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Site Type: Site Awaiting NPL Decision (SAND) 
NORTHEAST UTILITIES
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| WATERBURY, Connecticut |
| NEW HAVEN County |
| Street Address: | JACKSON STREET
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| Zip Code: | 06701 |
Congressional
District(s): |
03 |
| EPA ID #: | CTD981898521 |
| Site ID #: | 0100316 |
| Site Alias: | |
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Description
The Northeast Utilities - Waterbury (Northeast) property is located along Jackson Street in Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut. The 11.5-acre property is currently owned by Yankee Gas, and is occupied by a regulator station, a boarded-up maintenance building, and a school bus storage area. The majority of the property is covered with broken concrete and gravel; the remainder of the property is covered with overgrown weeds. The Northeast property is bordered to the north by Route 84, to the south by Laidlaw Bus Sales, to the east by Jackson Street and a railroad yard, and to the west by the Naugatuck River.
From 1853 to 1923, Northeast operated a coal gasification plant on the property and supplied coal gas for the Waterbury Gas Light Company. In 1933, the Waterbury Gas Light Company merged into the Connecticut Light & Power Company. Property use between 1924 and 1963 is unknown. In 1964, the coal gasification facility was dismantled. From the 1960s to 1990, the Northeast property operated as a maintenance and storage facility for vehicles and supplies for Northeast Utilities Service Company (NUSCO). In 1990, Yankee Gas acquired the property, which has been since leased to Laidlaw Bus Sales of 99 Jackson Street, for school bus storage. The property is also used as a regulator station for the Town of Waterbury main gas line. During operations as a coal gasification plant, gas was produced from oil and coal distillation or cracking. Coal tar was a by-product of this process. Coal tars are made up mainly of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cresols, xylenes, phenols, and metals. Between 1923 and 1963, an estimated 15,000 cubic yards of coal tar were buried in three areas of the property. Two small deposits of liquid coal tar exist on the northern corner and in the middle of the property. A single deposit of weathered coal tar is located in the western section of the property.
Groundwater occurs in overburden at a depth of approximately 5 feet (ft) below ground surface, and groundwater flow is to the south/southwest, toward the Naugatuck River. There are no public groundwater wells located within 4-miles of the property. The Town of Waterbury is supplied with municipal drinking water from the Morris and Wigwam Reservoirs, located approximately 9 miles northwest of the property. The estimated population served by private groundwater wells within 4-radial miles of the property is 8,466. The nearest private drinking water supply well is located between 0 and 0.25-radial miles of the property. Analytical results of groundwater samples collected from the property in 1987 by NUSCO indicated the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PAHs, inorganic elements, and cyanide. Due to the documented contamination and proximity to private wells, impacts to nearby drinking water supply wells are suspected.
The closest surface water body, the Naugatuck River, is located approximately 10 ft west of the property. Stormwater runoff form the property flows into stormwater drains located on the property which discharge into the Naugatuck River, a recreational fishery and Clean Water Act (CWA)-protected water body. The Naugatuck River comprises the entire 15-mile downstream surface water pathway. No drinking water intakes, wetlands, or sensitive environments are located along the 15-mile downstream surface water pathway. Analytical results of sediment samples collected from the property in 1994 indicated the presence of VOCs, semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and common coal tar PAHs. As a result of the analytical data, impacts to a CWA-protected water body and a fishery have been documented.
Three employees work on the property. Approximately 5,993 people reside within 1-radial mile of the property. The nearest residence is located approximately 1,000 ft south of the property. The nearest school (St. Joseph’s School) has a student enrollment of 222, and is located approximately 1,500 ft south of the property. There are no sensitive environments or day-care facilities located within 200 ft of the property. Access to the property is moderately restricted by an 8-foot chain-link, barbed-wire fence; however the fence is broken in one area near the gas line, and the barbed-wire is missing on various parts of the fence. Analytical results of soil exposure pathway samples collected from the property in 1994 indicated the presence of PAHs, PCBs, pesticides, and inorganic elements. Based on the available data, no impacts to nearby populations are known or suspected.
An estimated 122,055 people, one state-listed endangered species, and approximately 54 acres of wetlands occur within 4-radial miles of the property. NUSCO conducted two air monitoring surveys in 1987. In May, benzene, in July benzene was detected; in July, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes were detected, but all below set standards. During air monitoring conducted by CDM in 1994, no readings above background were recorded. Impacts to area populations or sensitive environments are not known or suspected.
A Preliminary Assessment (PA) for the Northeast property was completed in 1987. The last known action at the Northeast property was the Site Inspection (SI) completed by CDM in 1994.
Current Status
Photos
Links to Other Information
Public Record Locations
OSRR Records and Information Center, 1st Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (HSC), Boston, MA 02109-3912 (617) 918-1440
Contacts
| Gerardo Millán-Ramos |
| Site Assessment Manager |
| Address: | One Congress Street, Suite 1100 (HBS)
Boston, MA 02114-2023 |
| Phone #: | 617-918-1377 |
| E-Mail Address: | millan-ramos.gerardo@epa.gov |
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