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Short-Term Cleanup to Begin at Centredale Manor Restoration Project in N. Providence

Release Date: 08/11/2009
Contact Information: Stacy Greendlinger, (617) 918-1403

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 11, 2009) – The next phase of cleanup at the Centredale Manor Restoration Project in North Providence, R.I. is set to begin soon.

This month, Emhart Industries, Inc., a potentially responsible party, will start a $1.7 million short-term cleanup to excavate contaminated soil alongside and under portions of the Brook Village parking lot, thereby limiting the migration of contamination through groundwater into the river. EPA and the Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management (RIDEM) will supervise the work being done by Loureiro Engineering Associates and its subcontractors on behalf of Emhart.

Key elements of the short-term cleanup plan include:
- Excavating contaminated soil and disposing off-site;
- Stockpiling clean surface soil and topsoil for reuse as backfill;
- Installing temporary diversions of the river water away from the excavation area;
- Backfilling and re-grading excavated area;
- Installing an engineered impermeable cap;
- Installing and conducting limited sampling of groundwater monitoring wells;
- Installing erosion control along the riverbank;
- Monitoring air for particulates and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs); and
- Landscaping and repairing pavement and walkways disturbed by the cleanup.

Field work is expected to take about three months to complete and may require additional landscaping in spring 2010.

The Centredale Manor Restoration Project Superfund site extends down the Woonasquatucket River from the Brook Village and Centredale Manor properties, the approximately 9-acre source of contamination, south to at least the Lyman Mill Dam. The Woonasquatucket River has wide-spread dioxin contamination resulting from the former operations of a chemical company and a drum refurbisher on its shores. First identified in fish in 1996, EPA has since documented elevated levels of contaminants including dioxin, PCBs, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), semi-VOCs, and metals in soil, sediment, and wetlands at the site. People or wildlife which comes into contact with these media could be at potential risk.

EPA is currently developing potential long-term cleanup approaches for the entire site and will present them, with its preferred alternative, to the public for comment in winter 2010. The overall cleanup plan will address contaminated sediment, flood-plain soil, source-area soil, and groundwater.

Walking, running, or bike riding along the river, and paddling a canoe or kayak on the river are ways to safely enjoy the river. However, people should wash thoroughly after any contact with the river water or sediment. EPA asks that people keep in mind the following Do’s & Don’ts for the Woonasquatucket River:
- Don’t eat fish, turtles, eels, other wildlife or plants from the Woonasquatucket River;
- Don’t wade in the shallow water or swim in the river;
- Don’t dig into the river banks; and,
- Do obey the warning signs posted along the river.

More Information: Centerdale Manor Restoration Project (epa.gov/region1/superfund/sites/centredale)

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