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Tombarello Site

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What is Tombarello Site?

The Tombarello Site is owned by the City of Lawrence, whose acquisition in May 2016 through foreclosure of tax title created an important economic redevelopment opportunity.  Located at 207 Marston Street with over 400 feet of direct frontage on I-495, the 14-acre property is the largest undeveloped parcel in the city. To unlock redevelopment potential, the city developed partnerships with state and federal agencies to assess and remediate the contamination associated with the property’s previous use as a metals recycling facility (John C. Tombarello & Sons followed by American Recycling of Massachusetts, Inc.) from about 1941 through 2001.   

 

What contaminants need to be remediated?

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the primary contaminant of concern at the Tombarello Site. Operations of the metal recycling facility included spreading contaminated soils throughout the property and in the large berms along portions of the property’s perimeter. PCBs were detected in almost all the soil samples collected from the upper one foot with the highest PCB concentration of 7,000 mg/kg.  PCBs have also been detected at concentrations up to 890 mg/kg in the soil berm at the southern and eastern Site boundaries.  Other contaminants include extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPH) plus target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and metals, but PCBs are the primary driver of soil remediation to support re-use of the property. 
 

What is happening now?

The City of Lawrence (City) has been awarded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield Cleanup Grant #BF00A00544 for environmental remediation and cleanup of the Tombarello Site located at 207 Marston Street, Lawrence, Massachusetts (the Site).  The cleanup work to be undertaken includes the excavation, offsite disposal of soil containing hazardous materials, and backfilling with clean imported fill. This is the second phase of cleanup activities administered by the city. The EPA has implemented two emergency response actions to address risks to public health. 

 

How can I learn more?

Environmental assessments, remediation plans, and other environmental information submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) are available online. MassDEP tracks the Site using Release Tracking Number 3-0018126.  

Several Site investigations detailing soil and groundwater contamination were conducted between 1998 and 2019.  The most significant investigations are: 

 

 

Below, is an ariel view of the site, with Interstate 495 on the left and Marston Street on the right:

The draft plans for the cleanup activities currently planned for the site are located here. The work will target up to six hot spots containing high levels of contamination. The planning for this work included an Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives to help support the selection of current cleanup activities. 

The city’s schedule calls for bidding the work in May, contractor mobilizing in June, and completion of excavation activities by the end of the summer of 2023. Confirmatory sampling will be undertaken during the project to determine the extent to which additional hot spot cleanup is required at these locations. During the work, the city will have a third-party monitoring air quality to make sure public health is not at risk during the work. 

 

Meeting Presentation from June 10, 2020