           Home > News > News Item |
||||||
 |
News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM, EPA TO CONDUCT SITE INVESTIGATION AT THE FORMER WEST KINGSTON TOWN DUMP/URI DISPOSAL AREA NEXT MONTH PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management, in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, announces the beginning of the remedial investigation at the West Kingston Town Dump/University of Rhode Island Disposal Area Superfund Site. The remedial investigation is being conducted to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the Site, evaluate potential risks, and identify any future actions that will need to be taken.Field activities, which are expected to take one to three months to complete, will begin in late summer/early fall. These activities will be conducted by an environmental consultant hired by the cooperating responsible parties, under the supervision of DEM and EPA. Among the remedial investigation activities to be conducted will be test pits, monitoring well installation and sampling, surface soils sampling, surface water and sediment sampling. The site was placed on EPA's Superfund National Priority List (NPL) in 1992. The NPL is a list of contaminated sites eligible for Superfund cleanup. The NPL requires that the site be evaluated in order to determine the extent of contamination; evaluate potential risks; establish if future actions are necessary, and if so, identify what those actions should be. DEM and EPA have agreed to allow the site to be addressed through a voluntary action, outside the traditional Superfund framework. This unique opportunity allows the responsible parties (University of Rhode Island, Towns of Narragansett and South Kingstown, and Alice Tibbetts) to voluntarily conduct a remedial investigation and eventual clean-up under DEM oversight. This process will facilitate an expedient and cost-effective remedy for the site that is protective of human health and the environment. The site is located to the east of Plains Road, approximately 0.5 miles north of the URI campus in South Kingston. There are two portions of the Site: the former West Kingston Town Dump and the URI Disposal Area. The Town Dump operated from 1951 to 1978, and the URI Disposal Area operated from 1945 to 1987. Contaminants were first detected in private wells located adjacent to the site in June 1987. As a result, three private wells were closed and the associated homes were connected to the URI water supply. DEM conducted a preliminary assessment of the site in August 1988 and additional investigations in 1992 and 1993 to characterize the nature and extent of the contamination. At EPA's request, DEM conducted a site inspection of the property in 1990, prior to its being listed on the NPL. A public meeting will be held following the completion of the investigation, and additional public meetings will be held periodically to provide the community with updates on progress being made at the site. Public participation and citizen input are critical elements of the Superfund process. As such, DEM and EPA are actively seeking input from local residents regarding the best method of keeping them informed and involved in the evaluation of potential future uses of the site and surrounding areas. Questions regarding the West Kingston Town Dump/URI Disposal Area Superfund Site may be directed to Gary Jablonski, Project Manager, DEM Office of Waste Management, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908-5767, at (401) 222-2797 x7148, or by email at: gjablons@dem.state.ri.us; or Anna Krasko, Remedial Project Manager at EPA, One Congress Street, Suite 1100 (HBO), Boston, MA 02114-2023, at (617) 918-1232 or Toll Free at (888) 372-7341, or by email at krasko.anna@epamail.epa.gov. -30- |
|||||
For General Information 222-6800 • After Hours Emergencies 222-3070 • Disclaimer