EPA Releases Proposed Cleanup Plan for Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site in Stratford, CT

Public comment period, meeting and hearing planned

06/30/2016

Contact Information: 

Emily Bender (bender.emily@epa.gov)

617-918-1037

Boston, Mass. - Officials from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released a proposed cleanup plan for a portion of the Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site (Raymark). Beginning today, EPA will initiate a 30-day public comment period. EPA will also hold a public meeting and a public hearing on the Proposed Cleanup.

The 30-day formal public comment period on the Raymark Proposed Plan begins today, June 30, 2016 and will end on July 29, 2016. You can find a link to the Proposed Plan here: www.epa.gov/superfund/raymark

A Public Open House session will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at Stratford High School, 44 N. Parade St. / Victoria Soto Way, Stratford, CT. Posters outlining the cleanup remedies will be available to view and officials from EPA, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), and the Stratford Health Department will be available to answer questions one-on-one.

A Public Informational Meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at Stratford High School, 44 N. Parade St. / Victoria Soto Way, Stratford, CT. There will be a presentation on the plan followed by a question and answer period with the aforementioned officials.

A public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at Stratford High School, 44 N. Parade St. / Victoria Soto Way, Stratford, CT. At this hearing the public can offer verbal and written comments on the plan; verbal comments will be recorded. The hearing will be preceded by a short public meeting and question and answer period from 7:00 to 7:30 pm.
EPA has worked with CT DEEP and officials and citizens from the Town of Stratford to move forward with the cleanup of the Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site. 

This Proposed Plan is part of a conceptual comprehensive cleanup approach, and is based on a combination of remedial alternatives proposed in four separate Feasibility Study reports for four different Operable Units (OUs) as described below. OU2 addresses groundwater and vapor intrusion. OUs 3, 4 and 6 collectively address soil and sediment. Public comments and EPA response to these comments are required before we can begin cleanup work at OUs 2, 3, 4, and 6, and before EPA can make any final cleanup decisions for the remaining OUs at the site (OUs 5, 7, 8 and 9).

EPA Region I is seeking funding for the project as one comprehensive plan so that the project will be funded and completed in a coordinated and timely manner. Given support for this project at the highest levels of CT DEEP and of EPA in Washington DC, we now have a unique opportunity to fund, execute and complete the entire Raymark cleanup and make a real environmental and economic difference for the people of Stratford.

These final cleanup actions and the interim actions that are presented for public consideration in the Proposed Plan are projected to cost $95.7 million and include the following components:

Operable Unit 2 – Groundwater:

• Install sub-slab contaminated vapor ventilation systems at 20 additional mostly residential properties;
• Assess potential vapor intrusion risks at four additional properties;
• Long-term maintenance of the existing and newly installed ventilation systems;
• Institutional controls to limit future use of groundwater and to address potential vapor intrusion risks; and
• Long-term groundwater monitoring.

Operable Unit 3 – Upper Ferry Creek:

• Excavation and removal of the top two feet of an estimated 4,650 cubic yards of sediment from the channel of Upper Ferry Creek from Interstate 95 to the Broad Street bridge;
• Excavation and removal to a depth of four feet of an estimated 22,600 cubic yards of soil that meets the definition of Raymark Waste from the banks of Upper Ferry Creek;
• Excavation and removal to a depth of four feet of an estimated 7,600 cubic yards of wetland soil that meets the definition of Raymark Waste from abutting wetland areas;
• Replacement of excavated sediment and Raymark Waste with clean material; the bottom of each excavation would be lined with a geotextile to prevent mixing and serve as a warning layer where Raymark Waste remains below four feet;
• Restoration and revegetation of excavated areas with native species, and restoration of wetlands;
• Dewatering of sediment and Raymark Waste as necessary for transport;
• Sediment and Raymark Waste containing more heavily contaminated material that exceeds certain regulatory limits would be shipped to a licensed out-of-town disposal facility;
• Consolidation of excavated sediment and Raymark Waste at the Raybestos Memorial Ballfield (OU4);
• Sediment and Raymark Waste that exceeds the capacity of OU4 would be shipped to a licensed out-of-town disposal facility;
• Placement of institutional controls to limit future excavation, groundwater use, and other activities that could pose a risk, where necessary; and
• Long-term monitoring, and operation and maintenance.

Operable Unit 4 – Former Raybestos Memorial Ballfield:

• Removal of existing vegetation, buildings, debris, and other infrastructure;
• Construction of an access road from Longbrook Avenue through the former Contract Plating property to the ballfield;
• Consolidation of excavated sediment and Raymark Waste from OU3 and OU6 with the existing 111,000 cubic yards of Raymark Waste on OU4;
• Construction of a permanent, low-permeability cap over the consolidation area designed and constructed to support redevelopment for commercial/industrial, municipal, and/or recreational uses; the top of the cap would not exceed a maximum elevation of 46 feet above mean sea level and the majority of the cap would have finished elevations between 30 and 40 feet above mean sea level;
• Construction of storm water management features;
• Construction of a permanent, or temporary (based upon comments received from residents and property owners who live in this area and future design considerations), visual and sound barrier along the boundary with Patterson Avenue, Clinton Avenue and Cottage Place;
• Construction of a permanent vegetated berm along the border of Patterson Avenue to visually shield future development anticipated on the cap. However, if it is determined, following public review and comment, that a permanent visual and sound barrier should be installed along the border with the Patterson Avenue residential properties, then construction of a berm would become unnecessary.
• Restoration of the property with vegetation and pavement as appropriate;
• Placement of institutional controls to protect the cap, limit groundwater use, and other activities that could pose a risk, where necessary; and
• Long-term monitoring and operation and maintenance.

Operable Unit 6 – Additional Properties:

• Excavation and removal to a depth of four feet of approximately 71,000 cubic yards of soil that meets the definition of Raymark Waste from the 22 "Additional OU6 Properties";
• Replacement of excavated Raymark Waste with clean material; the bottom of each excavation would be lined with a geotextile to prevent mixing and serve as a warning layer;
• Restoration of excavated areas to the pre-excavation condition, with pavement or vegetation, as appropriate;
• Raymark Waste containing more heavily contaminated material that exceeds certain regulatory limits would be shipped to a licensed out-of-town disposal facility;
• Consolidation of excavated Raymark Waste at the Raybestos Memorial Ballfield (OU4);
• Raymark Waste that exceeds the capacity of OU4 would be shipped to a licensed out-of-town disposal facility;
• Placement of institutional controls to limit future excavation, groundwater use, and other activities that could pose a risk, where necessary; and
• Long-term monitoring and operation and maintenance.

Copies of the proposed plan will be available for the public starting on June 30, 2016 at Stratford's Library, Town Hall, and Health Department, and will also be available at both meetings and on EPA New England's website: www.epa.gov/superfund/raymark More detailed information concerning the cleanup alternatives evaluated for the Proposed Plan is available in the Raymark Industries, Inc. Feasibility Studies for Operable Units 2, 3, 4, and 6 and the accompanying Administrative Record. All documents will be available for review beginning June 30, 2016 on the EPA website and at the Site information repositories located at the Stratford Public Library, 2203 Main Street and at EPA's Records and Information Center, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA.

EPA welcomes input provided during the public comment period and uses comments to improve the remedy selection decision. There are three ways for individuals to express their comments on the Proposed Plan:

• Written comments may be mailed and postmarked by July 29, 2016 to:
  Jim DiLorenzo, U.S. EPA, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (OSRR 07-4), Boston, MA 02109-3912
• Written comments may be emailed to dilorenzo.jim@epa.gov by July 29, 2016.
• Oral comments may be spoken into the official record during the Public Hearing on July 26, 2016.

NOTE: Only comments received during the 30-day formal public comment period will be considered and become part of the official record. Comments and responses will be incorporated into the final Record of Decision to be issued at a later date.

EPA and the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection encourage you to attend the public meetings. For further information about these meetings or the public comment process, call Marilyn St. Fleur, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at 617-918-1617, or toll-free at 1-888-372-7341, extension 81617.

To learn more about the Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site, visit our website at www.epa.gov/superfund/raymark