KEY PROJECT COMPONENTS:

• Preparation of RI/AA Work Plan for NYSDEC Review

• Excavation and Sampling of Test Pits

• Drilling and Sampling of Test Probes

• Installation and Sampling of Groundwater Monitoring Wells

• Collection and Analysis of Surface Soil Samples

• Collection and Analysis of Sub-slab Soil Samples

• Collection and Analysis of PCB Wipe Samples

• Asbestos Survey

• Performance of a Topographic and Boundary Survey

• Performance of Qualitative Risk Assessment

• Analysis of Remedial Alternatives

• Estimation of Costs of Remedial Alternatives

• Preparation of RI/AA Report

The Youngstown Cold Storage Site consists of approximately 2.4 acres of land located adjacent to Veteran’s Park. The site was formerly utilized for the storage, washing, and packing of locally grown apples. The site is occupied by three structures that include a deteriorating three-story stone building (warehouse), a single-story brick building (ice house), and a small home. The largest building contains a compressor room from which anhydrous ammonia was pumped via a pipe network throughout the cold storage portions of the facility.  A spray wash area was also present in the southeast corner of the project site where the apples were reportedly washed prior to storage within the facility. 

The Village has identified the project site as a prime candidate for restoration and redevelopment.  The project site’s attributes include its size, the presence of existing infrastructure (e.g. municipal sanitary, water, natural gas), and proximity to the Village downtown and Veteran’s Park. 

After the property was abandoned, the Village of Youngstown notified the USEPA of an anhydrous ammonia leak at the project site in 2003.  The USEPA completed a removal action that included anhydrous ammonia as well as other hazardous substances. This activity spurred concerns over other potential contamination associated with historic operations at the site.  To address the potential for contamination in the soil and groundwater, the Village of Youngstown obtained a grant under the New York State Clean Water/Clean Air Act of 1996 to investigate the site and identify appropriate remedial measures based on the planned reuse of the site. The Village retained TVGA to complete the Remedial Investigation/Alternatives Analysis (RI/AA) program.

The RI/AA for the Youngstown Cold Storage Site includes an asbestos survey, wipe sampling to assess building surfaces for the presence of PCBs, soil sampling to characterize surface and subsurface contamination, and groundwater monitoring to characterize groundwater contamination and the potential for off-site migration. TVGA’s work also included the assessment of the risks posed by the contamination to human and environmental receptors and the identification of Remedial Action Objectives. TVGA also identified and evaluated remedial alternatives to address contamination at the project site.