TIVERTON -- The Town Council last night extended for six months a moratorium on disturbing soil on scores of properties in a North Tiverton neighborhood. A neighborhood leader said residents still have no word on the results of the latest gas company testing for contamination believed to be caused by decades-old coal gasification fill.
In a related contamination case, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is set to begin next month cleaning up soil with high mercury levels on A Connell Street. Tests of at least one residence on A Connell Street, in the northern part of the Bay Street neighborhood, showed high levels of merury in the soil.
The EPA has found that the mercury contamination was mostly likely from a defunct hat factory and not related to the dumping of fill from coal gasification -- a process that many assert was used decades ago by a former gas company. The mercury was discovered during an early round of gas company soil tests. New England Gas Co.'s parent company acquired the defunct gas company some years ago; residents became concerned when they noticed blue-stained soil. The council has since extended a moratorium on digging, planting and other activities until there are some answers.
Gail Corvello, president of the North Tiverton neighborhood group ENACT, last night sought a three-month extension on the moratorium, saying "we do fully expect to have information to bring to the council" at the end of that, But council member Donald Bollin suggested six months.
In August, an EPA contractor and the gas company's consultant could be seen on the very same day doing sampling for the different contamination concerns.
The EPA, which will used federal money for the work at the 11 A Connell St., expects it will cost no more than $450,000. Frank Gardner, the EPA on-scene coordinator, said yesterday that the cost may be closer to $250,000.
Gardner said elevated mercury levels in surface soil samples reached 800 parts per million during a round of EPA testing at 11 A Connell St. He added that some previous testing found levels above 1,000 parts per million. The residential safe level for mercury levels is 23 parts per million, he said.
While the EPA found that "the site does pose a general health threat." Gardner said residents of 11 A Connell St. have been careful not to disturb soil. That is to prevent mercury vapors from becoming airborne and possibly inhaled.
"Exposure to high levels of mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus," states an EPA action memorandum.
The first step, shortly after Thanksgiving, will be to do some additional testing. "We have a fairly good idea at this point -- we will do some additional sampling to narrow down how wide and how deep we have to go," said Gardner.
Gardner said it's conceivable the project could extend to the nearby property at 37 A Connell St., which also showed indications of elevated mercury levels.
Early next month,, if everything goes to plan, excavation of the contaminated soil will get under way and could take just a few weeks, weather permitting. Gardner said the property would probably be cleared of the mercury-laden soil and the yard restored in the spring.
Gardner said it is preferable to do the work in the winter, in part, because it reduces chances that mercury
The mercury levels were noticed as part of New England Gas Co.'s initial soil sampling last year.
To contact Mike McKinney, call (401) 277-7447 or e-mail at mmckinneATprojo.com
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