Public Meeting: WaterFire Providence will hold a public meeting on May 28, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. at the offices of Fuss & O’Neill, Inc. in the American Locomotive Works complex at 317 Iron Horse Way, Building 58, Suite 204 in Providence. The purpose of the meeting will be to inform the public about and elicit comments on the proposed cleanup plan for WaterFire’s proposed headquarters and community arts center in Providence, RI at 475-495 Valley Street. A draft Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), which presents a summary of known environmental conditions on the site, an evaluation of cleanup alternatives, and proposed cleanup plan, will be presented at the meeting. The ABCA will be available for review and comment at the meeting as well as anytime 9:00―4:00 p.m., M-F at 101 Regent Avenue in Providence. Written comments may be left with the draft ABCA or can be sent to Peter Mello at [email protected] any time before 4:00 p.m. on June 22, 2015 when the comment period closes.
Notification: In accordance with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s (RIDEM’s) Rules and Regulations for the Investigation and Remediation of Hazardous Material Releases (the Remediation Regulations), WaterFire Providence is also providing notice that a Site Investigation for 475-495 Valley Street has been completed. RIDEM has determined that the investigation has adequately assessed the nature and extent of the contamination at the property and addressed all concerns in accordance with the Remediation Regulations. The goal of the investigation was to determine the extent to which any historical activities at the property may have resulted in any exceedances of the RIDEM’s promulgated soil criteria and groundwater objectives. The investigation involved sampling and analysis of site soils, groundwater, soil gas, and building materials. The results of the investigation indicated that asbestos containing materials (ACM) and lead-based paint were present in building materials on site. The investigation also identified soil containing metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at concentrations greater than the RIDEM risk-based soil objectives. The proposed remedial alternative for the property is limited soil excavation and disposal, installation of a site-wide soil cap, removal of a heating oil underground storage tank, and removal of ACM and lead-based paint in preparation for site redevelopment as WaterFire’s headquarters and community arts center.
There is a 30 calendar day comment period, commencing with the date of this notice, during which the public may review RIDEM records pertaining to this property and submit written comments regarding the technical feasibility of the preferred remedial alternative. Should you require additional time for review, a request for an extension of the comment period may be made to RIDEM. Requests must be received by RIDEM before 4:00 p.m. on the final day of the comment period and may be made in writing to the address below or by calling the telephone number listed below. RIDEM will consider all substantive written comments prior to issuing its final approval of the proposed remedial alternative.
Written comments to RIDEM should be submitted to:
Cynthia Gianfrancesco
R.I. Dept. of Environmental Management
Office of Waste Management
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908-5767
Phone: (401) 222-2797 x7126
[email protected]
Please cc: comments to [email protected]
Arrangements to review RIDEM records may be made by calling Angela Spadoni, Office of Customer and Technical Assistance, (401) 222-4700 ext. 7307.
Additional Documents:
- ABCA – Meeting Announcement – English
- ABCA – Meeting Announcement – Spanish
- Environmental Fact Sheet
- Hoja de Información Ambiental
- Remedial Action Work Place Former Capitol Records Management, Inc.
- Community Relations Plan Former US Rubber Plant
- Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives
- Site Investigation Report/Targeted Brownfields Assesment
- Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
- Brownfields – Turning Bad Space Into Good Ones
- Los Terrenos Baldios – Convertido Lugares Malos en Lugares Buenos
- What is DEM – English
- What is DEM – Spanish
- What is Site Remediation – English
- What is Site Remediation – Spanish
About the author
I've worked at WaterFire Providence since 2003. For the first 9 years of my career, I worked in the Production Shop learning all of the details that go into the physical production of the event. In 2012 transitioned to the role of managing WaterFire's social media and web presence. I now head up WaterFire Providence's digital projects including, web, social, databases, and our physical IT infrastructure.
