150 CANAL STREET - DEP AUDIT FINDINGSCommonwealth of Massachusetts | Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Department of Environmental Protection
Northeast Regional Office
Address: 150 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA 01801 | Phone: 978-694-3200
Maura T. Healey
Governor
Kim Driscoll
Lieutenant Governor
Rebecca Tepper
Secretary
Bonnie Heiple
Commissioner
August 19, 2026
Certified Mail # 9589 0710 5270 3473 6441 98
McDonald’s USA, LLC
P.O. Box 588
Weare, NH, 03281
RE: Salem
150 Canal Street
RTN 3-0034275
ENF00021185
Attention: Sandra Martel, Real Estate Portfolio Manager
Stamford Field Office
(sandra.martel@us.mcd.com)
NOTICE OF AUDIT FINDINGS
FILE REVIEW AUDIT
NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE
Dear Sandra Martel:
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP or the Department)
has conducted a file review audit of a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation (AUL) submitted
on July 23, 2025 for the above-referenced site. The objective of the audit was to determine if
response actions meet the requirements of Massachusetts laws and regulations, including
Massachusetts General Law Chapter 21E (M.G.L. c. 21E) and the Massachusetts
Contingency Plan (MCP), 310 CMR 40.0000.
MassDEP’s file review audit of this site consisted of a technical screen (Level 1 Audit) of the
AUL instrument. Level 1 Audits are performed using standard MassDEP checklists.
Examples of MassDEP’s checklists are available on the internet at
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/waste-site-cleanup-audits. This Notice informs you (as
used in this notice, “you” refers to McDonald’s USA, LLC) of the results of MassDEP’s audit.
DETERMINATION
MassDEP has determined that violations of M.G.L. c. 21E and the MCP have occurred.
Violations were identified that require additional actions to be taken under the supervision
of a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) in order to come into compliance with the MCP. The
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Notice of Audit Findings
activities that are in noncompliance and the actions MassDEP wants you to take to come
into compliance are described in the attached Notice of Noncompliance (Attachment A).
The Notice of Noncompliance describes: (1) each activity identified during the audit which
is in noncompliance; (2) the requirements violated; (3) the action MassDEP now wants you
to take to come into compliance; and (4) the deadline for taking such action.
POST-AUDIT COMPLETION STATEMENT REQUIRED
You do not need MassDEP approval to take the actions specified. However, to avoid further
enforcement actions, you must correct the violations and submit via eDEP a Post-Audit
Completion Statement in accordance with 310 CMR 40.1170. A copy of the Post-Audit
Completion Statement (BWSC111) can be found at https://www.mass.gov/lists/waste-site-
cleanup-forms.
LICENSED SITE PROFESSIONAL
A copy of this letter has been sent to Kevin Kavanaugh, LSP #7610, the LSP-of-Record for
the Disposal Site. However, you, not your LSP, are responsible for responding to this Notice
of Noncompliance and correcting the violations identified therein. You may retain the
services of any currently licensed LSP.
LIMITATIONS & RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
Please note that the screening of the AUL conducted by MassDEP was not a
comprehensive audit. It is possible that a future comprehensive audit, if one occurs, may
identify violations of applicable laws and regulations for which MassDEP may require you
to undertake further response actions at the site. The review of these documents is for use
by MassDEP and may not be relied upon for any other purpose. The review does not include
a comprehensive list of requirements, which are fully set forth in M.G.L. c. 21E and 310
CMR 40.0000, and does not constitute a final agency decision, nor create any legal rights or
relieve any party of obligations that exist pursuant to applicable laws.
MassDEP’s findings were based upon the accuracy and certainty of the information
reviewed during the audit. These findings do not: (1) preclude future audits of past, current,
or future actions at the site; (2) apply to actions or other aspects of the site that were not
reviewed in the audit; (3) in any way constitute a release from any liability, obligation, action
or penalty under M.G.L. c. 21E, 310 CMR 40.0000, or any other laws, regulations, or
requirements. MassDEP retains authority to take or arrange, or to require, any Responsible
Party or Potentially Responsible Party to perform any response action authorized by M.G.L.
c. 21E, which MassDEP deems necessary to protect health, safety, public welfare, or the
environment.
If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact William Hansen at (857) 278-
1816 or william.hansen@mass.gov. Please reference Release Tracking Number 3-0034275
and Enforcement Number ENF00021185 in any future correspondence to MassDEP
regarding the site.
Salem, 150 Canal Street, RTN 3-0034275 Page 3
Notice of Audit Findings
Sincerely,
David T. LaPusata
Audits and Enforcement Section Chief
Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup
Attachment: Attachment A – Notice of Noncompliance
e-copy:
Salem, Mayor, Dominick Pangallo (mayor@salem.com)
Salem, Board of Health (health@salem.com)
Kevin Kavanaugh, LSP (kevin.kavanaugh@ecmsinc.com)
NERO/Data Entry: AUDCOM/NAFNON; AUL/TSAUD
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Notice of Audit Findings
ATTACHMENT A
NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE
RTN 3-0034275
NAME OF ENTITY IN NONCOMPLIANCE:
McDonald’s USA, LLC
LOCATION WHERE NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRED OR WAS OBSERVED:
150 Canal Street, Salem, Massachusetts
DATE WHEN NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRED OR WAS OBSERVED:
July 23, 2025, the receipt date of the Termination of Notice of Activity and Use Limitation
(AUL) and Notice of AUL submittal.
DESCRIPTION OF NONCOMPLIANCE:
Violation of 310 CMR 40.0024(1) – Timely Action and Anticipatory Noncompliance
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0024(1), except as provided by 310 CMR 40.0025 and 310 CMR
40.0172, each person undertaking one or more response actions shall perform each such
response action, or portion of a response action, by the deadline for taking the action
imposed by M.G.L. c. 21E, 310 CMR 40.0000 or any order or determination issued by the
Department.
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0008(5)(b)4., for purposes of determining whether a person has
complied with an Interim Deadline or come into compliance with a requirement by the date
specified in a Notice of Noncompliance, each document required to be submitted shall be
deemed received by the Department as follows: if given by electronic transmission, the
document shall be deemed to be received on the date the transmission is delivered to the
Department.
Recitals:
1) On July 6, 2018, a Notice of AUL (the “Original AUL”) for the disposal site was
recorded at the Southern Essex County Registry of Deeds (Book 36845, Page 496).
The Original AUL was submitted to MassDEP on July 10, 2018.
2) On February 19, 2025, MassDEP issued a Notice of Audit Findings/Notice of
Noncompliance (“NOAF/NON”, ENF00019577) to you, which identified violations of
the requirements applicable to the Original AUL. The NOAF/NON specified that, by
June 18, 2025, you were to submit to MassDEP a Termination of the Original AUL and
a new Notice of AUL.
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Notice of Audit Findings
3) On June 13, 2025, the Licensed Site Professional of Record for the site contacted
MassDEP, on behalf of you, to request the deadline established in the NOAF/NON
be extended from June 18, 2025 to June 30, 2025. On June 13, 2025, MassDEP
approved this request and further extended the deadline to July 18, 2025.
4) A Termination of Notice of AUL (the “Original AUL Termination”) for the disposal site
was recorded at the Southern Essex County Registry of Deeds on July 15, 2025
(Book 42830, Page 447). The Original AUL Termination was submitted to MassDEP
on July 23, 2025.
5) A new Notice of AUL (the “Replacement AUL”) for the disposal site was recorded at
the Southern Essex County Registry of Deeds on July 15, 2025 (Book 42830, Page
456). The Replacement AUL was submitted to MassDEP on July 23, 2025.
6) A Post-Audit Completion Statement was submitted to MassDEP on August 18, 2025.
The Original AUL Termination and the Replacement AUL were submitted to MassDEP
beyond the extended deadline from the NOAF/NON, which is a violation of 310 CMR
40.0024(1). No additional corrective actions are necessary for this violation. However, the
violation may be cited in the future by MassDEP to establish a pattern of noncompliance.
Violation of 310 CMR 40.1074(1)(a) – Notice of Activity and Use Limitation – General
Requirements
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1074(1)(a), a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation shall include all
of the information specified in 310 CMR 40.1074(2) and be fully documented using Form
1075 set forth in 310 CMR 40.1099.
Due to the following items, the Replacement AUL contained information that was
inconsistent with Form 1075 and/or the information required in 310 CMR 40.1074(2):
1) The template AUL Form 1075 includes a note at the top of the first page indicating
that the AUL must be referenced in any deed or other instrument of transfer and that
a copy of the deed must be submitted to MassDEP within 30 days of recording the
deed. This note was missing from the Replacement AUL recorded for the site;
2) The text of the paragraph introducing Exhibit B has been modified from the template
AUL Form 1075 language; and
3) The Notice of AUL retained bracketed language from the Form 1075 template.
The Replacement AUL must be revised. The language in the AUL form is part of the
promulgated regulations and cannot be modified in any way unless so noted in the form
itself, pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1074(1).
Violation of 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(h) – Contents of a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(h), a description of the Site Activities and Uses that are
consistent with maintaining a Permanent Solution and condition of No Significant Risk or
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Notice of Audit Findings
maintaining a Temporary Solution and condition of No Substantial Hazard with respect to
exposures to oil and/or hazardous material including, but not limited to, emergency
excavation and repair of existing subsurface utilities, specific provisions for non-emergency
excavation, and specific types of land uses and activities.
Recitals:
1) Item v of Paragraph 1 (Activities and Uses Consistent with Maintaining No Significant
Risk Conditions) states, “Use as an undeveloped (vacant) parcel as long as access
to soils is restricted by surface cover consisting of pavement or the emplacement of
three feet of clean fill, or by surrounding the Property with a secure fence restricting
access to the Property by surrounding receptors”.
2) Item v of Paragraph 3 (Obligations and Conditions) states, “The buildings, asphalt
pavement, concrete and other impermeable barriers shall be maintained in the area
shown on Exhibit B. These barriers shall be maintained to prevent exposure to site
workers, visitors and trespassers. If impermeable barriers are removed and not
replaced with a similar impervious barrier, emplacement of a cap consisting of
three feet of clean fill is required;”.
3) Section 2.7.4 (Fences) of MassDEP’s Guidance Policy #WSC 25-300 “Guidance on
Implementing Activity and Use Limitations” addressed fences (excerpt below).
While the use of a fence is not explicitly precluded as part of a Permanent
Solution, the extent to which the Permanent Solution relies on the fence
would be a consideration in evaluating the appropriateness of the remedy.
Fences do not prevent transport of soils via wind or water, and are
susceptible to damage from natural forces and trespassers. Therefore,
fencing alone, with or without an AUL, is not sufficient or appropriate to
prevent direct exposure. However, in combination with other measures that
do prevent exposure to OHM, fencing may be an effective and appropriate
component of a Permanent Solution. For example, a fence may be used to
delineate the area of the AUL. In cases where a fence is relied upon as part
of the Permanent Solution, the AUL must identify the maintenance of the
fence among the conditions that ensure the maintenance of a level of No
Significant Risk.
As written, the Replacement AUL contains a requirement to maintain caps to prevent direct
exposure to soil, but also allows for fences to be solely relied upon to prevent access to the
Property, which is a violation of 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(h). The Replacement AUL must be
revised to not include reliance on fences (as an individual element) to maintain No
Significant Risk.
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Notice of Audit Findings
Violation of 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(a)5 – Contents of a Notice of Activity and Use
Limitation
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(a)5, a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation shall contain
an 8½" x 11" sketch plan, attached as an exhibit to the Notice of Activity and Use
Limitation, showing the location of the portion subject to the Notice of Activity and Use
Limitation in relation to the boundaries of the disposal site to the extent that the
boundaries of the disposal site have been established, the property boundaries, and the
location of any Engineered Barriers, permanent caps, Active Exposure Pathway Mitigation
Measures or other barriers or systems that are subject to the Obligations and Conditions
and other provisions of the Notice of Activity and Use Limitation.
The sketch plan provided as Exhibit B does not show the disposal site boundary, which is a
violation of 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(a)5.
Violation of 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(m) – Contents of a Notice of Activity and Use
Limitation
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1074(2)(m), a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation shall contain
the notarized signature(s) of the property owner(s), and the notarized signature and seal of
the LSP of Record who certifies that in [his][her] Opinion the Notice of Activity and Use
Limitation is consistent with a Permanent Solution or a Temporary Solution.
The Notice of AUL does not contain the seal of the LSP of Record, which is a violation of
310 CMR 40.1074(2)(m).
Violation of 310 CMR 40.1403(2)(c) – Minimum Public Involvement Activities in
Response Actions
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1403(2)(c), at a minimum, the following procedures shall be
followed for written and public notices required under 310 CMR 40.1400: except as
otherwise provided in 310 CMR 40.1400, a copy of each written notice made shall be
concurrently submitted to the Department.
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1403(7)(a), within 30 days after recording and/or registering any
original, amended, released or terminated Activity and Use Limitation pursuant to 310 CMR
40.1070 through 310 CMR 40.1080, a copy of the recorded and/or registered Activity and
Use Limitation shall be provided to: 1. the Chief Municipal Officer; 2. the Board of Health;
3. the Zoning Official; and 4. the Building Code Enforcement Official in the community(ies)
in which the property subject to such Activity and Use Restriction is located.
Although box G.2 of the AUL transmittal forms (“BWSC113”), to submit the Original AUL
Termination and the Replacement AUL were selected (which certified that within 30 days of
recording and/or terminating an AUL, a copy of the AUL was/will be provided to the Chief
Municipal Officer, the Board of Health, the Zoning Official, and the Building Code
Enforcement Official in the community where the property subject to such AUL is located),
MassDEP was unable to locate copies of the notices to local officials regarding the Original
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Notice of Audit Findings
AUL Termination and the Replacement AUL, which is a violation of 310 CMR 40.1403(2)(c),
and possibly 310 CMR 40.1403(7)(a) if said notifications were not made.
The February 19, 2025 NOAF/NON (ENF00019577) identified a similar violation related to
310 CMR 40.1403. This failure to adequately perform public involvement activities is
considered a repeat violation and constitutes a Pattern of Non-Compliance, pursuant to
310 CMR 5.13.
Violation of 310 CMR 40.1403(7)(b)2 – Minimum Public Involvement Activities in
Response Actions
Pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1403(7)(b)2, within 30 days after recording and/or registering any
original, amended, released or terminated Activity and Use Limitation pursuant to 310 CMR
40.1070 through 310 CMR 40.1080, a public notice pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1403(2)(b)
which indicates the recording and/or registering of the original, amended, released or
terminated Activity and Use Limitation shall be published in a newspaper that circulates in
the community(ies) in which the property subject to the Activity and Use Limitation is
located. A copy of this public notice shall be submitted to the Department within seven
days of its publication.
On August 18, 2025, a PDF entitled “Legal Notices 150 Canal St Salem.pdf” was submitted
to MassDEP (via a BWSC126 transaction). This PDF submission included duplicate copies
of a public notice (that was published on August 8, 2025) for the AUL termination. A copy of
the published legal notice for the replacement AUL has not been submitted to the
Department, which is a violation of 310 CMR 40.1403(7)(b)2.
ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN AND THE DEADLINE FOR TAKING SUCH ACTIONS:
Actions are required to correct the violations identified herein. In order to return the site to
compliance, by December 17, 2026, the following must be submitted to MassDEP through
eDEP:
1) Using Form BWSC128, copies of all written and public notices, associated with the
Original AUL Termination and the Replacement AUL, that have not already been
submitted;
2) Using Form BWSC113, a termination of AUL (using AUL Form 1084C, in full
compliance with the MCP, including notification requirements); and
3) Using Form BWSC113, a new Notice of AUL (using AUL Form 1075, in full
compliance with the MCP, including notification requirements), correcting the
violations identified above.
The AUL Form 1075 should not be modified in any way, unless allowable under the
regulations. Copies of the forms and instructions are available online at
https://www.mass.gov/lists/waste-site-cleanup-forms.
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For additional guidance related to AULs, please refer to MassDEP’s Guidance on
Implementing AULs, Policy #WSC 25-300.
If you fail to correct the violations identified herein and provide documentation of such
action to MassDEP, you may be subject to enforcement action by MassDEP. MassDEP may
conduct a follow-up audit to determine whether the required actions have been taken. If
MassDEP finds that violations have not been corrected, then MassDEP may issue a Notice
of Intent to Assess a Civil Administrative Penalty (PAN), administrative enforcement order,
Notice of Responsibility, Notice of Intent to Take Response Action (NORA), Administrative
Consent Order, Unilateral Order, or seek Judicial Judgement, as appropriate. You may also
be subject to cost recovery under 310 CMR 40.1200 for failure to perform response actions
at the Disposal Site.