July 9, 2008

Campus Bay Excavation to Recommence Friday

Rmediation in the northwestern portion of the Campus Bay (former Zeneca) site (see June 11, 2008 news story below) continues to be temporarily delayed. Work is expected to resume on Friday July 11, 2008 and it expected to be completed during the week of July 14, 2008.

June 11, 2008

Excavation Work at Former Zeneca Site Scheduled to Begin Week of June 16, 2008

Remediation is expected begin, pending agency approval, on a 0.15 acre portion of land located within the 17 acre northwestern portion of the former Zeneca Site, known as Lot 1, during the week of June 16, 2008. The area to be excavated is located along S. 46th St. to the east of B478, near the front entrance to the RFS.

Remediation work will involve the excavation of approximately 1,400 cubic yards of soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The maximum excavation depth is expected to be approximately 11 feet. Confirmation soil sampling will be completed to assure cleanup levels are met.

All work will be completed under a work plan approved by the State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). DTSC will provide regular oversight of the excavation activities.

As part of these activities, you can expect to see the following:

-          Workers wearing appropriate safety gear operating an excavator, backhoe and/or bulldozer.

-          Approximately 20 trucks per day will leave the site for approximately 5 to 10 days. Truck traffic will enter the site on South 47th Street and will temporarily stage in the parking lot located southeast of the excavation area. The trucks will approach the Lot 1 area from the south and will cross to the east on a temporary road where soil will be loaded onto the trucks.

-          Soil will be placed into trucks for transportation to various permitted landfills. Each truck will carry approximately 15 cubic yards of soil. It is anticipated that 100 truck loads will be required to remove the contaminated soil.

-          Trucks entering and leaving the site will be inspected and truck decontamination will be performed. The backhoe, drilling rig, sampling equipment, excavation equipment and transportation vehicles will be cleaned before leaving the site.

-          The excavated area will be backfilled with clean imported fill.

-          Dust control measures will be in place and dust levels will be monitored.

-          Air monitoring will be conducted in accordance with a DTSC approved Perimeter Air Monitoring Plan. Air monitoring will be conducted at the perimeter of the excavation area to ensure that dust control measures are effective. Temporary air monitoring stations will be established at 4 locations in the northwestern portion of the site.  UC Berkeley EH&S staff will be reviewing the air monitoring data.

-          The results of air monitoring will be posted on the Campus Bay website at: www.campusbayrichmond.com.  The RFS website will provide a link to this data once it becomes available.

The current estimated schedule of activities is the following:

-         Wednesday, June 11- Completion of background air monitoring

-         Friday, June 13- Abandonment of monitoring well

-          Monday, June 16- Contractor mobilization to the site

-          Wednesday, June 18- Anticipated beginning of excavation activities

May 2, 2008

New Required On-line Training for RFS Staff, Students, and Faculty

A new on-line training program entitled “Working at the Richmond Field Station” is now available for viewing.  This training is required viewing for all current member of the RFS community, including staff, students, faculty and tenants. The training deadline for all current community members is June 30, 2008. New employees should complete the training during the first week of employment.

“Working at the Richmond Field Station” was developed by the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety to address concerns raised about disturbing soils or environmentally sensitive areas of the RFS and to raise awareness that any facilities usage must be approved by the College of Engineering. The training provides information on the history of the RFS and current regulatory oversight associated with the Remediation and Restoration Project currently underway.

There are two options for completing the required training:

Option 1- Live training sessions

The Working at the Richmond Field Station training module will be presented by EH&S at three training sessions to be held in the Building 445 conference room from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. on the following three dates:

                        May 20, 2008

                        May 27, 2008

                        June 3, 2008

Attending these sessions will satisfy your training requirement.

Option 2- Electronic viewing

The Working at the Richmond Field Station is available for viewing through two mechanisms, one for UC Berkeley associated community members and the other for non-UC Berkeley tenants or members of other campuses.

For UC Berkeley students, faculty and staff:

1. Go to the IS&T etrain website at http://etrain.berkeley.edu

2. Log-in using your Calnet ID

3. Open the training course titled “ Working at the Richmond Field Station” (this is currently 33rd on the list)

4. Complete the training, including passing the short quiz at the end. Completion of the quiz is required to get credit for completing the training.

For non-UC Berkeley affiliated community members (no Calnet ID)

1. Download the Powerpoint of the presentation from the following link: WorkingattheRichmondFieldStationNon-UCBEmployeeVersion

2. Complete the training and report the date of completion to your supervisor.

April 3, 2008

Final Public Health Assessment for RFS Released by ATSDR

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)has released the final Public Health Assessment Evaluation of Exposure to Contaminants at the University of California, Berkeley, Richmond Field Station (PHA). This PHA was prepared by the California Department of Public Health (DPH), who released a draft public comment version in August 2007. As with the earlier DPH draft, the final PHA concludes that it is safe for people to walk on RFS grounds and on the Bay Trail. The PHA is available on the technical documents page of this website and can be linked to by selecting the document title above.

February 4, 2008

Clapper Rail Breeding Season Begins February 1

The breeding sesaon for the endangered California clapper rail (Railus longirostris obsoletus) begins on February 1 and continues until August 31 each year. The clapper rail is a medium-sized bird that inhabits salt marshes of the San Francisco Bay. This once abundant bird has become endangered due to loss of salt marsh habitat, hunting, and predation by feral cats, red foxes and rats. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are only around 1,000 clapper rails remaining in the San Francisco Bay. Rails prefer the dense cordgrass habitat found in Western Stege Marsh at the RFS. Current restoration activities in the marsh area are designed to create more habitat for this species. During the breeding season it is prohibited to disturb the rail. You may not approach within 200 feet of clapper rail breeding habitat (excluding the Bay Trail and connector trails) without the permission of the Office of Environment, Health & Safety). For more information on the California clapper rail, go to the Restoration page on this website or call EH&S (642-3073).

January 24, 2008

January 16 Town Hall Meeting Powerpoint Available Here

On January 16, 2008 the RFS Winter 2008 Town Hall meeting was held in the newly renovated B445 conference building. The EH&S powerpoint presentation describing the Remediation and Restoration Project history and current activities is availabe on the Construction Schedule page of this website at the following link:

http://rfs-test.berkeley.edu/documents/TownHall2008.01.16FIN.ppt

January 11, 2008

Response to DTSC Comments on Draft Current Conditions Report Issued.

In October 2007 the Department of Toxic Substances Control issued a letter presenting comments to the April 2, 2007 Draft Current Conditions Report for the Richmond Field Station (see October 25, 2007 news item). UC Berkeley's Draft Response to Comments is available on the Technical Documents page of this website.