Dangerous levels of lead, amounting to 100 times above what is considered acceptable by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, has been discovered in the surface soil at the Bishop’s Rock recreational area, a 14-acre parcel at the Naval Station Newport’s Coddington Point.
Mike Horton of Tetra Tech, the Navy’s lead contractor overseeing the work to remediate environmental damage at the base, presented the findings on Jan. 20 to the Navy Station Newport Restoration Advisory Board. Lead was discovered in the surface and subsurface soil down to eight feet, he said. The area has been fenced off since 2019 and the process to render the recreational area safe is underway.
The issue dates to 2010 when construction companies working throughout Coddington Point found construction debris used as landfill. Testing revealed the presence of asbestos in the material.
The Navy acquired Coddington Point during World War I and used it for barracks for trainees. In the early 1920s, the barracks were torn down, and the site stood mostly unused until World War II, when barracks were once again built. Eventually, they were also demolished.
Landfill was dumped throughout Coddington Point from 1938 to 1972, using building debris as some of the mix. It is believed that the asbestos comes from that material.
Once contractors found the contaminated subsoil, the Navy began testing it. An investigation began in 2012 to survey the site and to develop a remediation plan. State officials asked for further testing, and in 2018 the lead was discovered at the recreational area.
In September 2020, the Navy unveiled a plan to remediate the site, using a management process called “Time Critical Removal Actions,” which allows for the planning and review protocols, along with the actual site work, to be finished in six months by eliminating a cost analysis and an engineering evaluation. TCRAs are normally used for small-scale interim actions, and when quick action is deemed necessary, according to the Navy’s 2018 Environmental Restoration Program manual. The Bishop’s Rock recreational area project qualifies under both criteria, as it will be confined to the small recreational site.
The remedial plan, estimated to cost about $1.1 million and scheduled to be done from April to June, will remove the top two feet of soil in areas where lead has been found, which is mostly in the picnic area on the north side of Barschow Street. Additional removals will be done adjacent to the ball field on the south side of the street.
The contaminated soil will be removed to certified disposal facilities. Two feet of clean soil will then be put in place, native vegetation will be planted, and the site will be monitored to ensure it is safe.
The state has signed off on the plan. It still requires approval from the EPA.
However, this is considered only an interim measure to deal with the most immediate problem. The entire 160 acres of Coddington Point will need investigation. “It is likely that construction debris exists in the subsurface throughout [Coddington Point],” Horton said.
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