HomeMy WebLinkAboutMiscellaneous - 851 FOREST STREET 7/18/2018 Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Department of
Environmental Protection
' Metro Boston/Northeast Regional Office
William F. Weld
Governor OCT 1994
Trudy S.Coxe : "
14
Secretary,EDEA
Thomas B. Powers .
Acting Commissioner ,
URGENT LEGAL MATTER: PROMPT ACTION NECESSARY
CERTIFIED MAIL: RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
851 Forest St. 851 Forest St.
N. Andover, MA 01845 RTN #3-3.1719
NOTICE OF RESPONSIBILITY;
M.G.L. c.21E & 310 CMR 40.0000
Dear Ms. Bresnahan:
On October 12, 1994 at 11:50 AM, the Department of Environmental Protection (the
Department or DEP) received oral notification that.there is or has been a release of oil
and/or hazardous material at the above-referenced property which requires one or more
response actions. Based on this information, the Department has reason to believe that the
subject property or portion(s) thereof is a disposal site as defined in the Massachusetts Oil
and Hazardous Material Release Prevention and Response Act, M.G.L. c, 21E, and the
Massachusetts Contingency Plan, 310 CMR 40.0000 (the MCP). The assessment and cleanup
of disposal sites is governed by M.G.L. c. 21E and the MCP.
The purpose of this notice is to inform you of your legal responsibilities under state
law for assessing and/or remediating the subject release, For purposes of this notice, the
terms and phrases used herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them by the MCP unless
the text clearly indicates otherwise.
STATUTORY LIABILITIES
The Department has reason to believe that you (as used in this letter, "you" refers to
Ms. Lisa Bresnahan) are a Potentially Responsible Party (a PRP)with liability under M.G.L.
c. 21E, § 5, for response action costs. Section 5 makes the following parties liable to the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts: current owners or operators of a site from or at which
there is or has been a release/threat of release of oil or hazardous material; any person who
owned or operated a site at the time hazardous material was stored or disposed of; any
person who arranged for the transport, disposal, storage or treatment of hazardous material
to or at a site; any person who transported hazardous material to a transport, disposal,
storage or treatment site from which there is or has been a release/threat of release of
10 Commerce Way • Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 • FAX(617)932-7615 • Telephone (617) 932-7600
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Page 2 3-1.171.9
such material; and any person who otherwise caused or is legally responsible for a
-'release/threat of release of oil or hazardous material at a site.
This liability is "strict", meaning it is not based on fault, but solely on your status as
an owner, operator, generator, transporter or disposer. It is also joint and several, meaning
thatyou may be liable for all response action costs incurred at the site, regardless of the
existence of any other liable parties.
The MCP requires responsible parties to take necessary response actions at properties
where there is or has been a release or threat of release of oil and/or hazardous material.
If you do not take.the necessary response actions, or fail to perform- them in an appropriate —
___ and timely manner, the Department is authorized by M.G.L, c. 21E to have the work
performed by its contractors. By taking such actions, you can avoid liability for response
action costs incurred by the Department and its contractors in performing these actions, and
any sanctions which may be imposed for failure to perform response actions under the MCP.
You may be liable for up to three (3) times all response action costs incurred by the
Department. Response action costs include,without limitation, the cost of direct hours spent
by Department employees arranging for response actions or overseeing work performed by
persons other than the Department or their contractors, expenses incurred by the
Department in support of those direct hours, and payments to the Department's contractors.
(For more detail on cost liability, see 310 CMR 40.1200.)
The Department may also assess interest on costs incurred at the rate of twelve
percent (12%), compounded annually. To secure payment of this debt, the Commonwealth
may place liens on all of your property in the Commonwealth. To recover the debt, the
Commonwealth may foreclose on these liens or the Attorney General may bring legal action
against you.
In addition to your liability for up to three (3) times all response action costs incurred
by the Department, you may also be liable to the Commonwealth for damages to natural
resources caused by the release. Civil and criminal liability may also be imposed under
M.G.L. c. 21E, § 11, and civil administrative penalties may be imposed under M.G.L. c. 21.A,
§ 15 for each violation of M.G.L, c. 21E, the MCP, or any order, permit or approval issued
thereunder.
NECESSARY RESPONSE ACTIONS
The subject site shall not be deemed to have had all the necessary and required
response actions taken unless and until all substantial hazards presented by the site have
been eliminated and a level of No Significant Risk exists or has been achieved in
Page 3 3-11719
compliance with M.G.L. c. 21E and the MCP. In addition, the MCP requires persons
undertaking response actions at disposal sites to perform Immediate Response Actions (IRAs)
minent Hazards and Substantial Release Migration. Such
in response to "sudden releases", Im
persons must continue to evaluate the need for IRAs and notify the Department immediately
if such a need exists.
The Department has determined that an IRA is required, including, but not limited
to the following response actions:
1. The removal and proper disposal of the impacted basement_floor— -
2. The excavation, stockpiling and proper disposal of a maximum of 100 cubic yards
of contaminated soil from under the impacted basement floor. This approval also
includes any shoring or other structural supports necessary to safely excavate the
contaminated soil.
3. The installation and operation of a vapor phase granular activated carbon
treatment system for the control of odors/VOCs .within the residence during.
excavation operations.
4. If necessary, install and operate a dewatering/groundwater treatment system to
dewater the areas being excavated. An emergency discharge permit must be obtained
from the USEPA prior to system startup.
The above response actions are necessary at the subject site to respond to the sudden
release of over 30 gallons of #2 fuel oil from the 275 gallon aboveground storage tank
located in the basement of the above referenced property. The release was the result, of a
blow to the oil supply filter and valve assembly which snapped the assembly off the tank.
You must employ or engage a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to manage, supervise
or actually perform the necessary response actions at the subject site. In addition, the MCP
requires persons undertaking response actions at a disposal site to submit to the Department
a Response Action Outcome Statement (RAO) prepared by an LSP in accordance with 310
CMR 40.1000 upon determining that a level of No Significant Risk already exists or has been
achieved at a disposal site or portion thereof. [You may obtain a list of the names and
addresses of these licensed professionals from the Board of Registration of Hazardous Waste
Site Cleanup Professionals at (617) 556-1145.]
There are several other submittals required by the MCP which are related to release
-notification and/or response actions that may be conducted at the subject site in addition to
an RAO, that,
i
f
Page 4 3-1.1719
unless otherwise specified by the Department, must be provided to DEP within specific
regulatory timeframes. The submittals are as follows:
(1) If one has not been submitted, a Release Notification Form (RNF) must be submitted
to DEP pursuant to section 310 CMR 40.0333 within 60 calendar days of the initial
date of oral notification to DEP of a release pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0300 or from the
date the Department issues a Notice of Responsibility (NOR), whichever occurs
earlier;
(2) Unless an RAO is submitted earlier, an Immediate Response Action (IRA) Plan
prepared in accordance with 310 CMR 40.0420, or an IRA Completion Statement (3 10
CMR 40.0427) must be submitted to DEP within 60 calendar days of the initial date
of oral notification to DEP of a release pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0300 or from the date
the Department issues an NOR, whichever occurs earlier; and
(3) Unless an RAO is submitted earlier, a completed Tier Classification Submittal
pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0510, and, if appropriate, a completed Tier I Permit
Application pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0700, must be submitted to DEP within one year
of the initial date of oral notification to DEP of a release pursuant to 310 CMR
40.0300 or from the date the Department issues an NOR, whichever occurs earlier.
(4) Pursuant to the Department's "Timely Action Schedule and Fee Provisions", 310 CMR
4.00, a fee of$750 must be included with an RAO statement that is submitted to the
Department more than 120 calendar days after the initial date of oral notification to
DEP of a release pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0300 or after the date the Department
issues an NOR, whichever occurs earlier, and before Tier Classification. A fee is not
required for an RAO submitted to the Department within 120 days of the date of oral
notification to the Department, or the date the Department issues an NOR,
whichever date occurs earlier, or after Tier Classification.
It is important to note that you must dispose of any Remediation Waste generated
at the subject location in accordance with 310 CMR 40.0030 including, without limitation,
contaminated soil and/or debris. Any Bill of Lading accompanying such waste must bear the
seal and signature of an LSP or, if the response action is performed under the direct
supervision of the Department, the signature of an authorized representative of the
Department.
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The Department encourages parties with liabilities under M.G.L, c. 21E to take
prompt action in response to releases and threats of release of oil and/or hazardous material.
By taking prompt action, you may significantly lower your assessment and cleanup costs and
avoid the imposition of, or reduce the amount of, certain permit and annual compliance fees
for response actions payable under 310 CMR 4,00.
If you have any questions relative to this notice,you should contact Timothy J. Boyle
at the letterhead address or (617) 932-7600. All future communications regarding this
release must reference the Release Tracking Number (RTN # 3-11719) contained in the
subject block of this letter.
Sincerely, --- --- - -v--- -
Timothy J. le�
Environm tal En eer
if
Mary Best.er-Colby
Branch Chief
Emergency Response Section
MBC/TJB
cc:
DEP data entry/file
N. Andover Board of Health
N. Andover Fire Department
Attachment; Release Notification Form; BWSC - 003