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Site Type: Site Awaiting NPL Decision (SAND) 
FORBES LITHOGRAPHIC CO (FORMER)
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map of site |
| CHELSEA, Massachusetts |
| SUFFOLK County |
| Street Address: | MARGINAL ST
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| Zip Code: | 02150 |
Congressional
District(s): |
07 |
| EPA ID #: | MAD980524177 |
| Site ID #: | 0100722 |
| Site Alias: | |
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Description
The former Forbes Lithographic Co. (Forbes) property is located in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The following street addresses have been used to describe the property: Marginal Street (street number unknown), 1 Forbes Street, and 409 Crescent Avenue. The 17.4-acre property is described by the Tax Assessor’s office as Parcel No. 22 on Map No. 69. The property is bordered to the north by a railroad and Crescent Avenue, to the east by Mill Creek, and to the south and west by the Chelsea River and associated wetlands, respectively. The predominant improved structure on the property is one large “building complex” which occupies approximately 50% of the property and is subdivided into 12 units occupied by a variety of tenants. The remaining portion of the property consists of paved areas and smaller buildings.
According to file information, Forbes purchased the property in 1886 and operated a printing business at this location until 1968. In addition to Forbes, Diamond National Corp. also operated on the property (as a division of Forbes) for an unknown period of time around 1950. In 1968, the property was sold to Morrell Properties and subsequently converted into an “industrial park” providing office, manufacturing, and storage space to numerous tenants. During their years of operation, Forbes manufactured wrappers, labels, and “invasion money” during World War II. Lithographic inks used by Forbes may have contained one or more of the following: pigments (including various metals), castor oil, naphthalene, mineral oil, linseed oil, aromatic hydrocarbon resins, and petroleum distillates. These substances were stored in numerous underground and aboveground storage tanks. According to file information, n-pentane was used by Diamond National Corporation (the exact purpose unknown). Other (miscellaneous) solvents may have also been used to periodically clean and/or maintain printing equipment.
In 1980, an investigation was conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) in response to the discovery (by Morrell) of buried “ink waste.” Analytical results of the “ink waste” revealed the presence of 18 metals, including (but not limited to): lead, chromium, barium, and zinc. No information regarding the removal of this material was available. Ink waste was again encountered in 1990 during the maintenance of stormwater catchbasins along the Chelsea River; Town of Chelsea employees reported that they had encountered a material having the “consistency and odor of paint” and that the material appeared to originate from two 55-gallon drums. The drums contained a “multi-colored, semi-solid” material. Subsequently (also in 1990), Morrell subcontracted the removal of the drums and visually contaminated soil. As a result of the discovery, the following investigations are known to have been completed: a Screening Site Inspection (SSI) in 1991, and a Site Inspection Prioritization (SIP) in 1995. Samples collected during the SSI revealed soil contaminated with two volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 18 semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), 11 metals, and cyanide. Observations made during the SIP revealed multi-colored, semi-solid pieces of ink waste on the ground surface and originating from the bank of the Chelsea River. Based on field observations (of paint waste next to the river), an EPA Removal Assessment was completed in September 1995, which also included the collection of ink waste samples; analytical results of these samples revealed two VOCs and 22 metals.
The depth to groundwater is unknown; however, it is presumably less than 20 feet below ground surface (bgs) based on the relative elevation of the property to the Chelsea River. Groundwater flow on the Forbes property is presumably to the southeast, towards the Chelsea River. There are no known public drinking water supply wells within 4-radial miles of the property. The nearest private groundwater drinking supply well is estimated to be located within a 1- to 2-mile radius of the property, and the total population which relies on groundwater within 4-radial miles of the property is 104 people. To date, no known groundwater monitoring wells have been installed on the property, and no known groundwater samples have been collected.
The majority of the property is covered by buildings or pavement. Paved areas on the northeastern and southern portions of the property drain to Mill Creek and the Chelsea River, respectively. There are no known surface drinking water intakes located downstream from the property. In 1995, three sediment samples (including a duplicate) were collected from two locations as part of the EPA Removal Assessment. Specifically, one sample was collected from wetlands adjacent to Mill Creek, and the other two samples were collected from wetlands along the Chelsea River. Fourteen SVOCs and 19 metals were detected in sediment samples. Moreover, the majority of the substances detected in sediment samples were previously identified in samples collected from source areas on the property.
There are no on-site residents; however, approximately 100 individuals are employed by the various business located on the property. Access to the property is partially restricted by surface water bodies (to the east and south) and by a fence and the railroad to the north. The nearest residence is located approximately 500 feet northwest of the property. Migration of known chemical contaminants via air is not considered to be a significant migration pathway.
The Forbes property is classified as a Tier II site and is currently in Phase II of the five phase Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) process.
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 |
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