A Targeted Brownfields Assessment lead to remedial actions to restore and redevelop a contaminated property in the heart of Downtown Bennington, VT.

The Putnam Block originally consisted of six (6) parcels totaling approximately 4.3 acres in the heart of downtown Bennington bounded by Main Street, and South Street. The eastern portion of the Site is part of the Bennington historic district. Former site uses include office buildings, auto repair, battery service / storage, newspaper printing, paint storage, carpet cleaning, hardware store with lumber yard, hotel, black smith, and general storage. Re-Development of the eastern portion of the property was completed in 2021. Demolition of the lumber yard structures, removal of impacted soil and re-development with new residential and mixed use facilities will commence in 2022.

Several phases of Brownfields planning and assessment have been completed for the Site since 2014. Under contract to EPA, Region 1, Nobis completed a Targeted Brownfield Assessment (TBA) for the Site in 2017 on behalf of the Bennington County Redevelopment Corporation (BCRC). The TBA, in conjunction with previous studies, identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals contamination in Site soil due to historical Site activities. Groundwater was noted to be impacted by PAHs and trichloroethene (TCE), which poses a potential vapor intrusion risk to future on Site buildings.

Following the TBA for EPA, in 2017, Nobis prepared a Corrective Action Feasibility Investigation (CAFI) and Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for the Putnam Block Site on behalf of the Bennington Redevelopment Group (BRG). Nobis prepared the CAFI and CAP in accordance with Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC) requirements and guidance provided in the VTDEC Investigation and Remediation of Contaminated Properties Rule (IRULE) document. The CAFI/CAP Report used proposed redevelopment plans to identify suitable remedial alternatives for the planned site redevelopment. Nobis incorporated newly collected and previous Site data to develop remedial cost estimates.

As required elements of the Brownfields program, Nobis prepared a Community Relations Plan (CRP) and attended public meetings relative to the Brownfields Cleanup and Site redevelopment. The CRP included a Site description, a project schedule, and summaries of the CAFI/CAP Report, proposed remedial activities, potential impacts to the surrounding community, and the Public Meeting process. Nobis completed multiple Phase I ESAs in accordance with ASTM E 1527-13  between 2017-2019 to provide due diligence for property transfers between various stakeholders.

The first phase of remedial actions, completed by Nobis and approved by VTDEC included the removal and on-site management of 634 cubic yards (CY) of PAH and metals-containing soils, implementation of an Activity and Use Restriction to cost effectively manage contamination to remain on-site, groundwater monitoring for natural attenuation, and future soil gas mitigation systems to control vapor intrusion into residential structures, and removal of two (2) underground storage tanks (USTs) and associated gasoline impacted soil. Because some soil was impacted by petroleum, Nobis assisted the developer to apply for and receive payment through the VT Petroleum Cleanup Fund (PCF) for follow up soil and groundwater sampling.

The second phase of remedial actions included the delineation and evaluation of soil located on the western potion of the site that was impacted with elevated levels of trichloroethylene (TCE).   Nobis defined the extent and pre-characterized the soil, such that live-loading and immediate shipping off-site for disposal could occur in accordance with the approved CAP and Community Relations Plans (CRP).  In the fall of 2023, 2,700 tons of soil was disposed off site and the soil impacted with low levels of PAHs, was used as approved backfill at the bottom of the TCE excavation area.  Due to Nobis’ pre-characterization services, the TCE impacted soil was deemed as non-hazardous waste, which saved the client and EPA more than $300,000.  Nobis also prepared a detailed Corrective Action Construction Completion Report for review and approval by the client, VTDEC and EPA.

challenges

  • Complex redevelopment challenges included soil and groundwater contamination and a threat to indoor air quality due to the potential migration of soil vapors.
  • Redevelopment progress was potentially limited by available funds.

solutions

  • Seamlessly transitioned from a successful a Brownfields assessment and cleanup planning for the BCRC to remedial support to BRG during major redevelopment efforts.
  • Maximized use of grant funding for assessment and planning. Identified and helped procure alternate funding for cleanup under the VT Petroleum Cleanup Fund.
  • Re-used a large amount of soil on-site for beneficial re-use and performed pre-characterizations on other portions of the site to confirm that soil was non-hazardous waste. These effort saved clients and stakeholders more than $400,000.

results

Efficient, budget conscious assessment, remedial planning, and remedial oversight resulted in the rejuvenation of an expansive contaminated Downtown Site. On-going remedial actions continue to support additional redevelopment in the future.