|
 |
|
|
|
Site Type: Site Awaiting NPL Decision (SAND) 
SHAWS PLAZA
 | Click to view
map of site |
| SHARON, Massachusetts |
| NORFOLK County |
| Street Address: | 700-800 SOUTH MAIN STREET
|
| Zip Code: | 02067 |
Congressional
District(s): |
04 |
| EPA ID #: | MAD985276153 |
| Site ID #: | 0101932 |
| Site Alias: | |
|
|
Description
The Shaw’s Plaza (SP) property is located at 700-800 South Main Street in Sharon, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The 11.77-acre property is designated on the Sharon Tax Assessor’s Map as Lot Nos. 37-5 and 38-3 and is currently owned by Sharon Plaza Associates LLC. The property is bounded to the north and northwest by cranberry bogs, to the west by Interstate Route 95 (I-95), to the south by a housing development, and to the east by residential properties. As of 1995, the SP property was occupied by a shopping center anchored by a Shaw’s supermarket and cinema with eleven smaller retail units. Other features on the SP property include the following: a large paved parking area surrounding the shopping center; wetlands on the southern portion of the property, through which Billings Brook flows easterly; a septic system with two tanks and three leachfields that have each been used at different times during the property’s history; and approximately 30 groundwater monitoring wells.
The property was first developed for commercial use in 1964. Facilities on-site have been expanded several times since and remain active. Retail establishments that have operated on the property between 1964 and 1995 include the following: an automotive repair shop, dry-cleaners, restaurants, a bank, a hair salon, a bicycle shop, and miscellaneous retail shops.
In 1986, the Town of Sharon Board of Appeals requested that a hydrogeologic study be conducted to assess the potential impact of the on-site septic system to Sharon Well No. 5, a public drinking water supply located approximately 0.3 miles southeast, and downgradient, of the property. Five chlorinated and non-chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in soil samples. Also in 1986, an unknown amount of waste oil was found to have been disposed of to catchbasins on the property by an unidentified party. Ten subsequent environmental investigations between 1986 and 1995 have involved a review of all chemicals used by several of the businesses present on-site and the sampling of groundwater; surface water; sediment; surficial and subsurface soil; and water from drain traps, sink drains, and floor drains of several on-site businesses. VOCs, including tetrachloroethene (PCE), ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene, were detected in samples collected from drain traps. Various organic compounds, including PCE, 1,1,1 trichloroethane (TCA), and petroleum distillates, were found to be used by on-site businesses. The VOCs specifically mentioned above are not immediately harmful at low concentrations; however, some are known carcinogens.
Groundwater beneath the SP property flows to the southeast, towards Sharon Well No. 5. As of 1995, an estimated 56,731 people were served by drinking water supply wells located within 4-radial miles of the SP property. The nearest private drinking water supply well is located along Furnace Street in Sharon, approximately 0.75 miles south of the SP property. The nearest public drinking water supply well is Sharon Well No. 5, which served approximately 3,055 people in 1995. Analytical results of groundwater and drinking water sampling have documented the release of benzene and seven chlorinated VOCs, including TCA, PCE, trichoroethylene (TCE), and 1,2-dichloroethylene (DCE), to groundwater beneath and downgradient of the SP property. According to the 1995 Site Inspection Prioritization (SIP) report by Camp, Dresser, and McKee (CDM), groundwater sampling results indicate the presence of a groundwater contamination plume of PCE originating at the SP property and extending to the southeast. PCE has also been detected in drinking water samples collected from Sharon Well No. 5 at a maximum concentration (as of 1995) of 3.6 parts per billion.
In 1992, a groundwater treatment system was installed to treat the contaminated groundwater. The treatment system consists of three recovery wells located between the shopping center and Sharon Well No. 5 and an extraction unit installed on the SP property. The system has been in operation from 1992 to at least 1995.
Surface water runoff from the SP property and groundwater from beneath the SP property both flow south, towards Billings Brook. Other surface water bodies located within 15 downstream miles of the SP property include, Gavins Pond, Vandys Pond, the Rumford River, Glue Factory Pond, Fulton Pond, and the Norton Reservoir. As of 1995, there were no surface water intakes located along the surface water pathway. All surface water bodies located along the 15-mile downstream surface water pathway are fisheries with the exception of Glue Factory Pond. Sensitive environments located along the surface water pathway include a water body protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA), habitat for one State-designated threatened species, and 15.25 miles of wetland frontage. Analytical results of surface water pathway sampling have documented a release of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) to surface water in Billings Brook and associated wetlands at concentrations near 1 part per million (ppm). A fishery and a CWA-protected water body have been impacted by this release.
There are 275 workers associated with the SP property. There are no on-site residents associated with the property. Most of the SP property is either paved or under the footprint of the shopping center. Access to the SP property is unrestricted. An estimated 2,075 and 40,307 people reside within 1-radial mile and 4-radial miles of the SP property, respectively. The nearest residence is located approximately 200 ft east of the SP property. No schools or day-care facilities are located within 200 ft of the SP property and no terrestrial sensitive environments are located on the SP property. Sensitive environments located within 4-radial miles of the SP property include a CWA-protected water body, habitat for a State-designated threatened species, and 1,992 acres of wetlands. Surface soil sampling has documented the release of iron and antimony to surface soils on the SP property. According to the 1995 SIP report this release is most likely due to disposal of iron buildup within the extraction unit of the on-site groundwater treatment system. No known impact to nearby residential or worker populations have been documented. As of 1995, no known laboratory-analyzed ambient air sampling had been conducted on the SP property.
Shaws Plaza CERCLIS No. MAD985276153
Sharon, Massachusetts Site ID No. 0101932
A Response Action Outcome statement has been completed for remedial actions at the property and response actions have largely mitigated significant threats on the property. The property is in Phase V (Operation, Maintenance, and/or Monitoring) of the five phase Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP). During Phase V, long-term treatment processes are implemented and monitored to track cleanup progress.
Current Status
Photos
Links to Other Information
Public Record Locations
EPA New England Records Center, One Congress Street, Boston, MA 02114 (617) 918-1440
Contacts
| Nancy Smith |
| Site Assessment Manager |
| Address: | One Congress Street, Suite 1100 (HBS)
Boston, MA 02114-2023 |
| Phone #: | 617-918-1436 |
| E-Mail Address: | smith.nancya@epa.gov |
|