Posted on by

BASF Plans Testing of Pawtuxet River Sediment

[CREDIT: BASF] A map of Pawtuxet River sediment testing that will determine additional presence of olychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sediments along the banks.

[CREDIT: BASF] A map of Pawtuxet River sediment testing that will determine additional presence of olychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sediments along the banks.
[CREDIT: BASF] A map of Pawtuxet River sediment testing that will determine additional presence of olychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sediments along the banks.
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the Legislative Press and Public Information Bureau.

STATE HOUSE — There are PCBs and VOCs in Pawtuxet River sediment thanks to the former Ciba-Geigy Chemical Company, and a sediment testing plan submitted by its successor, BASF, to the EPA June 19 will shed light on whether floods are spreading it.

Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) announced the impending testing of area, the subject of an EPA corrective action plan under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

“PCBs and VOCs are present in Pawtuxet River sediments at elevated concentrations, particularly near the bulkhead and adjacent to the Facility. Although the upstream and downstream sediment impacts are well delineated, given the age and limitations of the existing data set, developing a better understanding of the distribution of these constituents in the river adjacent to the Facility is necessary,” according to BASF’s testing plan.

Three areas of the river will be tested:

  • Study Area 1: The reach of the Pawtuxet River adjacent to the Facility
  • Study Area 2: The portion of the river approximately 200 ft downstream of the Facility Railroad Bridge where PCBs were detected in some samples.
  • Background: Clean boundary transects have been identified approximately 50 ft upstream and immediately downstream of the Former Railroad Bridge, bracketing Study Area 1. Additional background/reference samples have been located upstream of the boundary.

BASF has launched a website to inform the public of ongoing Pawtuxet River remediation efforts.

 “This is a big win for the residents and businesses in the vicinity of that stretch of the river,” said McNamara, whose district includes the land in question. “As flooding of the river becomes more frequent, those who live downstream of the affected areas are dealing with sediment that contains unknown pollutants. They have a right to know what this sediment contains. And this is really a hallmark for the community.”

During last month’s flooding of the Pawtuxet River, adjacent neighborhoods in both Warwick and Cranston were flooded. When the river receded, varying depths of sediment emitting noxious odors were left on neighborhood properties. A similar incident occurred in 2010, prompting the Rhode Island Department of Health to recommended wearing N95 masks when removing or shoveling the substance. At the time, Representative McNamara purchased two cases of the masks to hand out to residents in the affected neighborhoods.

In addition to the Pawtuxet River sediment testing plan, BASF launched a website to inform neighbors and businesses downstream from the Superfund site. The page includes the sediment plan and plans for remediation. The website can be found at https://www.basf.com/us/en/pages/cranston-ri-community-site.html.  At Representative McNamara’s request, Cranston Mayor Kenneth Hopkins and Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi have both posted links to the page on their respective city websites.

“This was a great collaborative effort by everyone involved, including Mayor Hopkins and Mayor Picozzi,” said McNamara. “We could not have done it without the help of everyone, including Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence), Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston), and Rep. Arthur Handy (D-Dist. 18, Cranston). I would also like to thank Cranston City Council Vice President Lammis Vargas, and Warwick City Councilmen Bill Foley and Jeremy Rix, along with the environmental groups Clean Water Action and Pawtuxet Green Revival. This has been an inspiring reminder of what can be accomplished when everyone works together.”

Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

This is a test