2018 Report found PCB Contamination in Building Proposed as Bus Hub
When the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) first announced details of their Multi-Hub Bus Plan in July, a key component of the plan was the transformation of two buildings owned by National Grid into a transit hub. The property at 144 Dyer Street is the “Dyer Street No. 2 Substation,” and has been used for electrical operations for roughly 120 years. Over the past 30 years, multiple environmental hazards (including MODF and arsenic) have been identified at the site and have been remediated.
RIDOT has proposed using the buildings at 144 Dyer Street as a new transit hub.
In 2018, Coneco was hired to produce a report evaluating the site conditions so that National Grid could renovate the building for modern electrical operations. The report found excessive concentrations of PCBs in concrete, paint, and bulk roof material samples taken from the DC Building (the front building, facing Dyer Street). As a result, many of these materials are classified as “PCB Remediation Waste”. Quoting from the report:
As a result of sampling activities, concentrations of PCBs in excess of 1 mg/kg were identified in concrete, paint, and bulk building materials at the Site. PCB concentrations identified in these materials may be attributable to one or more of the following:
- Spills, releases, or other unauthorized disposals (i.e. direct impact from liquid sources)
- Impact via direct contact transfer by Site workers and/or contaminated equipment (i.e. a historical tracking scenario)
- Building materials (i.e. paint, caulk, etc.) historically manufactured with PCBs
The report only sampled the DC Building, and not the smaller substation building which is closer to the river. However, because of their similar age and shared history, it is likely the same contamination can be found in that building as well.
Of course, we would expect remediation would be part of any further plan RIDOT puts forward regarding this building. Such remediation can significantly inflate the cost of work, eating in to the original $40 million bond that is paying for this project.
Additionally, given ongoing contamination concerns at RIDOT’s 6-10 site and the abandoned waterfront park construction site they’ve left in the Jewelry District, there is cause for concern that RIDOT could mismanage any remediation effort at this site as well.
Most of the report (some field notes and sample files are omitted) is available here:
The Jewelry District Association continues to oppose the Multi-Hub plan. RIDOT’s proposals for Dyer Street, amongst other sites, are poorly thought out and adversely effect both transit riders and the neighborhood. The JDA will continue to work with partners including RI Transit Riders and GrowSmartRI to advocate for transit improvements that benefit both riders and the greater Downtown area.