June 26, 2008

Campus Bay Excavation Will Continue Wednesday

Rmediation in the northwestern portion of the Campus Bay (former Zeneca) site (see June 11, 2008 news story below) has been temporarily delayed. Work will resume on Wednesday July 2, 2008 and it expected to be finished on Tuesday July 8, 2008.

February 4, 2008

Lark Drive Repaving to Start February 5.

Beginning February 5, 2008 a contractor will repave a 270-foot stretch of Lark Drive. The repaving is necessary to repair the section of roadway and remove sensors used for the Institute of Transporation Studies Heavy Vehicle Simulator studies no longer being conducted at the RFS. Work will include grinding and removal of the existing roadway and laying hot mix asphalt. No disturbance of soils under the existing asphalt and base rock will occur. Work is expected to be finished by Friday February 8, 2008.

February 4, 2008

RFS Facilities Staff Cleanup Storm Trash from Meeker Slough

On January 31, 2008, Facilities Management staff spent an hour and a half collecting debris that had washed and blown on to UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station property along the left bank (east side) of Meeker Slough. Most of the debris was light floatable material such as Styrofoam cups, plastic water bottles and tennis balls. The accumulation was more substantial than during most rainy years due to the January 4, 2008 storm with 50 MPH sustained on-shore winds and a large storm surge associated with a high tide. A volume of approximately 30 bags of waste was removed.

Left Bank Meeker Slough- BEFORE Cleanup

Left Bank Meeker Slough- AFTER Cleanup

Meeker Creek/ Meeker Ditch confluence- BEFORE Cleanup

Meeker Creek/ Meeker Ditch confluence- AFTER Cleanup

January 11, 2008

Clean Soil Backfill of TCRA Excavation Scheduled for Week of January 14, 2008

Beginning on January 15, 2008 the RFS Facility Team will backfill the excavation pit of the former Forest Products Laboratory Wood Treatment Laboratory. The soil in this area was removed in October 2007 under a Department of Toxic Substances Control Time Critical Removal Action and shipped for off-site disposal. The clean backfill material is currently stored at the RFS between Buildings 149 and 128. DTSC has approved use of this soil for backfill. It is expected that it will take two days to complete the backfill activity. Dust control measures will be implemented during the backfill. For more information, go to the Construction Schedule page of this website.

December 5, 2007

DTSC Work Notice for Zeneca Investigation December 6 and 7, 2007

The State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has issued the following work notice for site investigation activities at the Zeneca site:

WORK NOTICE FOR FORMER ZENECA/ FORMER STAUFFER CHEMICAL SITE, RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA (December 5, 2007)

Beginning Thursday December 6, 2007 through Friday December 7, 2007 the Zeneca/Former Stauffer Chemical Site Responsible Parties (Cherokee Simeon Venture I, LLC, Zeneca Inc. and Bayer CropScience Inc.) will conduct field work to collect additional information needed to evaluate potential cleanup alternatives for Lot 3. Work will take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The following activities will be conducted as outlined in the “Field Sampling Activities, Additional Sample Locations, Lot 3, Campus Bay, Former Zeneca Facility, Richmond, California”, dated October 31, 2007.
Activities will be completed using direct push drilling technology:

- The field work will take place predominantly on the Lot 3 Temporary Cap.

- Men wearing protective gear will be operating a CPT rig (similar to a large box truck) and one or two support vehicles at the site.

- Two Cone Penetrometer Test (CPT) borings will be pushed
approximately 50 feet below ground surface. A grab groundwater
sample will be collected from each CPT boring.

- Two CPT borings will be coupled with a membrane interface probe
(MIP) and pushed to approximately 50 feet below ground surface. The MIP will give qualitative information about the groundwater as it is pushed into the groundwater. A Grab groundwater sample will be collected from each CPT/MIP boring.

- One grab groundwater sample will be collected from 20 feet below ground surface.

- Two soil gas samples will be collected at a later date pending favorable weather conditions. Specifics on this portion of the field work will be explained in future Site Updates.

Additional site information can be accessed from DTSC's web page at the following address: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/ and searching the EnviroStor Data base.

For information regarding the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) cleanup activities at this and other South Richmond Sites, please contact the following DTSC staff:

Lynn Nakashima, Project Scientist
700 Heinz Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 540 3839
Lnakashi@dtsc.ca.gov

Diane Fowler, Public Participation Supervisor 8800 Cal Center Drive Sacramento, CA 95826
(916) 255-6682
dfowler@dtsc.ca.gov

Nancy Cook, Public Participation Specialist 700 Heinz Avenue Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 540-3923
ncook@dtsc.ca.gov

Members of the media should contact:
Angela Blanchette, Public Information Officer 700 Heinz Avenue Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 540-3732
ablanche@dtsc.ca.gov

November 27, 2007

Stockpiled Soil Shipping Scheduled for 11/28 and 11/29

Beginning Wednesday morning, November 28, 2007, trucks will be loaded with soils currently stored in the stockpile area of the RFS Remediation and Restoration Project (between buildings 112 and 128) for off-site disposal at a State approved landfill. These stockpiled soils originated from the Building 445 renovation and Jay Way repaving projects. The soils have been tested for chemicals of concern and are non-hazardous. Dust control measures will be implemented during loading activities. It is expected that the work will take two days to complete.

November 19, 2007

UC comments to Department of Public Health Draft Public Health Statement available

On July 15, 2007, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) released a draft "Public Health Assessment" (PHA) regarding the University's Richmond Field Station (RFS). The draft PHA evaluates existing RFS environmental data, makes conservative assumptions regarding possible exposures to contaminants found at the site, estimates potential health impacts, and evaluates health concerns raised by some RFS employees.

UC Berkeley's comment letter on the draft PHA is available on the Technical Documents page of this website.

November 19, 2007

TCRA soil disposal complete

As part of the ongoing efforts to remove legacy contamination from the Richmond Field Station, a small area of soil in the vicinity of the former Forest Products Laboratory Wood Treatment Laboratory (WTL) was excavated for off-site disposal in early October 2007. Work completed under the Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) is described in a public notice from the State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control. The final extent of the excavation has been approved by DTSC and the area will be backfilled with clean soil approved by DTSC.

Excavated soil, asphalt and concrete has been removed from the RFS to a DTSC approved disposal site. An implementation report on the TCRA is being written and will be made available at this site when complete.

October 25 , 2007

DTSC comments on Draft Current Condtions Report (CCR) issued

The State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control has issued a letter presenting comments on the April 2, 2007 Draft Current Conditions Report (CCR) for the Richmond Field Station. Please go to this link to view this letter.

October 4, 2007 TCRA soil excavation completed, Jay Way Soil to be sent off-site October 5, 2007

Excavation of soils at former Forest Products Laboratory Wood Treatment Laboratory (WTL), performed under a clean-up plan approved by the State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (see September 20, 2007 new story), was completed on October 4, 2007. Samples will be taken to determine if any additional excavation is needed. If no additional digging is needed, the excavation will be backfilled with clean soil.

Air monitoring and visual observations completed during the work showed that the dust control measures we implemented were fully effective in controlling dust from the excavation site. Air monitoring results, including maps showing the locations of the air monitors, will be available on this website early next week.

On Friday October 5, 2007, approximately 75 cubic yards of soil that was previously excavated during repair of Jay Way will be removed for off-site disposal. The soil was stockpiled for testing by the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety. Analytical results show that the soil is clean and is not hazardous. We anticipate that six loads will be trucked from the soil stockpile area east of Building 112 to a sanitary landfill.

September 20, 2007

Soil Excavation at the Former Wood Treatment Laboratory Scheduled for the Week of October 1, 2007

As part of the ongoing efforts to remove legacy contamination from the Richmond Field Station, a small area of soil in the vicinity of the former Forest Products Laboratory Wood Treatment Laboratory (WTL) will be excavated for off-site disposal beginning on October 1, 2007. A public notice from the State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the regulatory agency that has approved this action. This notice describes the work that will occur in this area.

The soil being removed was contaminated by wood treatment chemicals used in research at the WTL.  The primary chemical of concern is arsenic, which is a constituent of commercial pressure treated wood pre-dating the EPA’s ban of arsenic-containing wood treatment compounds in 2004. The former WTL is located in the northeast corner of the RFS near Building 476. The contaminated soil was found during final clearance inspections after the WTL equipment was removed for off-site disposal to a DTSC approved landfill in 2006. Two small areas of elevated concentrations of arsenic were found in soils near the old equipment.

The soils are being removed because the arsenic contamination poses a risk to construction workers who might dig in this soil. After the soil is removed, a new facilities maintenance storage building will be placed in this area as part of the relocation of the corporation yard.

Summary of Cleanup Activities

Following is a description of the activities that will take place during the week of October 1, 2007:

Approximately 100 cubic yards of soil will be removed using a backhoe.  The soil will be placed into 20-cubic yard roll-off bins for off-site disposal at licensed off-site landfill facility. The expected excavation depth is two feet in most areas and four feet in a smaller area.  The excavated areas will be backfilled with clean soil that has been approved by DTSC.

Activities will occur during weekdays, Monday through Friday, between 8 A.M and 6 P.M.  Soil excavation likely will take no more than three days to complete.  The following activities will occur:

• Trained workers wearing personal protective equipment will use a concrete-asphalt cutter and a concrete-breaker attachment on a backhoe to cut and break up asphalt and concrete covering soil in portions of the excavation area.
• The concrete and asphalt will be stockpiled on site for future disposal at an appropriate off-site disposal or recycling facility. The stockpile will be covered to prevent dust.
• The workers will use a backhoe to excavate soil and placed it directly into roll-off bins.
• Upon completion of excavation, environmental consultants will collect soil samples to confirm that the DTSC-approved cleanup goal has been achieved. All samples will be submitted to a state-certified analytical laboratory for analysis. DTSC will oversee the sample collection and review the analytical results
• Excavated soil, asphalt, and concrete will be sampled for off-site disposal, and then trucked to an appropriately permitted disposal facility.
• After cleanup,  the area will remain fenced until construction activities are completed to protect the RFS community from construction site equipment and hazards.

The excavation procedure approved by DTSC includes dust control measures, such as spraying water during soil excavation and loading, which will reduce dust generation during the work to levels that are safe.  Dust monitoring will be performed at upwind and downwind locations to monitor the effectiveness of the dust control measures.  If excessive dust is detected, modifications to the dust control measures will be made or work will be stopped until adequate control measures are in place.

An estimated five roll-off bins, equivalent to five truckloads, will be removed from the site. Trucks hauling soil will exit the Richmond Field Station and travel west on Meade Street for approximately 1/3 miles and then take the Regatta on-ramp to Interstate 580.

September 10, 2007

September 5, 2007 Department of Public Health meeting- message from the Director of EH&S

On September 5, 2007, the State of California Department of Public Health convened a meeting at the Richmond Field Station to present the findings of and answer questions about the draft Public Health Assessment of the Richmond Field Station (see August 17, 2007 news item). The following is a message from Mark Freiberg , the Director of the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety, to the RFS Community regarding the meeting.

Dear RFS Community:

On behalf of UC Berkeley's Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), I'd like to thank all who were able to attend Wednesday's staff meeting to hear representatives from the state Department of Public Health (DPH), Contra Costa County Health Services Department (CCCHSD), and EH&S discuss DPH's draft Public Health Assessment for RFS. We appreciate the time and effort you took to come out and share your comments and questions.

For those who were not able to attend, we encourage you to read the two-page summary (http://rfs.berkeley.edu/documents/UCRFS-publichealthassessmentflyer.pdf) the county health officials developed to explain in plain language the preliminary findings from the draft report (http://rfs.berkeley.edu/documents/UCRFS-PHAPublicComment.pdf). Following is a very brief summary of DPH's points:

- It is safe to work at RFS and to use the Bay Trail.

- With reasonable precautions, such as training and proper work procedures, workers digging in RFS soils are quite safe.

- There is no evidence that indoor air quality at RFS poses any health hazard, although more sampling would be helpful.

DPH officials also stated that additional data is needed in some areas to provide additional reassurance that contamination remains below health concern levels. To address this need, our office will be collecting additional indoor quality air samples in coordination with DPH, and we will continue to work with the Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC), the agency charged with cleanup oversight at the RFS, to perform additional monitoring and sampling over the coming months.

At the Wednesday meeting, some employees expressed concern about RFS staff and students who may dig in the soils for purposes such as installation of research instrumentation and environmental sample collection. This is a reminder that any disturbance of soil at RFS must first be authorized through RFS Manager John Felling's office (665-3402 or jfelling@berkeley.edu). While there is no evidence that digging in unfenced areas at the RFS poses a health risk, such activity can potentially damage underground utilities or sensitive plant or animal species.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about information contained in the DPH assessment. You may also contact DPH staff at the number listed on the summary.

Thanks,
Mark Freiberg
Director, EH&S

August 17 , 2007

Draft Public Health Assessment of Richmond Field Station Released by Department of Public Health

On July 15, 2007, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) released a draft "Public Health Assessment" (PHA) regarding the University's Richmond Field Station (RFS). The draft PHA evaluates existing RFS environmental data, makes conservative assumptions regarding possible exposures to contaminants found at the site, estimates potential health impacts, and evaluates health concerns raised by some RFS employees.

UC Berkeley is currently performing an extensive review of this draft document and will provide comments to DPH on or before the comment deadline of September 24, 2007.

The University's preliminary review of the draft indicates that many of the assumptions regarding human exposures to soils and the marsh do not reflect realistic scenarios, and UC plans to provide input to correct those assumptions.

Even with the draft's current assumptions, the conclusions are reassuring on many fronts. For example, DPH determined that it is indeed safe for people to walk on RFS grounds and to use the adjacent Bay Trail. Further, DPH concluded that there is to date no evidence of radioactive contamination at the RFS.

However, UC believes that some of the draft's unrealistic assumptions have led to some erroneous and troubling conclusions, including identifying potential health impacts for the small group of RFS workers who occasionally dig in soils at RFS, and to children or teenagers who may have played extensively in West Stege Marsh. UC will be providing comments on the draft PHA to allow for more realistic assumptions that we believe will indicate no health risk to these groups when the report is finalized.

The draft PHA lists nine specific recommended practices, many of which UC Berkeley agrees with and has already implemented. For example, DPH recommends that UC provide RFS staff access to up-to-date maps of structures, soil sampling locations, and contamination levels. These maps were included in the Current Conditions Report (CCR Text and Appendixes) prepared on April 5, 2007. Hard copies of the CCR are also available at various locations at the RFS.

DPH also recommends that UC train workers annually on how to identify cinders and actions to take if cinders are identified. UC has provided this training to its workers, and has developed job safety procedures and a soils management plan, which has been approved by the state Department of Toxics Substances Control, the lead agency in charge of overseeing the remediation and restoration of the RFS.

A meeting for RFS staff is being planned for early September in which DPH representatives will discuss and hear comments on the draft's assumptions, conclusions and recommendations. The PHA is available on the Technical Documents page of this website. A link to the draft assessment available on the DPH website iis found here: http://www.ehib.org/project.jsp?project_key=UCFS01

July 16 , 2007

UC Letter to the Community Advisory Group on DTSC Alleged Violations

At the July 12, 2007 Richmond Southeast Shoreline Area Community Advisory Group meeting the University presented a letter regarding the June 29, 2007 Summary of Violations letter issued by the Department of Toxics Substances Control (see July 3, 2007 news item).

July 3 , 2007

UC Receives Violation Letter Over Its Remediation Work at RFS

In a letter dated June 29, 2007, the University of California, Berkeley, was notified by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), a branch of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA), of allegations that  it acted improperly by performing remediation work at its Richmond Field Station without hazardous waste permits or authorization from the DTSC.

The cleanup and wetlands restoration work at the field station, located in Richmond about five miles from the UC Berkeley campus, was initiated by a 2001 order from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, another branch of Cal EPA. The order followed voluntary site assessment work that UC Berkeley began in 1999.

UC Berkeley proceeded with the remediation project with the close oversight and approval of the regional board, as well as with regulatory approvals from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. UC Berkeley also consulted with the East Bay Regional Parks District and the city of Richmond, and prepared documents under the California Environmental Quality Act that then were distributed to state agencies through the Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

The environmental cleanup work was required to address contamination resulting from industrial activities at the field station and its neighboring properties that dated back to the late 1800s and before the University of California purchased the property in 1950. The contaminants included mercury and other heavy metals – including arsenic, lead, zinc, selenium, cadmium and copper – that are associated with pyrite cinder waste.

In the letter to UC Berkeley, the DTSC primarily referred to the treatment and transport from October 2002 to November 2004 of contaminated soil between the field station and an adjacent property owned at the time by Zeneca, the corporate successor to Stauffer Chemical Co.

UC Berkeley began working with the DTSC after May 12, 2005, when Cal EPA announced it was assigning the DTSC as lead regulatory agency in place of the regional water quality control board for the remaining cleanup and restoration at the field station.

Campus officials are currently reviewing the letter and plan to meet with the DTSC within the next few weeks.

"We believe we have a strong track record of cooperating with regulatory agencies on the Richmond Field Station remediation project, which is why we are taking this notification from the DTSC very seriously," said Mark Freiberg, director of UC Berkeley Environment, Health & Safety, which has helped manage the project. "We are eager to meet with the DTSC in the near future so we can better understand the agency's letter."

A copy of the June 29, 2007, Summary of Violation from the DTSC is available here.

For background about the Richmond Field Station remediation project, an online fact sheet is available at http://rfs.berkeley.edu/factsheet.html.

June 18 , 2007

Ficha Descriptiva en Español (Spanish Version of RFS Fact Sheet Now Available)

Ahora también está disponible la ficha descriptiva del proyecto en español.

May 10, 2007- Closed to the public.

The 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, May 10, 2007, regular CAG meeting is closed to the public and DTSC.  The CAG will be focused on organizational issues. 

The public is invited to attend the CAG Toxics Committee meeting the following week:

May 17, 2007 (Thursday) 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

April 5, 2007

Draft Current Conditions Report Completed.

The Draft Current Conditions Report (CCR) for the Richmond Field Station is now available. This report, required by the Department of Toxic Substances Contol (DTSC) Site Investigation and Remediation Order, provides a comprehensive summary of current conditions at the RFS. The report includes a site-wide summary of past activities, a description of current site conditions based on historic sampling analytical data, and anticipated data needs to plan further studies and assess whether any additional cleanup actions for the RFS are needed.

April 5, 2007

Groundwater Monitoring Equipment to be Installed April 12 and 13, 2007.

Zeneca, through its environmental consultant LFR, plans to sample groundwater and install two piezometers (temporary groundwater monitoring wells) at the RFS in two locations near the property boundary between the former Zeneca site and the RFS. These activities are planned for April12 and 13, 2007. The work is being done according to the March 30, 2007 Work Plan for Additional Grab Groundwater Investigatino and Piezometer Installatoin, Campus Bay, Former Zeneca Facility, Zeneca has submitted to the Department of Toxics Substances Contro and to an April 5, 2007 Amendment to the Work Plan. This Work Plan and Amendment include a Table showing samping rationale and a Map showing the sampling locations. This plan summarizes activities to collect groundwater samples to determine the extent to which chemicals detected in groundwater at the Zeneca site may have entered the groundwater beneath the RFS. The piezometers are being installed to better understand grounwater flow directions in the northern part of the property boundary. Equipment to perform sampling and install the piezomenters will be on the RFS for approximately two days. Air monitoring will be conducted continuously during these activities.

November 17, 2006
New "Keep Out" Signs Posted

The new Site Investigation and Remediation Order recently issued by the Department of Toxic Substances Control requires that the University post signs stating "Caution Hazardous Substances Area Unauthorized Persons Keep Out" in areas where future remediation is going to occur. These signs have been posted in the area of the former mercury fulminate plant (also called Area of Concern 7) that was located to the west of Building 102 at the south end of the RFS site. Additional signs may be placed in other locations in the future. East Bay Regional Park District "Resource Protection Area Keep Out" signs required on the Bay Trail traversing Western Stege Marsh at the south end of the RFS have also been posted.

These signs do not indicate any changes to site conditions or potential risks to employees . They are being posted to comply with the new Order requirement which will prevent the general public from entering investigation and resource protection areas. As indicated by the signs, only persons authorized to enter these areas may do so. Authorized persons include RFS facilities maintenance staff performing routine grounds maintenance activities and persons traveling through the area to the Building 128 storage facility that have been authorized to access this building. All other activities, must be approved by EH&S and the RFS Superintendent. In order to obtain authorization, please contact RFS Superintendent John Felling (510-665-3402) or Karl Hans at the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (510-643-9574 or 510-665-3603).

November 1, 2006
Site Sampling Along RFS/Zeneca Property Boundary Air Monitoring Results

Zeneca, through its environmental consultant LFR, completed groundwater along the property boundary between the former Zeneca site and the RFS during the week of October 9 (see October 5, 2006 Archived News). The work was being done according to a Field Sampling Activities Plan and Revision Letter Zeneca submitted to the Department of Toxic Substances Control to determine the extent to which chemicals detected in groundwater at the Zeneca site may have entered the groundwater beneath the RFS. Air monitoring (Analytical Report and Map) conducted during the sampling activities found no presence of perchloroethylene or trichloroethylene, the chemicals of concern.

October 9 , 2006
The Watershed Project Open House is October 15, 2006

The Watershed Project, a non-profit eductional organization and partner with UC Berkeley on marsh and grassland restoration at the RFS is holding its second annual open house on Sunday Octoer 15, 2006, from 12:00 noon to 3:00 PM. The Celebration by the Bay includes guided tours of the nursery and demonstration garden and of the marsh restoration project as well as many other events for children adults. For more information and the schedule of activities see: http://www.thewatershedproject.org/specialevents/openhouse06.html.

October 9 , 2006
Restoration Rototilling Scheduled for October 12-13, 2006

On Thursday October 12, 2006 and Friday October 13, 2006, The Watershed Project (TWP) will be working in the upland along the edge of Western Stege Marsh at the RFS to condition soil for planting in the upcoming rainy season. Activities will include removing weed block fabric, spreading rice straw and rototiling to mix the straw into the soil and reduce rutting. The area will then be watered to promote weed sprouting. After the intial flush of weeds is removed, the area will be planted with native coastal scrub and prairie plants being grown in the TWP nursery at the RFS. Planting is expected to begin in November. All work is taking place in clean soils imported for coastal prairie restoration.

October 5 , 2006
Zeneca Marsh Grading Scheduled for October 6-9, 2006

Beginning October 6, 2006, grading work will be taking place in clean soils in a small portion of Eastern Stege Marsh on the Zeneca Site. The grading is necessary to smooth ruts and to lower marsh elevations to target levels designed to create additional wildlife habitat as required by the permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers and by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Work will occur at the southwestern corner of the Zeneca site, whcih is next to the RFS connector trail at the intersection of the Bay Trail. The State of California Department of Toxics Substances Control is requiring that real time air monitoring for dust and hydrogen sulfide be conducted during grading activities. For more information, see the September 28, 2005 DTSC Special Update.

October 5, 2006
Site Sampling Along RFS/Zeneca Property Boundary Scheduled fo the Week of October 9, 2006

Zeneca, through its environmental consultant LFR, plans to sample groundwater along the property boundary between the former Zeneca site and the RFS during the week of October 9. The work is being done according to a Field Sampling Activities Plan and Revision Letter Zeneca has submitted to the Department of Toxics Substances Control. This plan summarizes activities to collect groundwater samples to determine the extent to which chemicals detected in groundwater at the Zeneca site may have entered the groundwater beneath the RFS. LFR plans to collect samples from twelve locations on the RFS side of the fenceline. Equipment will be on the RFS for approximately three days. Air monitoring will be conducted continuously during these activities with results posted on this website as they become available from LFR. Previous air sampling by EH&S for the compounds of concern in Building 478 has not shown that contaminants are moving from groundwater into the air in Building 478.

September 18, 2006
DTSC Issues Site Investigation and Remediation Orders for RFS and Zeneca Properties

On September 15, 2006 the California Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC) issued two new Site Investigation and Remediation Orders: one applying to the University of California, Richmond Field Station (RFS) and the other to the Zeneca Site, formerly owned by Stauffer Chemical and neighboring the RFS. These orders establish a timeline of tasks to further investigate and remediate both sites. The process to develop these orders was initiated in 2005, when regulatory oversight for both sites was transferred by the California Environmental Protection Agency from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) to DTSC ( see http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/05/18_rfs.shtml for more information.) For the RFS, the order will allow the University to proceed with tasks that were being planned at the time of the agency transfer. Return to this website in the upcoming weeks for updates on activities associated with these orders.

February 16, 2006
Building 478 Supplemental Air Monitoring Report Available
The campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety recently completed supplemental air monitoring in the interior of Building 478 (former Forest Products Laboratory) to assess the potential for soil vapor intrusion from groundwater contamination at the neighboring former Zeneca site (now a private development not affiliated with UC Berkeley). During the sampling event, none of the contaminants of concern (arsenic, PCE, TCE and vinyl chloride) were found in Building 478.

The report and attachments can be found on the Air Monitoring Data page in the Resources section of this website.

February 2, 2006
DHS CCCHSD Health Statement Update
In June 2005, officials from the California Department of Health Services and the Contra Costa County Health Services Department released a "Provisional Joint Health Statement Summary" concerning remediation activities at the RFS and adjacent Zeneca site (formerly Stauffer Chemical Company).  The agencies have recently updated this health statement.

Both the original June 23, 2005 and the January 18, 2006 revised Provisional Joint Health Statement Full Statement and a summary Short Statement can be found on the RFS Environmental Website Technical Documentation page at http://rfs.berkeley.edu/tech_doc.html, in the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment Reports.

The full and short statements can also be found at the Department of Health Services website at:

http://www.ehib.org/cma/project.jsp?project_key=UCFS01

Update January 31, 2006
Monitoring Well Field Closure Project Starts 1/31/2006
Beginning on Tuesday January 31, 2006 and continuing until approximately February 17, 2006, drill rigs and support equipment will complete a monitoring well closure project. The main area of work is in the field north of Crow Drive to the west of Building 167 (see Well Field Map).

The purpose of this project is to decommission an historic research monitoring well field that is no longer in use. The well field was installed in the 1950's by the College of Engineering as part of a State Water Resources Control Board funded project to study deep-well injection and transport of materials such as sewage. Over twenty wells were installed to a depth of ninety feet.  State and county regulations require that the wells are destroyed by filling them with grout (cement) to prevent accidental contamination of the groundwater aquifer. A full account of the well field history, investigation and decommissioning methods can be found in the attached December 8, 2005 Stellar Environmental Solutions' report Revised Technical Specifications for Well Destructions.

During the two to three weeks of activities, drill rigs will pump grout into the wells in two phases. The first phase will take one hour per well for grouting the lower segment. The second and final phase of closure will take approximately one- half day per well. Prior to the final grout injection during the second phase, well casings will be cut throughout the length of the wells. During these activities you may expect some truck engine noise. Additionally, in three locations (see Piezometer Map), temporary groundwater monitoring equipment, known as piezometers, installed as part of the remediation and restoration project, will be removed by a drill rig.

In addition to the field north of Crow Drive, activity will take place near Buildings 164, 180 and 183. Following is the current schedule for work in these locations:

• Thursday February 2, 2006- two wells (225S and 224SE) between Buildings 164 and 180. Approximately two hours first phase well closure activity.
  
  
• Tuesday February 7, 2006- one well in the southwest corner of the Building 183 parking lot. Approximately two hours activity to remove with a drill rig.
  
  
• Thursday February 7, 2006- second phase to finish closure of two wells between Buildings 164 and 180. Approximately eight hours activity (four hours per well).

All wells have been sampled extensively by the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety. There are no hazardous constituents present in the wells and there will be no soil disturbance that will create any dust emissions.

All work has been reviewed and approved by Contra Costa County Health Services and State of California Department of Toxics Substances Control.

• contractors will be removing earth moving equipment and debris
• vegetation will be cleared at the edge of the lagoons for fence installation
• a fence will be installed near the lagoons
• contractors will complete hand shoveling in the marsh to improve drainage

For more information on Zeneca and other neighboring site activities, please see the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) South Richmond Shoreline Sites Status Report Revised Update January 4, 2006.

2.   Fill area excavation: DTSC has scheduled excavation activities in the fill area at the end of Meeker Beach to begin on January 9, 2006. As previously reported (see October 21, 2005 Archived News), this fill area is where a former UC employee claims to have buried drums in the late 1960s. The purpose of the current work is to uncover buried metal in this area and collect samples for chemical and radiological analysis. DTSC expects the work to be completed by the end of the week of January 9, 2006.

For more information and a map of the fill area location, please see the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Work Notice.

3.   Richmond Field Station: There are no remediation activities planned at the RFS in January. Restoration is continuing with The Watershed Project transplanting starts in the marsh and upland coastal terrace prairie.

1.   Zeneca remediation activities:     As described in the December 2, 2005 Archived News item, Zeneca, a private development adjacent to the RFS but not affiliated with UC Berkeley, has commenced the remediation work at their site. The work being completed was presented in the Draft Removal Action Workplan in October 2005 (see October 19, 2005 Archived News) and approved by the State Department of Toxics Substances Control in late November 2005. This work includes sediment excavation, mixing and truck activity. Work will continue through the week of December 12 and possibly beyond, depending on weather conditions. Zeneca is approved to work in the marsh through December 31,2005. Continuous air monitoring and dust control measures will be in place during the removal activities. The site will be monitored by DTSC with supplemental monitoring to be completed by the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety.

2.   Zeneca Lot 1 monitoring well installation. Three monitoring wells are being installed in the northwest portion of the Zeneca near the entrance to the RFS site in an area known as Lot 1 on Thursday and Friday December 8 and 9, 2005. The purpose of these wells is to further assess the extent of residual groundwater contamination, particularly perchloroethylene, in a previously cleaned area.

3.   RFS AOC7 fencing. A construction fence was erected this week around RFS Area of Concern 7, the former California Cap Company mercury fulminate plant to the west and south of building 102, to begin preparation of the site for remediation activities in 2006. A Removal Action Workplan is expected to be completed in spring 2006 and will be available for public review and comment electronically and at public workshops.

4.    RFS Environmental Bulletin Board. The RFS Environmental Bulletin Board has been erected. It is located at the intersection of Robin and Egret Ways, to the southeast of Building 451. The Bulletin Board will be used to post current news on environmental activities in the RFS area, including notices and information on the Richmond South Shoreline Community Advisory Group (CAG) meetings. For further information on the bulletin board, including posting, please contact the RFS CAG member David Kim at dongja@berkeley.edu or by telephone at (510) 665-3502.

Trapping will occur on a regular basis throughout the year with a frequency established to maximize protection of the clapper rail and other species whose habitat has been disrupted. Predator species that will be trapped and removed from the site include: rats, raccoons, skunks, red foxes and feral cats.

Trapping is not being done in areas frequented by domestic house cats. In the unlikely event that a tame cat is trapped, the University will make every effort to return the cat to its owner. We recommend that Marina Bay residents who choose to let their cats run loose place a collar with identification on the cat.

Assessment of this area continued on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005, with the completion of a magnetometer survey under the oversight of the state Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC). The survey located an area with buried material containing ferrous metal at a depth greater than five feet below the ground surface. The survey method was unable to determine the specific identity of the fill material.

Because the fill area is not on UC Berkeley property (it is owned by the City of Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency) and due to uncertainties about the origin of the fill material, DTSC will lead the continued investigation of the presence and content of any material buried in the fill area with cooperation from UC Berkeley's EH&S staff. DTSC staff and contractors are expected to be working in the area late October and into November. DTSC's work will primarily include excavation to uncover and identify the buried material.

As reported on September 6, no radioactive contamination was detected in this area. This area is safe and does not present a health hazard. As DTSC begins excavation work, however, it is expected that fencing will be erected as a precaution to prevent injuries from accidental falls.

We will continue to update you on these activities and DTSC's findings on this website.

What is a magnetometer survey?
Magnetometers are scientific survey instruments designed to measure small variations in local magnetic fields, known as anomalies. Magnetometers have been widely used for locating buried objects. Unlike metal detectors, which can detect a variety of metals, magnetometers only detect ferrous metals (iron, cobalt nickel, steel and other alloys) and are therefore useful for finding common objects such as iron pipes, drums and well casings. A magnetometer survey is completed by walking transects across a survey area with the magnetometer and mapping the magnitude of the magnetic field. Buried objects will cause anomalies in the magnetic field that can be identified on the survey map. Surveys are not always successful due to interferences. For example, if an area has an extensive quantity of buried iron objects, anomalies may be difficult to detect.

In response to public concerns about continuity of deed restrictions at the Zeneca site, DTSC issued a 9/29/05 letter, included as part of the Board agenda item package for the Zeneca site that responds to these concerns. The letter also presents DTSC's anticipated deadline for issuing a new order as the end of 2005.

If approved DTSC expects the RAW to be implemented starting late November or early December. Work will include excavation of sediments from the marsh, treatment with cement to dry the sediments, trucking of treated sediments off-site and trucking clean fill onto the site.

DTSC has issued at Fact Sheet with a proposed project Work Area Traffic Access Plan map. At the request of the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety, the route of import of clean fill will be moved from 46th Street at the RFS fence-line to the center of the Zeneca site, which will reduce the potential for nuisance dust, noise, vibration and diesel exhaust.

The Draft RAW is available for viewing at Information Repositories at the following locations:

1) DTSC File Room, 700 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710, hours 8-5 M-F by appointment only- call (510) 540-3800.
2) The Richmond Main Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94801 Reference desk (510) 620-6561. Hours 3-7 Mon. & Tues., 2-6 Wed. & Thurs., 1-5 Fri. & Sat.

News Alert!  October 17, 2005
DHS Health Concerns Drop-In Next Monday 10/24/05 and Tuesday 10/25/05.
Staff from the California Department of Health Services Environmental Health Investigation Branch (DHS) will be holding two drop-in sessions to meet with anyone from the RFS community to discuss health concerns:

1) An on-site session at the RFS wil be held on Monday October 24, 2005, 11am to 2pm, Building 445.

2) An off-site session will be held on Tuesday October 25, 2005 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the following location:

DHS has provided a flyer for both the on-site and off-site sessions. The on-site flyer provides description of this visit to the RFS:

"We invite you to share any exposure and health-related concerns you may have about the chemicals found at the Zeneca and UC Richmond Field Station property with staff from the California Department of Health Services. By participating, you will help us understand your worries and how they fit in with what we find in our review of the chemicals in the environment.

We will be available to meet individually with Richmond Field Station workers to discuss your concerns in a safe and confidential setting. We will summarize these concerns in a final report in a general manner, without mentioning any names or personal information.

Your participation is completely voluntary and will not affect your work status in any way.

If you feel more comfortable speaking with us by telephone, or if you cannot attend the session and would like to share your concerns, you may contact Ms. Rubi Orozco, Public Health Educator, at (510) 620-3671. You may also email her at rorozco1@dhs.ca.gov."

The supplemental air monitoring program commenced in early September with the collection of samples taken during non-remediation periods in order to establish a "baseline" assessment of the quality of air during periods when no site remediation was underway at either RFS or the adjacent "Zeneca" site. EH&S has received the analytical results of this sampling and this message summarizes the findings.

Samples collected from indoor and outdoor locations over the last month were analyzed for dust levels and for a variety of chemicals of concern including metals (arsenic, copper, mercury, nickel, and zinc), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds, and hydrogen sulfide. The results show that each of these substances was either not detected, or detected only at concentrations below the regulatory workplace health limits.

EH&S is providing this data to the state Department of Health Services, who will provide a detailed review and assessment. Once available, the DHS review will be posted on this website.

EH&S will continue to collect air samples at various locations across the RFS throughout the year, including during remediation activities. All air monitoring results will be made available on this website. A final written report on the sampling will be completed at the end of the remediation season and posted on this same website.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Karl Hans (643-9574, khans@berkeley.edu) or Greg Haet (642-4848, gjhaet@berkeley.edu).

September 2, 2005
"Purple Ooze" Report Received
On June 23, 2005, the Department of Toxics Substances Control was informed by a community member that a "purple ooze" was observed in front of a grassy area in front of the Building 484 Earthquake Engineering Laboratory. See attached photos.

In late June 2005 the material was sampled by staff from DTSC and the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). DTSC's August 19, 2005 letter report summarizing the results of chemical analyses is attached..

The agency has concluded that concentrations of analyzed chemicals are consistent with typical background concentrations and are not harmful to human health. EH&S analytical results for metals and pH were consistent with the DTSC findings. EH&S also analyzed the samples for semi-volatile organics and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). No semi-volatile organics or PCBs were detected in the samples.

The cause for the purple coloration has yet to be determined. DTSC is not planning any further investigation unless new information becomes available that warrants additional investigation.

August 22, 2005
RWQCB Issues Tentative Order to Rescind Site Cleanup Requirements
The State of California Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued two tentative orders for rescission of Orders of Site Cleanup Requirements for the Zeneca site (Order No. 01-101) and for the Richmond Field Station (Order No. 01-102). This action is being taken because lead agency oversight has been transferred from the Board to the Department of Toxics Substances Control. The tentative rescission orders for the Zeneca site and for the Richmond Field Station provide  more information on this Board action.

Approval of these orders will be considered at the Board hearing on October 19, 2005 at the Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium, 1515 Clay St., Oakland starting at 9:00 AM. Comments to the tentative orders are due to the Board by September 16, 2005. See the cover letter for instructions.