Former Railroad Yard

Problem Nature and Extent

Prior site explorations identified large areas of historical fill material contaminated with arsenic, lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across more than half of the approximate 36-acre site property, which was part of Concord’s former Boston and Maine (B&M) Railroad maintenance yards.

Reported contaminated soil created regulatory delays and financial concerns, which impeded redevelopment of the site as a biomass cogeneration steam and power plant.

Solution

1. Aries developed a cost-effective remediation strategy in a Revised Remedial Action Plan (RAP), which enabled this Brownfields project to move forward with an approved RAP.
   
   Observed residual arsenic, lead and PAH soil concentrations in site fill material were attributed to “urban background” conditions found in similar settings throughout New England resulting from the regionally ubiquitous historical use and combustion of coal. NHDES concluded that site soil and sediments would be considered “urban fill material” which are exempt under NHDES regulations. Aries’ approved RAP proposed registration of the site as a Pre-1981 Landfill and management of the site fill material during site redevelopment activities using a Soil and Material Management Plan (SMMP)

2. Aries assisted the client with enrollment in the NHDES Brownfields Program.

3. Construction of a new 18-megawatt cogeneration facility was proposed following completion of the site RAP and issuance of a “Certificate of No Further Action” and “Covenant Not To Sue” from NHDES. The facility was designed to burn green woodchips, clean wood waste and a very small amount of oil and natural gas to supply both electricity and steam heat to Concord. Due to market conditions, redevelopment plans are on hold

4. We later conducted a separate Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for a sub-parcel of the former B&M Railroad maintenance yard property, which enabled Evolution Rock + Fitness to finance and construct a new, state-of-the-art indoor climbing gym on the former distressed property.