NOTICE OF PSS - NEWBURYPORT ROCKPORT LINE RECEIVED
SOW( FEB 0 5 2024
CONSULTANTS CITY OF SALEM
Environmental and Civil Engineering BOARD OF HEALTH
January 26,2024
Health Department
98 Washington Street
3rd Floor
Salem,MA 01970
Re: Public Notification for a Permanent Solution Statement with No Conditions
Hydraulic Oil Release
Newburyport/Rockport Line
Danvers Road
Swampscott,Massachusetts
MassDEP Release Tracking Number(RTN)3-38402
To Whom It May Concern:
CDW Consultants,Inc. (CDW)is hereby notifying you, in accordance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan
(MCP), 310 CMR 40.1403,that a Permanent Solution Statement with No Conditions has been submitted to the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection(MassDEP)regarding the property referenced above;
the conclusions of this Permanent Solution Statement are as follows:
• Between September 29 and 30,2023 non-revenue rail equipment became inoperable while performing track
repair on a portion of the Eastern Route Mainline to Gloucester(Newburyport/Rockport Line)in the vicinity
of Danvers Road in Swampscott.The equipment was taken out of service and returned to the repair facility.
Sometime during the repair work at the beginning of the following week (October 2 to 3, 2023) it was
determined that hydraulic fluid was missing,and could be as much as+/-50-gallons,although this estimate
was later increased to approximately 80-gallons following further investigation;
• Further assessment in the area of the track repair identified a stained portion of rail ballast within the gauge
that was not visible at the time of the release as there was rainfall and the ballast was wet to begin with,
however, once dry, it was readily discernible. The release affected approximately 2,125 feet of railway
track to depths of 1 to 9-inches;
• The release of hydraulic oil constituted a 2-hour reportable condition, and the MassDEP was notified on
October 3,2023 123 PM and RTN 3-38402 was assigned.MassDEP initially authorized the excavation of
up to 20 cubic yards(cy)of impacted ballast/soil and absorbents as needed under an Immediate Response
Action(IRA)Plan(this was increased to 40 cy on October 18, 2023);
• On October, 11, 12,and 18,2023,Republic,Keolis Commuter Services(KCS)and CDW mobilized to Site
to conduct a remedial excavation of hydraulic oil impacted soil and ballast within the rail track.As a result
of these remedial activities,approximately 38.8 cy of hydraulic oil-impacted soil and ballast was removed
from approximately 1,975 feet of track. The final horizontal limits of the excavation was approximately
5,925 ft2,and an approximate overall depth of approximately 1 to 9-inches.Post-excavation soil sampling
was conducted, and concentrations of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPH), volatile petroleum
hydrocarbons (VPH) and respective target analytes were below the RCS-2 standards and/or applicable
Method 1 Soil Standards. The Approximate Disposal Site Boundary is shown on Figure 2;
• Upon excavation,the soil was temporarily transported under a temporary bill-of-lading(BOL)to a laydown
area adjacent to the Amazon distribution facility in Salem,which is a location still owned by MBTA and
operated by KCS.The pile,estimated to be 34 cy at the time,was secured on and beneath a poly sheet.The
soiliballast was removed from the laydown area by Republic(operating as EQ Northeast)on January 10,
2024 and January 11,2024 under the BOL and transported to ESMI for recycling.According to the shipping
receipts,the actual tonnage was 58.15 tons (approximately 38.8 cy);
(DOW
CONSULTANTS
• The goals of the IRA have been met through the removal of the impacted media which has addressed the
time-critical release and accomplished stabilization of site conditions and the requirements of an IRA
Completion Report,per 310 CMR 40.0427 have been met for the release;
• Due to the immediate response actions conducted within 3 weeks of the release, the anticipated depth to
groundwater(>2 feet bgs),and the distance of the Site from the nearest residential building(800 feet)and
surface water body/wetland(5001500 feet),it is highly unlikely that groundwater,indoor air,surface water,
or sediment have been impacted by the hydraulic oil release. As such,these media were not included in the
Method 1 Risk Characterization. However,due to the EPH carbon fractions remaining locally within the
excavation area,EPCs were developed for this media as part of a Method 1 Risk Characterization;
• Twenty three soil sampling points are considered representative of current Site conditions and have been
used to define the Disposal Site Boundary. The maximum reported concentration from each of these
sampling points are identified as the exposure point concentration(EPC)for the contaminants of concern
(COCs)associated with the release.These EPCs are a conservative estimate of the actual concentration for
each oil and/or hazardous material(OHM)remaining at the Site as a result of the release condition.EPCs
were an order of magnitude below the applicable Method 1 Soil Standards for each constituent in all 23
samples;
• Based upon the findings of a Method 1 Risk Characterization,a condition of No Significant Risk to public
health, public welfare, and the environment has been achieved for both current and future conditions. In
addition,in the opinion of CDW,a condition of No Significant Risk of harm to public safety also exists at
the Site for both current and foreseeable future Site activities and uses;
• No activity and use limitations(AULs) are required or have been implemented at the disposal site;
• Based upon the Method 1 Risk Characterization, no further response actions are required to achieve a
condition of No Significant Risk for any current or future foreseeable Site uses.It is CDW's professional
opinion that the requirements for a Permanent Solution Statement with No Conditions as specified in 310
CMR 40.1000 have been met for RTN 3-38402; and
• This Permanent Solution Statement is not based on the effective operation of one or more Active Exposure
Pathway Mitigation Measures.
The Permanent Solution Statement can be viewed on MassDEPs online file viewer at
http://public.dep.state.ma.us/wsc viewer/main.asox or at the MassDEP file review office in Wilmington,MA.
Very truly yours,
CDW CONSULTANTS, INC.
�.
Andrew P.Lunn,PG,LSP
Senior Project Manager
cc: Mayor Dominick Pangallo
Salem City Hall
93 Washington Street
Salem,MA 01970
Attachment: Figure 2: Site Layout Plan
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