Clean Up Work to Begin at Contaminated Site in Warren, R.I.

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun work on a cleanup project at a former salvage yard in Warren, R.I. to remove surface soils containing hazardous substances such as lead and polychlorinated biphenyls.

The project is expected to take three months to complete.

EPA is working closely with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Town of Warren on this project. First steps include completing a survey of the site to look for any buried debris that may be causing the soil contamination, securing the area with fencing and putting up warning signs around the property. To ensure public safety, Warren citizens should pay attention to warning signs near work areas.

As part of the clean up, EPA will take steps during the next several weeks to stabilize the site, including installing fencing and warning signs to restrict access to the property; conducting air monitoring, erosion control, and dust suppression; collecting and analyzing soil samples; surveying the site to determine if any buried contaminated equipment is present that is contributing to the soil contamination; excavating contaminated surface soils and remove contaminated equipment; backfilling all excavated areas with clean fill materials; transporting off-site and properly disposing of contaminated materials at EPA-approved facilities; and repairing response-related damage to areas disturbed by site activities.