Former Harvey Oil Cleanup Initiative
Summary
| Name | Former Harvey Oil |
| Address | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and East Vernon Avenue, Kinston, NC |
| Acres | 0.57 |
| Grant Type | Environmental Cleanup |
| Status | Completed 07/2/2019 |
Description
Kinston is the home of historic Grainger Stadium. With its 4,100 person capacity, the stadium has supported minor league baseball since it was constructed in 1949 until 2011 when the Kinston Indians moved, leaving the Stadium underutilized and its economic contribution to the City lost. In 2016 City leaders secured a minor league baseball team to play in Kinston’s historic Grainger Stadium. The Down East Wood Ducks are the High-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Texas Rangers. With the Down East Wood Ducks entering a 12-year commitment to Kinston, baseball’s economic contribution to the target area and the City has restarted. In order to nurture this economic engine, the City launched efforts to revitalize the area around the Stadium. The City obtained the Former Harvey Oil site and another site adjacent to the stadium with plans to enhance the opportunity for additional facilities to support the growth of baseball in Kinston. The City envisions developing the Former Harvey Oil Site as a recreational/community focus area supporting Grainger Stadium (parking, food and souvenir venders) with future development to include restaurant and retail. In order to safely develop this community space, together with NCDEQ, Mid-Atlantic developed an Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternative (ABCA) and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP), designed to comply with the NCBP and eliminate the risk of exposure based on the proposed uses.
Petroleum products were identified at the site as free-phase product, dissolved in groundwater and adsorbed in vadose zone soil. The presence of free-phase product, the volume of contaminated soil, and the concentration of benzene dissolved in groundwater (potential for vapor intrusion) were seen as significant barriers for future development. Free-phase product was identified at two areas of the site with a combined spatial extent of 1,800 square feet. The estimated extent of vadose zone soil contamination was approximately 4,300 square feet; assuming a depth of 5 feet the volume is approximately 800 cubic yards. The City applied to EPA for additional funding and a Cooperative Agreement of $195,000 was issued from the EPA to the City of Kinston on September 6, 2018.
On behalf of the City of Kinston, Mid-Atlantic solicited bids from local contractors to complete the construction activities at the site. The contract was ultimately awarded to Taylor’s Hauling and Grading, LLC (Taylor’s) of Pink Hill, North Carolina. Excavation and transportation of contaminated soil began on May 20, 2019. During excavation activities, contaminated soil was either direct loaded into dump trucks and removed from the site, or temporarily stockpiled on top of additional contaminated soil until a dump truck was available for disposal. A GPS unit was used by Mid-Atlantic personnel to ensure that complete excavation of the target areas had been achieved. Approximately 1,485 tons of impacted soil was removed from the subject site. Contaminated soils were transported to the ES&J Enterprises, Inc. landfarm located in Autryville, North Carolina.
During soil excavation activities, free phase petroleum product was encountered in some areas of the excavation. On May 24, 2019, Environmental Hydrogeological Consultants, Inc. mobilized to the site and vacuumed approximately 1,500 gallons of contaminated water and free product from the excavation. Upon completion of excavation activities, eleven soil samples were collected from the sidewalls and bottom of the excavation and submitted to Prism for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by EPA Method 8260, semi-VOCs (SVOCs) by EPA Method 8270, and RCRA Metals. The site was then backfilled to grade and seeded. Clean fill was obtained from the Outlaw’s Heavy Equipment borrow pit located in Kinston, North Carolina.
he results of the soil sampling activities were compared to the Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch (IHSB) Residential Health-Based and Industrial/Commercial Health-Based Preliminary Soil Remediation Goals (PSRGs). Benzene, ethylbenzene, and naphthalene were detected in soil samples from two target areas above the unrestricted-use health based PSRG. Multiple VOCs and SVOCs were detected in the three target remediation areas above the protection of groundwater PSRGs, but below unrestricted use and industrial PSRGs. Arsenic exceeded unrestricted use PSRGs and total chromium exceeded industrial PSRGs in the three zones.
From July 1 to 2, 2019, Mid-Atlantic mobilized to the site to oversee the advancement of three temporary monitoring wells in the remediation target areas and sample/abandon the wells. The three onsite temporary wells were gauged for the presence of free product and no measureable product was found. Groundwater samples were then collected from each well. Groundwater samples were decanted into pre-labeled, laboratory-supplied glassware, placed into an ice-filled cooler and analyzed for VOCs according to EPA Method 8260 and SVOCs according to EPA Method 8270. Several VOCs were detected in groundwater above their respective North Carolina Groundwater Standard (NCGQS) and both the Residential and Non-Residential vapor intrusion screening levels (VISLs). However, free product was not detected in the wells.
As discussed in the City of Kinston Brownfields Cleanup Cooperative Agreement Work Plan submitted for Former Harvey Oil Site on July 11, 2018, the City of Kinston desires to revitalize the site as a recreational/community focus area supporting Grainger Stadium (parking, food and souvenir venders) with future development to include restaurant and retail. Because children would frequent the area to make use of the site, the site’s soils were required to be remediated in a manner that eliminated risk based on the proposed use. Successful project outputs include the removal of 1,485 tons of contaminated soil and 1,500 gallons of water/free product. Successful outcomes include the elimination of free phase product, the reduction in dissolved phase (in groundwater) contamination, the reduction in contaminant concentration in soils remaining on site, 0.57 acres ready for reuse, and reduced exposure to hazardous substances. An additional future outcome will be a North Carolina Brownfield Agreement that establishes additional administrative controls (LURs) to ensure the site is safe for reuse for commercial and recreational purposes. These outputs and outcomes and in substantial compliance with those contained in the approved City of Kinston Brownfields Cleanup Cooperative Agreement Work Plan. The site is currently used as a recreational/community focus area and sometimes for overflow parking for baseball games at Grainger Stadium. With increased interest in the area due to the success of the city’s economic development efforts, the site may eventually be developed with a new mix of commercial and retail operations. The success of this cleanup project will undoubtedly benefit the local community for many generations to come.