Rhode Island Superfund Site: Davis Liquid Waste
Fight Air Pollution & Water Pollution With an Environmental Toxic Tort Lawsuit

Are you in need of a Toxic Tort Attorney in Little Rhody? The U.S. E.P.A. has designated Davis Liquid Waste in Rhode Island as a Superfund site because of its amounts of environmental toxins and danger to the environment. You can read the report for the site below.

Some Superfund sites are on the National Priority Site Lists. The National Priorities List ("NPL") is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on the NPL. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation.

Sites are listed on the NPL upon completion of Hazard Ranking System (HRS) screening, public solicitation of comments about the proposed site, and after all comments have been addressed. EPA may delete a final NPL site if it determines that no further response is required to protect human health or the environment. Sites where a remediation was completed through the Superfund program are typically deleted from the NPL.

Living near Superfund Sites in Rhode Island may place you and your loved ones more vulnerable to developing a disease from proximity to the site and experiencing a loss of value for your property, but you can do something to to fight back: The EPA says,

[We have] set up a "Post Construction Completion" (or PCC) strategy to ensure that Superfund response actions provide for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. EPA's Post Construction Completion activities also involve optimizing remedies to increase effectiveness and/or reduce cost without sacrificing long-term protection of human health and the environment.

Below you can read the EPA report for the Davis Liquid Waste Superfund site. If you, a loved one, or someone in your community has gotten sick due to exposure to a Superfund site Davis Liquid Waste, or if your property has lost value because of pollution, you are better off with a toxic tort lawyer who knows the people of the State of Rhode Island . Take your first step filling out this simple form. There is no obligation, and your case will be evaluated within 24 hours. To refer a friend, neighbor, or loved one, follow this link to let them know about the environmental toxic tort attorneys at Weitz & Luxenberg.

Davis Liquid Waste

This site is not a Federal Facility.

Site Type: Long Term/National Priorities List (NPL)

 DAVIS LIQUID WASTE

 Smithfield, Rhode Island

 Providence County

Street Address:	TARKILN RD
Zip Code:	02828
Congressional  District(s):	01
EPA ID #:	RID980523070
Site ID #:	0101283
Site Aliases:

 Street Address:

TARKILN RD

 Zip Code:

02828

 Congressional
 District(s):

01

 EPA ID #:

RID980523070

 Site ID #:

0101283

 Site Aliases:

 Site Responsibility:

Federal, State, Potentially Responsible Parties

 NPL LISTING HISTORY

 Proposed Date

10/23/1981

 Final Date

09/08/1983

Initial Action

From 1985 to 1986, the EPA sampled, packed, and staged approximately 600 intact and crushed drums and shipped them off-site to an approved disposal facility. At the same time, bottled water for drinking and cooking was supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) to residences with contaminated wells. This temporary action provided a safe water supply while a permanent remedy was being evaluated.

Water Supply Line

The construction of a new water distribution system serving 127 lots along Forge Road, Log Road, Burlingame Road, and Bayberry Road was completed by EPA and RIDEM in December of 1997. The new system includes construction of a 300,000-gallon water storage tank, a water main, pumping stations, and connections to existing residences. For undeveloped lots, EPA has brought a service connection up to the property line so that future connections may take place at the owner's expense.

Soil Remedy

The final soil cleanup remedy calls for excavating approximately 25,000 cubic yards of raw waste and contaminated soils for on-site treatment using thermal desorption. Treated soil will be tested and clean soil will be used to backfill excavated areas. In November of 1996, a Consent Decree negotiated between the EPA and 54 Settling Parties was lodged with the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. The Consent Decree among other things includes a work based component requiring the Settling Parties to perform the soil cleanup at the site. In March of 1997, the Settling Parties began performing the work described in the CD, focusing their initial efforts on the removal of tires from areas of the site which were believed to be contaminated. Between March of 1997 and August of 1999, it was estimated that approximately 1.4 million tires were removed from the site. An additional 5 million tires were removed by the State of Rhode Island from other portions of the site. The last of the tires at the site were removed in December 2000. Throughout the tire removal completed by the Settling Parties, partially and fully buried drums were encountered. Drums which were among the tires were removed and over-packed while buried drums were left to be addressed as part of the subsequent drum removal activities. Work on the buried drums began in July 1997and continued intermittently until December 2000. During the drum and laboratory container removal activities, over 1,400 drums and 15,000 laboratory containers were excavated, repackaged, and disposed of off-site. In addition, over 5,000 tons of a mixture of municipal solid waste and soil were taken off-site for disposal.
The second phase of the soil cleanup activities began in October 1999 with the initiation of treatment activities at the site. Soil treatment consisted of the excavation and thermal and mechanical treatment of contaminated soils within two large buildings at the site. Each batch of soil underwent treatment for several days until cleanup standards were met. An extensive sampling and analytical program involving both an on-site and off-site laboratory was used to verify that cleanup standards were met for each batch of soil. After treatment, the soil was used to help backfill excavated areas. Soil treatment was completed in April of 2001. During the cleanup, over 78,000 tons of soil were treated on-site and another 20,000 tons of soil and miscellaneous wastes were shipped off-site for treatment and disposal.

After completion of the soil treatment phase, the buildings were decontaminated and dismantled. Many treated and untreated areas of the site required additional fill to reach the final grade. Once graded, the entire disturbed area was covered with a 6-inch layer of topsoil. The disturbed areas were than planted with grass and over 500 trees to help stabilize the site and restore the wildlife habitat value. The tree planting consisted mainly of native species ranging in size from small saplings to large established plants. The overall cost of the soil cleanup incurred by the Settling Parties was approximately $24 million.

Groundwater Remedy

The groundwater remedy, which is meant to address the contamination remaining in both the shallow and deeper aquifers beneath the site, calls for the extraction and on-site treatment of contaminated groundwater. In order to determine the most appropriate way to implement this last component of the cleanup, EPA is monitoring the groundwater beneath the site over the next several years. The monitoring will provide EPA with the information it needs to finalize the design of the groundwater extraction and treatment system. The first phase of monitoring was completed during the Fall 2001. A second round of groundwater monitoring, which involved the installation of additional wells and an expanded groundwater monitoring program, was completed during the summer of 2003. A report documenting the results of this second phase of groundwater monitoring was submitted in November of 2003. A third phase of groundwater monitoring will be initiated during the summer of 2004 on a subset of wells sampled during the first two sampling events. The third phase may involve several rounds of sampling to document whether there are any seasonal changes in contaminant concentrations in the groundwater beneath the site. If the results of the groundwater monitoring indicate that an active groundwater treatment system is necessary to reach groundwater cleanup levels, construction is presently estimated to occur in the fall of 2006. Groundwater cleanup, if implemented, is estimated to take five to ten years to achieve cleanup levels once the treatment system is up and running.

Enforcement Highlights

Discovery of off-site well contamination in 1978 resulted in the State Superior Court banning dumping on the site. EPA obtained a Court Order to gain access to the site. The Department of Justice prepared a motion for "conditional" site access to be entered in the Rhode Island Federal Court. The site owner resisted attempts by Federal officials to investigate the site for cleanup and continued to conduct business operations within 100 feet of the hazardous dumping site. The State of Rhode Island entered into an agreement with the site owner in late 1994 for the removal of an estimated 10 to 30 million tires stored at the site. The owner complied with the order during 1995 but, during 1996, was unable to meet the quarterly quota for tire removal. Since 1997, the State of Rhode Island has been funding the removal of additional tires from the site. Tire removal activities were completed by the State in December of 2000 at which time it was estimated that 6 million tires in total were removed from the site.

Disclaimer

Instructions about PDF

Recent Press Releases about this project (if any) nbsp

Soil Cleanup Completed, October 2001 (1.2MB) nbsp

Final NPL Listing nbsp

Index only: OU 01 Record of Decision (ROD), September 29, 1987 (1,192 KB) nbsp

View Records of Decision (RODS) on-line (EPA HQ) nbsp

NPL Site Narrative at Listing: nbsp

[Back to Top

EPA Remedial Project Manager:

Byron Mah

Address:

1 Congress St, Suite 1100 (HBO)
Boston, MA 02114-2023

Phone #:

(617) 918-1249

E-Mail Address:

mah.byron@epa.gov

EPA Community Involvement Coordinator:

Pamela Harting-Barrat

Address:

1 Congress Street Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023

Phone #:

(617) 918-1318

E-Mail Address:

harting-barrat.pamela@epa.gov

State Agency Contact:

Gary Jablonski

Address:

235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908-5767

Phone #:

(401) 222-2797 x 7141

E-Mail Address:

gjablons@dem.state.ri.us

Threats and Contaminants
Groundwater contamination consists of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals, including arsenic and lead from the lagoons and seepage pit areas. The soil, lagoon sediments, and surface water also are contaminated with VOCs and heavy metals. Residential wells to the north and northeast of the site are contaminated with VOCs. People could be exposed to contaminants by ingesting contaminated groundwater, coming into contact with contaminated soils on-site, or by inhaling chemicals that evaporate from the soil or surface water. Portions of the bordering wetlands have been filled with tires and waste material, resulting in large areas of stressed wetland vegetation.

Cleanup Approach
The site is being addressed in two stages: initial removal actions (i.e., drum removal activities), and long-term remedial activities (i.e., actions focusing on the provision of a new water supply line and cleanup of the soil and groundwater at the site).

Response Action Status

Initial Action	From 1985 to 1986, the EPA sampled, packed, and staged approximately 600 intact and crushed drums and shipped them off-site to an approved disposal facility. At the same time, bottled water for drinking and cooking was supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) to residences with contaminated wells. This temporary action provided a safe water supply while a permanent remedy was being evaluated.
Water Supply Line	The construction of a new water distribution system serving 127 lots along Forge Road, Log Road, Burlingame Road, and Bayberry Road was completed by EPA and RIDEM in December of 1997. The new system includes construction of a 300,000-gallon water storage tank, a water main, pumping stations, and connections to existing residences. For undeveloped lots, EPA has brought a service connection up to the property line so that future connections may take place at the owner's expense.
Soil Remedy	The final soil cleanup remedy calls for excavating approximately 25,000 cubic yards of raw waste and contaminated soils for on-site treatment using thermal desorption. Treated soil will be tested and clean soil will be used to backfill excavated areas. In November of 1996, a Consent Decree negotiated between the EPA and 54 Settling Parties was lodged with the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. The Consent Decree among other things includes a work based component requiring the Settling Parties to perform the soil cleanup at the site. In March of 1997, the Settling Parties began performing the work described in the CD, focusing their initial efforts on the removal of tires from areas of the site which were believed to be contaminated. Between March of 1997 and August of 1999, it was estimated that approximately 1.4 million tires were removed from the site. An additional 5 million tires were removed by the State of Rhode Island from other portions of the site. The last of the tires at the site were removed in December 2000. Throughout the tire removal completed by the Settling Parties, partially and fully buried drums were encountered. Drums which were among the tires were removed and over-packed while buried drums were left to be addressed as part of the subsequent drum removal activities. Work on the buried drums began in July 1997and continued intermittently until December 2000. During the drum and laboratory container removal activities, over 1,400 drums and 15,000 laboratory containers were excavated, repackaged, and disposed of off-site. In addition, over 5,000 tons of a mixture of municipal solid waste and soil were taken off-site for disposal. The second phase of the soil cleanup activities began in October 1999 with the initiation of treatment activities at the site. Soil treatment consisted of the excavation and thermal and mechanical treatment of contaminated soils within two large buildings at the site. Each batch of soil underwent treatment for several days until cleanup standards were met. An extensive sampling and analytical program involving both an on-site and off-site laboratory was used to verify that cleanup standards were met for each batch of soil. After treatment, the soil was used to help backfill excavated areas. Soil treatment was completed in April of 2001. During the cleanup, over 78,000 tons of soil were treated on-site and another 20,000 tons of soil and miscellaneous wastes were shipped off-site for treatment and disposal. After completion of the soil treatment phase, the buildings were decontaminated and dismantled. Many treated and untreated areas of the site required additional fill to reach the final grade. Once graded, the entire disturbed area was covered with a 6-inch layer of topsoil. The disturbed areas were than planted with grass and over 500 trees to help stabilize the site and restore the wildlife habitat value. The tree planting consisted mainly of native species ranging in size from small saplings to large established plants. The overall cost of the soil cleanup incurred by the Settling Parties was approximately $24 million.
Groundwater Remedy	The groundwater remedy, which is meant to address the contamination remaining in both the shallow and deeper aquifers beneath the site, calls for the extraction and on-site treatment of contaminated groundwater. In order to determine the most appropriate way to implement this last component of the cleanup, EPA is monitoring the groundwater beneath the site over the next several years. The monitoring will provide EPA with the information it needs to finalize the design of the groundwater extraction and treatment system. The first phase of monitoring was completed during the Fall 2001. A second round of groundwater monitoring, which involved the installation of additional wells and an expanded groundwater monitoring program, was completed during the summer of 2003. A report documenting the results of this second phase of groundwater monitoring was submitted in November of 2003. A third phase of groundwater monitoring will be initiated during the summer of 2004 on a subset of wells sampled during the first two sampling events. The third phase may involve several rounds of sampling to document whether there are any seasonal changes in contaminant concentrations in the groundwater beneath the site. If the results of the groundwater monitoring indicate that an active groundwater treatment system is necessary to reach groundwater cleanup levels, construction is presently estimated to occur in the fall of 2006. Groundwater cleanup, if implemented, is estimated to take five to ten years to achieve cleanup levels once the treatment system is up and running.
Enforcement Highlights	Discovery of off-site well contamination in 1978 resulted in the State Superior Court banning dumping on the site. EPA obtained a Court Order to gain access to the site. The Department of Justice prepared a motion for "conditional" site access to be entered in the Rhode Island Federal Court. The site owner resisted attempts by Federal officials to investigate the site for cleanup and continued to conduct business operations within 100 feet of the hazardous dumping site. The State of Rhode Island entered into an agreement with the site owner in late 1994 for the removal of an estimated 10 to 30 million tires stored at the site. The owner complied with the order during 1995 but, during 1996, was unable to meet the quarterly quota for tire removal. Since 1997, the State of Rhode Island has been funding the removal of additional tires from the site. Tire removal activities were completed by the State in December of 2000 at which time it was estimated that 6 million tires in total were removed from the site.

Environmental Progress
Removing drums reduced the potential for exposure to hazardous substances at the Davis Liquid site. The completion of the alternative water supply and soil cleanup further protects human health by reducing the potential for exposure to hazardous substances while additional cleanup activities are being planned and conducted.

Current Site Status
In September 1987, EPA selected a cleanup plan to address site contamination that included: construction of an alternate water supply; construction of a groundwater extraction and treatment system, and excavation and on-site thermal treatment of contaminated soils. Operation of the low temperature thermal treatment system began in October, 1999 and was completed in April 2001. With completion of soil cleanup, EPA is focusing its efforts over the next several years on monitoring the groundwater contamination beneath the site. The monitoring will provide EPA with the information it needs to finalize the design of the groundwater extraction and treatment system. The first phase of monitoring was completed during the Fall 2001. A second round of groundwater monitoring, which involved the installation of additional wells and an expanded groundwater monitoring program, was completed during the summer of 2003. A phase 2 pre-design report was submitted in July 2004. A third phase of groundwater monitoring will be conducted in 2004 to identify any seasonal changes in the concentrations of contaminants in the groundwater beneath the site.

Site Photos

Links to Other Site Information

Disclaimer

Instructions about PDF

Newsletters & Press Releases:

Recent Press Releases about this project (if any) nbsp
Soil Cleanup Completed, October 2001 (1.2MB) nbsp

Federal Register Notices:

Final NPL Listing nbsp

Administrative Records:

Index only: OU 01 Record of Decision (ROD), September 29, 1987 (1,192 KB) nbsp

Decision Documents:

View Records of Decision (RODS) on-line (EPA HQ) nbsp

Other Links:

NPL Site Narrative at Listing: nbsp

Site Repositories
Greenville Public Library, 573 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI 02828
EPA New England Records Center, One Congress Street, Boston, MA 02114 (617) 918-1440

[Back to Top

EPA Remedial Project Manager:	Byron Mah
Address:	1 Congress St, Suite 1100 (HBO) Boston, MA 02114-2023
Phone #:	(617) 918-1249
E-Mail Address:	mah.byron@epa.gov
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator:	Pamela Harting-Barrat
Address:	1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston, MA 02114-2023
Phone #:	(617) 918-1318
E-Mail Address:	harting-barrat.pamela@epa.gov
State Agency Contact:	Gary Jablonski
Address:	235 Promenade Street Providence, RI 02908-5767
Phone #:	(401) 222-2797 x 7141
E-Mail Address:	gjablons@dem.state.ri.us

source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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see also:

Central Landfill Environmental Pollution in Rhode Island- Site: Central Landfill
Central Landfill Superfund Site Info - Fight Air Pollution, Water Pollution

Stamina Mills, Inc. Environmental Pollution in Rhode Island- Site: Stamina Mills, Inc.
Stamina Mills, Inc. Superfund Site Info - Fight Air Pollution, Water Pollution

RI Environmental Pollution Lawsuit: Rhode Island Superfund Sites
Rhode Island Superfund Sites - Fight Environmental Pollution