One Alewife Center, calibrated the air-monitoring instruments, and established a sampling support zone. SL Argue conducted a tailgate safety meeting, instructed START personnel on proper sampling techniques, and activated personal air monitors to be worn by OSC Stanton and START member Boska. All personnel donned Level C PPE and commenced sampling activities at the One Alewife Center property. At sample locations OAC-01 through OAC-04, SL Argue removed circular sections of sod from the ground surface and placed them on plastic sheeting. After the samples had been collected, SL Argue completed COC documentation, photodocumented each sample location, and returned the sod to its original position while START member Gurney recorded the sample locations with the GPS equipment. All parties then departed the One Alewife Center property and reconvened at Russell Field Park.

At Russell Field Park, START personnel and OSC Stanton met City of Cambridge representative Bolducand the City's consultan t, Environmental Health and Engineering representative Cindee Campisano, who were on site to observe sampling activities and collect split samples collected at the park. START personnel donned Level C PPE, collected the samples, labeled COC-0 1 through COC-05, and relinquished splits to the City of Cambridge representative and consultant. SL Argue completed COC documentation and photodocumented sample stations while START member Gurney recorded sample locations with the GPS equipment.

Upon completion of sampling activities at Russell Field Park, START personnel, OSC Stanton, and CIC Murphy met with H&A representatives Church and Mullen, who were on site to collect splits of the remaining Grace property samples. All parties proceeded to the Grace property where START members Gurney, Franzheim, and Boska donned Level C PPE and collected the remaining samples. SL Argue completed COC documentation and photodocumented sample stations. Upon completion of sample collection, START member Gurney recorded sample locations with the GPS equipment, and START members Franzheim and Boska placed chain-of-custody seals on the sample containers.

START members Argue and Franzheim accompanied OSC Stanton to the area of the former Lehigh Metals factory to observe suspected non-friable asbestos containing material (ACM) near sample locations WRG-34 and WRG-36. START members Gurney, Franzheim, and Boska departed the site. SL Argue remained on site to photodocument site conditions before departing.

Upon receipt of PLM analytical results from NERL, OSC Stanton selected 28 samples to be analyzed at a private laboratory by TEM. OSC Stanton requested that all laboratories bidding on the TEM analytical contract submit their Analytical Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for review. Based on the SOPs received, a laboratory was awarded the contract, and the 28 samples were shipped for analysis. Upon commencement of analytical activities, the laboratory experienced difficulties preparing the sample matrix for analysis, and contacted the START office concerning this problem. During the course of the communications that followed, it was revealed that the laboratory technicians were not following the SOP that had been sent to START for review by EPA. START placed a stop-work order on the analysis and requested that the samples be returned to the START office. The samples were returned to the START office and delivered to NERL for storage. These samples were not analyzed. Upon further review of the remaining SOPs, another laboratory was selected, and additional aliquots of the original sample material were shipped for analysis.

Upon review of the PCM analytical results for the personal air monitor cartridges, one sample was selected for analysis by TEM because analytical results indicated the presence of 0.068 fibers per cubic centimeter (cc), which is slightly above the WESTONÒ action level for airborne asbestos fibers (0.05 fibers/cc). TEM analysis detected no asbestos fibers in the sample.

Upon receipt of SVOC, PCB, TPH, PCM, and personal air monitor cartridge TEM analytical results, a Tier I data validation was completed. Upon receipt of the soil TEM analytical results, a Tier II data validation was performed.

The sample results were not flagged as "rejected" during the data validation process, and thus are acceptable for use.

February 2001 report
from Roy F. Weston Inc., to EPA,
on W.R. Grace site

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Potential Threat

Priority for Site Investigation

Report Generation

REMOVAL SITE INVESTIGATION

Additional Procedures for Site Determination

Site Determination

Report Generation

February 2001 report from Roy F. Weston Inc., to EPA, on W.R. Grace site

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Potential Threat

Priority for Site Investigation

Report Generation

REMOVAL SITE INVESTIGATION

Additional Procedures for Site Determination

Site Determination

Report Generation

February 2001 report
from Roy F. Weston Inc., to EPA,
on W.R. Grace site