HomeMy WebLinkAboutChauncy St. #189 07.26.2024
Maura T. Healey
Governor
Kimberley Driscoll
Lieutenant Governor
Rebecca L. Tepper
Secretary
Bonnie Heiple
Commissioner
This information is available in alternate format. Please contact Melixza Esenyie at 617-626-1282.
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July 26, 2024
Global Partners LP
Attn: Jason Frigon
Director of Environmental Operations
800 South Street, Suite 500
Waltham, MA 02454
Sent by e-mail only to: jfrigon@globalp.com
RE: MANSFIELD - BWSC
Release Tracking Number: 4-0050417
189 Chauncy Street
NOTICE OF RESPONSIBILITY
URGENT LEGAL MATTER: PROMPT ACTION NECESSARY
Dear Mr. Frigon:
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup (MassDEP or the
Department) is tasked with ensuring the cleanup of oil and hazardous material (OHM) releases pursuant to
the Massachusetts Oil and Hazardous Material Release Prevention and Response Act (M.G.L. c. 21E or Chapter
21E). The law is implemented through regulations known as the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (310 CMR
40.0000 et seq. – the MCP). Both Chapter 21E and the MCP require the performance of response actions to
provide for the protection of harm to health, safety, public welfare and the environment which may result
from releases and/or threats of releases of OHM.
REASON FOR THIS NOTICE
On June 26, 2024 the MassDEP received a BWSC-103 Release Notification Form ("RNF") which indicates that
a release of oil and/or hazardous material has occurred at the location referenced above. According to the
RNF, the following contaminant(s) were detected in groundwater samples collected from the site at a
concentration which exceeded the Reportable Concentrations for Groundwater Category 1 per 310 CMR
40.1600.
CHEMICAL CONCENTRATION RCGW-1
C5-C8 aliphatic hydrocarbons 5200 ug/L 300 ug/L
C9-C12 aliphatic hydrocarbons 750 ug/L 700 ug/L
C9-C10 aromatic hydrocarbons 1800 ug/L 200 ug/L
Notice of Responsibility Page 2 of 4 Release Tracking Number 4-0050417 `
Benzene 520 ug/L 5 ug/L
Toluene 1800 ug/L 1000 ug/L
Ethylbenzene 710 ug/L 700 ug/L
Pursuant to 40.0315(3) this release requires notification to MassDEP within 120 days of obtaining knowledge.
M.G.L. c. 21E and the MCP require the performance of response actions to prevent harm to health, safety,
public welfare and the environment which may result from this release and/or threat of release and govern
the conduct of such actions. The purpose of this notice is to inform you of your legal responsibilities under
State law for assessing and/or remediating the release at this property. For purposes of this NOR, the terms
and phrases used herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms and phrases by the M.G.L. c. 21E and
the MCP unless clearly indicated otherwise.
STATUTORY LIABILITY
MassDEP has reason to believe that you (as used in this Notice, “you” and “your” refers to Global
Partners LP), as the current owner of the property where a release of oil or hazardous material has
occurred, are a Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) with liability under M.G.L. c. 21E §5, for response
action costs. Section 5 makes the following parties liable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
current owners or operators of a site from or at which there is or has been a release/threat of release
of oil or hazardous material; any person who owned or operated a site at the time hazardous material was
stored or disposed of; any person who arranged for the transport, disposal, storage or treatment of hazardous
material to or at a site; any person who transported hazardous material to a transport, disposal, storage or
treatment site from which there is or has been a release/threat of release of such material; and any person
who otherwise caused or is legally responsible for a release/threat of release of oil or hazardous material at
a site.
This liability is "strict", meaning that it is not based on fault, but solely on your status as owner, operator,
generator, transporter, disposer or other person specified in M.G.L. c. 21E §5. This liability is also "joint and
several", meaning that you may be liable for all response action costs incurred at a disposal site regardless of
the existence of any other liable parties. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 21E and the MCP the term disposal site means
anywhere OHM has come to be located.
MassDEP encourages parties with liability under M.G.L. c. 21E to take prompt and appropriate actions in
response to releases and threats of release of oil and/or hazardous materials. By taking prompt action, you
may significantly lower your assessment and cleanup costs and/or avoid liability for costs incurred by
MassDEP in taking such actions.
You may be liable for up to three (3) times all Response Action Costs incurred by MassDEP. Response Action
Costs include, without limitation, the cost of direct hours spent by MassDEP employees arranging for
response actions or overseeing work performed by persons other than MassDEP or its contractors, expenses
incurred by MassDEP in support of those direct hours, and payments to MassDEP's contractors. (For more
detail on cost liability, see 310 CMR 40.1200.)
MassDEP may also assess interest on costs incurred at the rate of twelve percent (12%), compounded
annually. To secure payment of this debt, the Commonwealth may place liens on your property in the
Notice of Responsibility Page 3 of 4 Release Tracking Number 4-0050417 `
Commonwealth. To recover the debt, the Commonwealth may foreclose on these liens or the Attorney
General may bring legal action against you.
In addition to your liability for up to three (3) times all Response Action Costs incurred by MassDEP, you may
also be liable to the Commonwealth for damages to natural resources caused by the release. Civil and
criminal liability may also be imposed under M.G.L. c. 21E, § 11, and civil administrative penalties may be
imposed under M.G.L. c. 21A, § 16 for each violation of M.G.L. c. 21E, the MCP, or any order, permit or
approval issued thereunder.
By taking prompt actions you may also avoid the imposition of, the amount of or reduce certain annual
compliance assurance fees payable under 310 CMR 4.00.
You should be aware that you may have claims against third parties for damages, including claims for
contribution or reimbursement for the costs of cleanup. Such claims do not exist indefinitely but are governed
by laws which establish the time allowed for bringing litigation. MassDEP encourages you to take any action
necessary to protect any such claims you may have against third parties.
If you are a responsible party and you have reason to believe that your performance of the necessary
response actions is beyond your technical, financial or legal ability, you should promptly notify the
Department in writing of your inability in accordance with MGL c. 21E, subsection 5(e), and 310 CMR 40.0172.
If you assert or demonstrate in compliance therewith that performing or paying for such response action is
beyond your ability, subsection 5(e) provides you with a limited defense to an action by the Commonwealth
for recovery of two to three times the Department’s response action costs and 310 CMR 40.0172 provides
you with a limited defense to the Department’s assessment of civil administrative penalties.
Please refer to M.G.L. c. 21E for a complete description of potential liability.
RELEASE ABATEMENT MEASURE PLAN
Release Abatement Measures may not be conducted until a RAM Plan is submitted pursuant to 310 CMR
40.0443.
ADDITIONAL ACTIONS REQUIRED
You must employ or engage a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to manage, supervise or actually perform the
necessary response actions at this site. You may obtain a list of the names and addresses of these licensed
professionals from the Board of Registration of Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup Professionals by calling (617)
556-1091 or visiting http://www.state.ma.us/lsp. MassDEP has Charles Klingler of Atlas Consulting listed as
the LSP-of-Record for this release.
Unless otherwise provided by MassDEP, potentially responsible parties (PRP's) have one year from the initial
date of notification to MassDEP of a release or threat of a release, pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0300, or from the
date MassDEP issues a Notice of Responsibility, whichever occurs earlier, to file with MassDEP one of the
following submittals: (1) a completed Tier Classification Submittal; (2) a Permanent or Temporary Solution
Statement or, if applicable, (3) a Downgradient Property Status. The deadline for either of the first two
submittals for this disposal site is June 26, 2025. The MCP requires that a fee of $1,470.00 be submitted to
MassDEP when a Permanent Solution Statement is filed greater than 120 days from the date of notification.
Notice of Responsibility Page 4 of 4 Release Tracking Number 4-0050417 `
This site shall not be deemed to have had all the necessary and required response actions taken unless and
until all substantial hazards presented by the release and/or threat of release have been eliminated and a
level of No Significant Risk exists or has been achieved in compliance with M.G.L. c. 21E and the MCP. The
MCP requires persons undertaking response actions at a Disposal Site to submit to MassDEP a Permanent
Solution Statement prepared by an LSP in accordance with 310 CMR 40.1000 upon determining that a level
of No Significant Risk already exists or has been achieved at the site.
If you have any questions relative to this Notice, please contact Andrew Cooney at andrew.cooney@mass.gov
or at 617-680-4687. All future communications regarding this release must reference the following Release
Tracking Number: 4-0050417.
Sincerely,
Andrew L. Jones, Acting Chief
Emergency Response / Release
Notification Section
Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup
J/AWC
ec: Town of Mansfield:
Board of Health
Select Board
Fire Department
DEP-SERO
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