Phase I Environmental Site Assessment

The following story is from the East Aurora Advertiser.  It is regarding a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment:

A proposal to build the Aurora Ice Association’s rink facility on Quaker Road/Route 20A rather than Riley Street has been removed, probably permanently, from the consideration of the Village Board. No trustee showed support for the plan at the Village Board’s May 5 meeting.

Under the proposal, put forward by then-Mayor David DiPietro in late 2007, the village would have accepted a parcel of land on Quaker Road gifted by its owner, Benderson Development. The village would then transfer the land to the Aurora Ice Association for the construction of the rink. Other parts of DiPietro’s plan called for a new fire station to be built on the Riley Street property owned by the ice association, and senior housing to be built at the current Oakwood Avenue fire hall.

The plan hit a snag when rumors surfaced of past dumping at or near the Quaker Road site, which is adjacent to the Aurora Town Highway garage. The board called for a Phase I environmental site assessment of the Quaker Road property by Clough Harbour Associates, and received the results of the study on March 17….

the study included above-ground reconnaissance of the 7.59-acre site, a check of previous owners of the property and surrounding areas, a records check with environmental agencies and government organizations, and interviews with those who might have knowledge of the site.

“Stained sediments were observed near the creek, a rainbow colored sheen was observed on groundwater discharging into the ravine through an outlet pipe down slope from the property and the fact that the terrain does not appear to be natural (i.e. fill was brought in) all contribute to this REC [recognized environmental concern],” Clough Harbour Associates reported, also noting that information from interviews represented a recognized environmental concern…

In the report, Clough Harbour Associates “recommends that a further environmental investigation of he subject property be performed in the form of a Phase II [environmental site assessment]” including testing water and soil and excavating test pits.

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(Atlanta, Ga. - May 13, 2008) EPA began a removal action at the Lincoln Metals site in Lincoln, Ala. on May 12, 2008. The removal action is a short-term cleanup intended to stabilize the Site and remove any hazards it may pose to human health and the environment. The removal action may take up to 3 months at an estimated cost of approximately is $2.5 million.

Work at the site may include:

- Mobilization and Site preparation;
- Excavation, disposal and removal of lead-contaminated soils from the foundry property, an off-site ditch, a public park, and a residential yard;
- Assessment of an additional property;
- Demolition and disposal of the foundry building;
- On-site stabilization of soils and debris, as necessary, before transportation to approved disposal facilities; and
- Restoration of a residential yard, a public park, and the foundry property.

The Lincoln Metals site is an inactive brass foundry that operated in Lincoln, Talladega County, Alabama from 1956 to 2001. The facility was built circa 1947. During March 2001, Heartland Faucet declared bankruptcy and in November 2001, Silvercrown Investments, purchased the company out of bankruptcy.

In August 2006, Alabama Department of Environmental Management referred the site to EPA requesting the abandoned property be considered for immediate response under Federal authority. In January 2007, EPA’s Emergency Response and Removal Branch (ERRB) conducted a removal site assessment and determined that further evaluation was required.

In May and July of 2007, EPA conducted additional soil sampling at the site to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site and adjacent properties. The 2007 assessments revealed the presence of lead contaminated soils above EPA’s removal action levels at the site. As a result of the direct threat of potential contact with contaminated soils, a removal action was approved on March 26, 2008.

To obtain further information about the activities to be conducted at the site, please contact Sherryl Carbonaro, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at (800) 564-7577. Citizens with health concerns associated with potential lead exposure should contact Cheryl Browder, Alabama Department of Public Health, Talladega County, at (800) 201-8208 or consult with your family physician.

Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW . Washington DC 20460 . 202-564-4355

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