STUDY AREA CHARACTERIZATION WORK PLAN Study Area Bounded by Pyrex Street, E ...

776 Pages·2014·42.94 MB·English

STUDY AREA CHARACTERIZATION WORK PLAN

Study Area Bounded by Pyrex Street, E. Pulteney Street,
Post Creek and Chemung River
Corning, NY
NYSDEC Project ID 851046

June 2014

Prepared for:

Corning Incorporated
Corning, New York

Prepared by:

WESTON SOLUTIONS, INC.
West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380

W.O. No. 02005.056.001.0001

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1.  INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1-1 
1.1  STUDY AREA CHARACTERIZATION OBJECTIVES .................................. 1-1 
1.2  ORGANIZATION OF THIS DOCUMENT ....................................................... 1-2 
2.  BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 2-1 
2.1  STUDY AREA HISTORY .................................................................................. 2-1 
2.2  AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH REVIEW .................................................................. 2-2 
2.3  CONSTITUENTS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN .............................................. 2-3 
3.  ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING .................................................................................. 3-1 
3.1  LAND USE .......................................................................................................... 3-1 
3.2  TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE ................................................................... 3-2 
3.3  GEOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 3-2 
3.4  HYDROGEOLOGY ............................................................................................ 3-2 
3.5  ECOLOGICAL SETTING .................................................................................. 3-3 
4.  CHARACTERIZATION ACTIVITIES ...................................................................... 4-1 
4.1  AREAS OF INVESTIGATION .......................................................................... 4-1 
4.2  FIELD INVESTIGATION METHODOLOGIES ............................................... 4-3 
4.2.1  Written Access Consent ........................................................................ 4-4 
4.2.2  Geophysical Investigation ..................................................................... 4-4 
4.2.3  Subsurface Soil Sampling ..................................................................... 4-5 
4.2.4  Surface and Shallow Soil Sampling ...................................................... 4-7 
4.2.5  Groundwater ......................................................................................... 4-8 
4.2.6  Analytics ............................................................................................... 4-9 
4.2.7  Quality Assurance / Quality Control................................................... 4-10 
4.2.8  Survey Activities ................................................................................. 4-11 
4.2.9  Waste Handling ................................................................................... 4-11 
4.3  INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES ...................................................................... 4-12 
4.3.1  Corning-Painted Post School District Property .................................. 4-12 
4.3.2  Corning Christian Academy Property ................................................. 4-15 
4.3.3  Memorial Stadium and Firehouse Frontage Properties ...................... 4-17 
4.3.4  Residential Area at the Eastern End of Corning Boulevard ............... 4-18 
4.3.5  Residential Area .................................................................................. 4-20 
4.3.6  Flood Control Area ............................................................................. 4-22 
5.  PROJECT MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................ 5-1 
5.1  SCHEDULE ......................................................................................................... 5-1 
5.2  DOCUMENTATION .......................................................................................... 5-1 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Section Page
5.2.1  Field Logs ............................................................................................. 5-1 
5.2.2  Photo Log .............................................................................................. 5-2 
5.2.3  Field Reports ......................................................................................... 5-2 
5.2.4  Data Management ................................................................................. 5-2 
5.2.5  Reporting............................................................................................... 5-3 
5.3  HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN ........................................................................ 5-3 
5.4  STUDY AREA CONTROLS .............................................................................. 5-4 
5.5  COMMUNITY RELATIONS ............................................................................. 5-4 
6.  REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 6-1 

APPENDIX A – HEALTH AND SAFETY PLAN (HASP)
APPENDIX B – COMMUNITY AIR MONITORING PLAN (CAMP)
APPENDIX C – QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP)
APPENDIX D – STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPs)

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LIST OF FIGURES
Title
Figure 1-1  Location of the Study Area 
Figure 3-1  Zoning 
Figure 3-2  Property Classification 
Figure 4-1   Areas of Investigation 
Figure 4-2  Characterization Activities, Corning-Painted Post School District Property 
Figure 4-3  Characterization Activities, Corning Christian Academy Property 
Figure 4-4  Characterization Activities, Memorial Stadium Property 
Figure 4-5  Characterization Activities, Firehouse Frontage Property 
Figure 4-6  Characterization Activities, Residential Area at the Eastern End of
Corning Boulevard 
Figure 4-7  Characterization Activities, Residential Area 
Figure 4-8  Characterization Activities, Houghton Park in Residential Area 
Figure 4-9  Flood Control Area 
Figure 5-1   Project Schedule 

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LIST OF TABLES
Title
Table 3-1  Properties within the Boundary of the Study Area 
Table 4-1  Sample Summary Table 
Table 4-2  Analytical Methodologies 
Table 4-3  Reporting Limits and Method Detection Limits 

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LIST OF ACRONYMS
ASP Analytical Services Protocol
CAMP Community Air Monitoring Plan
cfs cubic feet per second
COPC constituents of potential concern
DUSR Data Usability Summary Report
EDD electronic data deliverable
EM electromagnetic
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FOIL Freedom of Information Law
ft amsl feet above mean sea level
ft bgs feet below ground surface
GPR ground penetrating radar
GPS global positioning system
HASP Health and Safety Plan
IDW investigative derived waste
in bgs inches below ground surface
mS/m millisiemens per meter
NWI National Wetland Inventory
NYSDEC New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
PC public-conservation zoning
PCB polychlorinated biphenyl
PID Photoionization Detector
PVC polyvinyl chloride
QA Quality Assurance
QAPP Quality Assurance Project Plan
QC Quality Control
R1 low-density residential zoning
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
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LIST OF ACRONYMS (Continued)
SCO soil cleanup objectives
SOP standard operating procedure
SVOC semi-volatile organic compound
TPH total petroleum hydrocarbon
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
USGS U.S. Geological Survey
VOC volatile organic compound
WESTON® Weston Solutions, Inc.

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1. INTRODUCTION
The Study Area is located in the City of Corning, New York, and is bounded by Pyrex Street on
the west, E. Pulteney Street on the north, Post Creek on the east and the Chemung River on the
south, as illustrated on Figure 1-1 (Study Area). During construction activities as a part of the
expansion of the Corning-Painted Post East High School located in a portion of the Study Area,
fill materials that the School District described as containing ash, brick, and glass waste was
encountered within the excavation area.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) approached
Corning Incorporated and presented historic aerial photographs and other information that
indicated there were potential disturbance areas within portions of the Study Area. NYSDEC
requested that Corning Incorporated perform preliminary characterization activities to assess the
nature and extent of fill material that may be encountered within the Study Area.
In preparation for entering into an Order on Consent and Administrative Settlement (Order),
Corning Incorporated has retained Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®) to prepare this Study
Area Characterization Work Plan (Work Plan) for the characterization activities to be conducted
within the Study Area. It is Corning Incorporated’s intention that this Work Plan, upon approval
by NYSDEC, be incorporated into the Order to define the agreed scope of work.
1.1 STUDY AREA CHARACTERIZATION OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the characterization activities is to assess the nature and extent of fill that may be
encountered within the Study Area. In accordance with the Order, Corning Incorporated is
conducting a historic records search and review to establish a history of the Study Area and
identify areas where fill may potentially have been placed. This records search includes a review
of historic aerial photographs to identify areas where historic disturbances may have occurred.
This Work Plan includes a summary of the initial historic records review and a plan for
characterization activities based on the preliminary results of the historic records review. The
characterization activities described herein are designed to assess the nature and extent of fill that
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may be encountered within the Study Area and to develop data necessary for understanding the
current conditions within the Study Area and associated potential exposure pathways.
The specific objectives of the Work Plan are as follows:
1. In areas where historic records indicate potential disturbances:
a. assess the nature and extent of the potential disturbance area, and
b. assess potential exposure pathways, in the event fill material is found.
2. In areas where historic records do not indicate potential disturbances, evaluate the
potential presence of fill material.
1.2 ORGANIZATION OF THIS DOCUMENT
This Work Plan is organized into the following sections:
 Section 1 - Introduction. This section contains an introduction to the project and the
objectives of the characterization activities.
 Section 2 – Background. This section contains a history of the Study Area and a
summary of historic records reviewed to date.
 Section 3 - Environmental Setting. This section contains a brief description of the
Study Area location, land use, topography and drainage, geology, hydrogeology, and
ecological setting.
 Section 4 – Characterization Activities. This section contains a description of the
characterization activities to be conducted, including the locations, types and numbers
of samples to be collected, rationale for sample collection, and method of collection
for the planned work.
 Section 5 – Project Management. This section contains information regarding the
scheduling of the characterization field work as well as the reporting schedule.
Additionally, this section provides details about project logistics, including project
controls, management and public relations.
 Section 6 – References.
Tables and figures are provided at the end of each section for ease of review.
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