This is a work notice for upcoming environmental remediation work at the RFS Corporation Yard beginning on Tuesday October 10, 2017.
Based on environmental investigations at the RFS being conducted under a State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control Order, a Final Removal Action Workplan (RAW) was completed in 2014 describing soil and groundwater remediation that needs to be conducted in three portions of the RFS. The purpose of this action is to removed soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals in areas of the Corporation Yard and at one transformer location. The contamination is believed to have been cause by legacy leaks and spills of motor and transformer oils and other petroleum products from facilities operations. This action will lead to the removal of approximately 90 cubic yards of soil to DTSC approved off-site locations. The work is being done to ensure that maintenance or construction workers are not exposed to contaminated soil during construction of future facilities in these locations.
Beginning Tuesday October 10, 2017 a hazardous materials contractor working for UC Berkeley will dig soil from ten small locations using shovels and electrical demolition hammers. Heavy equipment will not be used to avoid damaging shallow utility lines, and this will reduce the potential for dust emissions. The excavation areas range in volume from one to approximately 40 cubic yards and are expected to be no deeper than four feet below the existing surface. Soil from the excavation pits will be placed directing into cubic yard boxes or placed onto a backhoe for storage in a roll off bin. It is expected that approximately five cubic yards per day will be excavated and that the work will take approximately three weeks to complete (approximate end date during the week of October 30).
You will see temporary orange construction fencing and caution tape placed around each excavation. Workers wearing Tyvek coveralls and other personal protective equipment will hand dig soil. Hoses will be used to control dust from leaving the excavation boundaries and where soil is loaded into the roll off bin from the back-hoe. Dust monitoring will be performed at upwind and downwind locations to monitor the effectiveness of the dust control measures. Clean backfill soil will be loaded into the excavation pits. Excavated soil will be sampled and kept on site in boxes and bins until waste characterization is complete at which time the soil will be trucked off-site to appropriately permitted disposal facilities. Work will take place Monday through Friday between 7 am and 6 pm.
All work will be conducted under oversight by DTSC and by the campus Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). For updates and current environmental news at the RFS, please go to the RFS Environmental Website at rfs-env.berkeley.edu. For any questions or more information, please contact EH&S at 510-6442-3073 or ehs-ep@berkeley.edu.