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Site Type: Long Term/National Priorities List (NPL)  |  |
ROSE DISPOSAL PIT | |
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Map this site in Cleanups in My Community |
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| Lanesborough, Massachusetts |
Berkshire County
| Street Address: | Balance Rock Road |
| Zip Code: | 01237 |
Congressional
District(s): |
01 |
| EPA ID #: | MAD980524169 |
| Site ID #: | 0100721 |
| Site Aliases: |
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| Site Responsibility: | Federal, Potentially Responsible Parties |
| NPL LISTING HISTORY |
| Proposed Date | 10/15/1984 |
| Final Date | 06/10/1986 |
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Site Description
The Rose Disposal Pit site is a 1 acre waste disposal area. The site occupies a section of a 14-acre residential lot bordering Balance Rock State Park, which is forest land, and the former Balance Rock Cafe; cropland and pastures also are nearby. Beginning in 1951 and continuing through 1959, waste oils and solvents from the General Electric (GE) Plant in nearby Pittsfield were disposed of in an open trench at the site. In 1980, the State Department of Environmental Quality Engineering inspected the site and found 15,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Two plumes of contaminated groundwater were discovered moving to the east and south away from the disposal area. Approximately 100 people live within 1 mile of the site and may be affected by the contaminated drinking water.
Threats and Contaminants
The groundwater is contaminated with PCBs and VOCs including trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride. The contaminant plumes extend from the pit eastward into the park and to the south, and are carried off by a small unnamed stream. The sediments, soil, and surface water at the site and a nearby wetland were contaminated with PCBs and VOCs. VOCs, as well as vinyl chloride were found in downgradient drinking water wells.
Cleanup Approach
Response Action Status
| Initial Action | GE erected a storm fence and covered the site with plastic in 1984. GE then pumped out a pocket of contaminated soil found beneath the surface to prevent rain or snow from further spreading the contamination. An alternate permanent water supply also was provided to the restaurant and those residences affected by the contaminated plume.
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| Source Control and Migration Management | The selected remedy controls the source of contamination and manages the migration of contaminants. GE has performed all cleanup work. The remedy included excavation and on-site incineration of approximately 51,000 tons of contaminated soil and sediment. Soil in the disposal area was excavated below the water table. The intent of treating soils in the saturated zone was to remove PCBs from the source area. Migration of contaminants was controlled by active restoration of the shallow aquifer by air filtering the VOCs to a gas, and then using carbon adsorption to remove the airborne contaminants. Groundwater is being treated to reduce contaminants to levels that will meet drinking water standards. Sediments and surface water in the small pond located near the disposal area also were treated, and the pond was restored to its original wetlands character after cleanup. Incineration involved the use of an innovative form of on-site incineration that included an initial thermal extraction phase instead of chemical extraction to separate contaminants from the soil. Treatment of the VOCs rendered the PCBs relatively immobile in the saturated zone of the disposal area. Construction activities began in early 1993 and were completed in 1994. Groundwater will continue to be treated until drinking water standards are met.
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| Enforcement Highlights | In 1984, the EPA issued a joint enforcement order requiring GE to conduct removal activities at the site. In 1989, the EPA and GE signed a Consent Decree for the company to perform the cleanup and to reimburse the EPA for past and future oversight costs. |
Environmental Progress
The installation of a fence, the covering of the site, the provision of an alternate water supply, and treatment of contaminated soil, sediments and surface water have eliminated the potential of exposure to hazardous materials from these media. All construction activities have been completed at the Rose Disposal Pit site. Groundwater treatment will continue until drinking water standards are met.
Current Site Status
Soil cleanup was completed in July,1994. The groundwater extraction and treatment system, constructed in 1993, continues to operate and will do so until cleanup levels are met. The first five year review was conducted in 1999, the second five year review was completed in 2004. The third five year review was completed in 2009 and determined that institutional controls needed to be put in place to prohibit groundwater use within the site boundaries and limit land use within the disposal area for groundwater and residual soils on site; these Institutional Controls in the form of a "Grant of Environmental Restriction and Easement" were placed on the property's deed in 2010.
Site Photos
Links to Other Site Information
Newsletters & Press Releases:
Federal Register Notices:
Administrative Records:
Reports and Studies:
Decision Documents:
Other Links:
Site Repositories
Lanesborough Public Library, Main Street, Lanesborough, MA 01970
OSRR Records and Information Center, 1st Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (HSC), Boston, MA 02109-3912 (617) 918-1440
Contacts
| EPA Remedial Project Manager: | Richard Fisher |
| Address: | US Environmental Protection Agency
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mail Code: OSRR07-4
Boston, MA 02109-3912 |
| Phone #: | 617-918-1721 |
| E-Mail Address: | fisher.richard@epa.gov |
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| EPA Community Involvement Coordinator: | Jim Murphy |
| Address: | US Environmental Protection Agency
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mail Code: ORA01-3
Boston, MA 02109-3912 |
| Phone #: | 617-918-1028 |
| E-Mail Address: | murphy.jim@epa.gov |
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| State Agency Contact: | Paul Craffey |
| Address: | MA Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP)
One Winter Street
Boston, MA, 02118 |
| Phone #: | 617-292-5591 |
| E-Mail Address: | paul.craffey@state.ma.us |
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