Limited Removal Action in Marblehead Mass
Contents
Aboveground Oil Tank Removal
On November 5, 2012, under contract with this homeowner in Marblehead, Massachusetts, CommTank removed a 275-gallon aboveground tank containing No. 2 fuel oil located in the basement of the house. The property is developed with a single-family residence. At the time of removal CommTank observed oil in the sump pump and an oil stain on the concrete floor. When the Marblehead Fire Chief conducted the tank removal inspection, he recommended placing absorbent pads in the sump to absorb the oil on top of the water. CommTank also recommended to the homeowner that soil testing should be conducted to ensure that oil had not accumulated below the floor and continue to collect in the sump.
Subsurface Investigation
On November 7, 2012, CommTank conducted a subsurface investigation and found soil readings above the acceptable threshold. On November 8, 2012 the concrete floor around the sump was broken up to perform further assessment and determine where the oil was coming from. Soil was excavated and stockpiled on site. Per the direction of the MADEP a frac tank was set up in order to collect the water being discharged by the sump pump. Field screening was conducted on the sidewalls and pit bottom of the excavation area. Headspace readings of TVOV concentrations of 7 ppmv from excavation sidewall 1 (SW1), 8 ppmv from excavation sidewall 2 (SW2), 115 ppmv from excavation sidewall 3 (SW3), 315 ppmv from excavation sidewall 4 (SW4), and 8 ppmv from the excavation pit bottom (PB 5’ Deep) were recorded.
Limited Removal Action (LRA)
CommTank was contracted by the homeowner to conduct a Limited Removal Action (LRA) following the results of the subsurface investigation. The November 14, 2012 analytical laboratory results confirmed the presence and concentrations of contaminants in the soil. On November 28, 2012 CommTank began excavating petroleum-contaminated soil (PCS) from the area around the sump. Throughout the LRA activities, soil excavated from the sidewalls and pit bottom was field screened for TVOVs with an OVM under the Standard Jar Headspace Screening Procedure. PCS was loaded into a container for future transportation to the disposal facility.
On November 29, 2012 and December 3, 2012 CommTank continued excavating PCS. Three post-remedial soil samples (SW1 and SW2), (SW2 and SW4) at three feet below ground surface and (PB1 and PB2) at three feet, six inches feet below ground surface were submitted under chain-of-custody to ChemServe for EPH analysis. The analytical laboratory results indicated no contaminant compounds were detected above laboratory reporting limits in the excavation.
In summary, the removal of PCS was completed under the provisions of a LRA. A total of 5.31 tons of PCS was excavated and transported under BOL from the Site to ESMI for disposal. Following the completion of the PCS excavation, post-remedial soil samples were collected from the remaining soil in the excavated area and analyzed for EPH. The analytical laboratory results indicated all contaminant concentrations were below applicable MCP RCS-1 standards.
Dan Hoag has worked in the environmental and tank storage industry for 16 years. Dan’s range of expertise includes designing systems for oil spill clean-ups, treating soil contamination through "in situ" oxidation and testing, and inspecting underground storage tank systems. As head of Marketing and Information Technologies at CommTank, Dan draws from field experience to write about fuel, water and chemical storage technologies, and the regulations that affect them. He has developed training courses in home inspection, underground storage tank operator, ultrasonic thickness and tank tightness testing. Over the past decade, Dan has published over 60 articles about industry trends and has documented commercial, residential, and environmental projects through illustration, videos, and photography. When Dan unplugs from technology, he spends his time backyard farming, hiking, and kayaking, while masquerading as a hockey player during the wee hours of the morning.