Comprehensive soil and waste management plan for the Central Artery/Third Harbour Tunnel Project, Massachusetts, United

States
K.S. Chin Parsons Brinckerhoff C.J. Barnett Bechtel M.R. Virta Bechtel ABSTRACT: In constructing the Central Artery/Third Harbour Tunnel (CA/T) Project, one of the many challenges the Project has to deal with is soil and waste management, such as millions of cubic yards of soil/excavate and other waste materials generated in construction. During the planning and review process, reviewers of the Environmental Impact Documents and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) expressed concerns about the threat to public health and the environment from excavation of potentially contaminated urban soils along the Project right of way. As of today, approximately 14 million cubic yards of excavate have been generated. Another 2 million cubic yards of soils will be excavated by the time the Project is completed, in December 2004. The Project also must manage soils and demolition debris contaminated with Asbestos-Containing-Material (ACM). Structures, and existing underground utilities located within the Project right of way have to be demolished, removed or relocated during construction of the CA/T Project. Abatement of ACM prior to general demolition of structures is necessary not only for cost control but also for public health protection. As the Project approaches the completion date, the elevated portion of the Artery, a 1950s -vintage steel structure coated with lead-based paint, will be demolished. Abatement of lead-based paint prior to demolition of the Artery is required to protect the public health. To address these issues, the Project implemented a comprehensive soil and waste management plan, which included recycling and beneficial reuse. This plan has allowed soil excavation and structure demolition work to keep pace with the construction schedule on this multi-billion dollar Project. 1 INTRODUCTION The Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is undertaking a major public works project to replace Bostons Central Artery (I-93) viaduct with a 10-lane underground expressway. Also, to construct a third harbour tunnel, directly connecting the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to Logan International Airport in East Boston. The I-90 harbour tunnel opened for commercial traffic in December 1995. The rest of the project is scheduled to finish in December 2004 Construction of the existing elevated Artery was completed in June 1959, for a design traffic volume of 75,000 vehicles a day. Currently, the Artery carries 190,000 vehicles per day. The new 10-lane underground expressway will have the capacity to handle 225,000 vehicles per day. All told, it will take 118 separate construction contracts to complete the CA/T Project in 2004. Approximately 29 miles of underground utilities such as electrical, gas, telephone, water and sewer have been relocated. Approximately 5,000 miles of fibre optic cable and 200,000 miles of copper telephone cables will have been installed by the time the Project is completed. Restoration of the area beneath the viaduct and other Project activities will result in the creation of 150 acres of parks and other open spaces. 2. OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL & REGULATORY ISSUES The excavation and disposal of soil and dredge sediment to construct the CA/T Project was scrutinised by the regulatory agencies beginning with development of the Projects 1985 Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report (FEISR). Based on the review of the FEISR, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) concluded that all excavated soil from the Project should be regulated as threat of release as defined in the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP). DEPs

concern was based on the first systematic effort conducted by MHD in 1989 to identify contaminants in the fill material found within the right of way. The result of this effort showed that contamination was present in several broad areas of the alignment. The MCP was first enacted in June 1988, and its process parallels to the National Contingency Plan (NCP) established under the Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) program. The MCP process posed significant problems for the CA/T Project because it focused on sites and a lengthy phase-byphase review/approval process. The implementation of the MCP program was to take place at the same time, as the CA/T Project was getting underway, and the resulting learning curve could significantly delay the Project. In addition, the scale of the CA/T project was far beyond anything contemplated in the MCP. To avoid delays to the CA/T Project, MHD entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DEP to provide project-specific procedures for site characterisation, cleanup, and the management of excavated soil. The DEP also was concerned that the large volume of soil generated could overwhelm the capacity of in-state landfills, and identified beneficial reuse of the CA/T soil as a high priority. The key features of the process agreed upon in the MOU were: DEP agreement to dedicate staff to review of Project submittals; Project-specific Right-of-Way assessment, characterisation and remediation procedures, including clearance criteria for soil requiring special handling, implemented by the Project with DEP oversight; and Application of the MCP to the CA/T Project and regulating the excavation and reuse or disposal of excavated materials. In addition to the MCP/MOU requirements, there are other Federal and Sate regulations applicable to the CA/T Project soil and other waste material management: Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates hazardous wastes such as heavy metals that meet the definition of Toxicity of Characteristic waste. Massachusetts Solid Waste Regulations, 310 CMR 19.00, regulate disposal of construction debris (C&D) material. DEP Soil Policy, COMM-97-001, provides guidelines for in-state lined and unlined landfill reuse criteria.

Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) waste is regulated under by National Emission Standards Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and removal of ACM is regulated under the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Work, Office of Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), 29 CFR 19.26.62, Lead in Construction Standard 3. INITIAL SOIL AND WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY During the planning and preparation of the Env ironmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the CA/T Project, it was envisioned that 10 million cubic yards of historic fill would be used to cap a former refuse site at Spectacle Island located at the Boston inner harbour. The remaining historic fill would be processed at a centralised Material Processing Operation (MPO) Facility to be used as backfill for the project. Removal of heavily contaminated soils would be performed by the mainline construction contracts, through appropriate subcontracts, and with oversight by the Projects consultant. The MPO concept was that the mainline contractor would excavate the soil remaining after cleanup activities, and transport this historic fill material to the MPO facility. The soil would be blended with other material such as sand or gravel to produce desirable backfill. Physically unsuitable material would be transported off-site for disposal. Prior to placing the processed backfill within the Project alignment, chemical tests would be conducted for comparison with the Project backfill chemical criteria as approved by the DEP. The MPO Contractor also would manage the uncontaminated native materials, such as glacial till and clay, and would market these materials to various commercial and municipal landfills for beneficial reuse. The MPO contract, procured in 1993, attracted only two bidders, and both bids were substantially more costly than the Projects expectation. The project decided to table the MPO contract and sought feedback from the potential bidders. Based on this feedback, the Project concluded that the risk associated with potential environmental liabilities in managing the excavation was too great for a single contract, making the centralised MPO unfeasible. As a result, the Project decided to cancel the procurement and implement a different approach to disposal of excavated materials. The approach adopted relied on reducing risk to levels that individual contractors could manage, in ef-

fect placing much of the risk of finding suitable disposal/reuse sites on the Project. Meanwhile, the Project continued the environmental site investigation program, improving the level of site information available for each mainline construction contract. 4. KEY COMPONENTS OF THE CA/T WASTE MANAGMENT PLAN One of the key components of the CA/T Waste Management Plan is the assessment of the urban fill within the Project alignment. The CA/T Project developed three detailed procedures: Characterisation; Clearance; and Chemical Quality Material Sampling Plan (CQMSP), to perform this work. The first step of the assessment program is the characterisation and clearance, which is similar to a standard site investigation protocol. Soil borings are advanced to depths where excavation is proposed, and relatively undisturbed soil samples are collected using a split spoon. The soil samples are transported to an environmental laboratory for analyses. Depending on the initial analytical results, subsequent rounds of boring (ie. Clearance) are implemented to collect additional information to properly delineate the horizontal and vertical extent of areas in which higher levels of contamination were discovered. Over 2,300 borings and 7,000 soil and groundwater samples have been taken in this effort to identify and quantify the volume of the contaminated material. Characterisation and Clearance Reports specific to each construction contract are prepared and included in the construction bid documents, together with plans and specifications for required soils removal and/or remediation. Contaminated areas, which require special handling (ie. Clearance areas) are delineated horizontally and vertically, within each construction contract. Work limits for Clearance areas are shown on the plans, and requirements for excavation, temporary storage, and transportation of soil to an appropriate disposal or treatment facility, are incorporated into the contract specifications. The second piece of the chemical analyses program, CQMSP, focuses on the material that is non clearance. It serves as a confirmation that the nonclearan ce material is within the regulatory guidelines for beneficial reuse. The CQMSP consists of two tiers. Tier I testing is performed on each 1,000 cubic yard stockpile of excavated soil, at a designated stockpile site within the Project alignment or at an approved off-site location. If the Tier I test results meet DEP reuse criteria (ie. Policy COMM-97-001), the stockpile is classified as acceptable for reuse as

closure material for unlined solid-waste landfills. If a Tier I test result exceeds the COMM-97-001 criteria, more extensive Tier II testing is implemented. Under Tier II testing, the 1,000 cubic yard stockpile is re-sampled and tested specifically for the contaminant that exceeded the reuse criteria in the Tier I testing. If the results of the Tier II testing for a quadrant are below the criteria, then the quadrant may be classified as acceptable for reuse. If the results are above the criteria, then the quadrant is disposed of appropriately, similar to the clearance soil. 5. SPECTACLE ISLAND In November 1990, the CA/T Project prepared and issued the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (FSEIR), which included a section entitled Material Disposal, focusing on beneficial use or permanent disposal of dredged and excavated material removed from the CA/T Project alignment. The basic objectives for the material disposal program are to maximise beneficial use with minimal impacts to the environment. In constructing a tunnel crossing at the Fort Point Channel, and extending the existing Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), through South Boston to the Ted Williams Tu nnel, it
was anticipated that a substantial amount of dredge material would need to be removed.

The chemical quality of the upper sediments from the Fort Point Channel Characterisation Report precluded ocean disposal, the least expensive disposal option for the dredged materials. Upland disposal of the sediments by conventional means, such as land filling or off-site treatment, would be considerably more costly. On other ongoing construction contracts, the CA/T Project had reached agreements with the MDEP to use the dredge material as landfill closure material. Beneficial uses of the Project excavated soils and dredge materials were investigated by performing a Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA) evaluating health and ecological risks, which found them to be suitable as fill material to be used for closure of the former City of Boston landfill at Spectacle Island.
Spectacle Island, located in the Outer Boston Har-

bour, is a potentially valuable resource, which has been designated for park use. However, it has a long history of alteration due to various land uses, including a solid waste landfill. During the landfill operation, incinerator ash and refuse were placed in tidal areas around the island. As a result, a thick deposit of refuse covered much of the island, with some areas exposed and eroding. The cost of addressing these conditions made it unlikely that Spectacle Islands potential, as a park site would ever be realised. However, placing this large volume of soil as landfill capping material provided the CA/T Project a cost-effective means for beneficial reuse of soil and allowed Spectacle Island to be converted to parkland.

The Project began transporting fill by barge to SI in September 1992 and began full-scale soil placement and landfill closure work on the island in March 1993. The Projects mainline contracts in the downtown area were bid with provisions directing the Contractor to haul excavated non-clearance material to a designated site in South Boston where for chemical testing in accordance with the CQMSP developed for SI. Soils that meet the MDEP prescribed chemical limits for SI are then loaded onto barges for transport. To date, approximately 3.7 million cubic yards of CA/T fill have been placed in SI, and the landfill closure is completed. Current condition of SI with numerous park features is shown on Fig. 1.
6. QUARRY HILLS DEVELOPMENT

and regulated under the Solid Waste Regulations promulgated by the Mass DEP. In-state landfills must have special waste permits administered/issued by the MDEP in order to accept ACM waste. A waste shipment record (WSR), which identifies the source of generation, the generator, type and quantity of the material, names of the transporter and disposal facility, is required to accompany each waste shipment. Signatures from all three parties (generator, transporter and disposal facility) are required in documenting proper disposal of the ACM wastes. For the CA/T Project, based on the survey conducted for each structure, a Building Audit Report was prepared and incorporated as a reference document into the contract bid documents. An ACM abatement performance specification is used to provide guidance and scope for ACM abatement work. Construction in an urban area often encounters obstructions such as undocumented or abandoned utilities and often they contain asbestos. Although the asbestos is non-friable type (ie. transit pipe), such discovery is often a result of mass excavation with heavy construction equipment. To further complicate matters, this type of work is often done at night as mitigation in minimising traffic impacts. Even if the transit pipe is in good condition, it is no match for a hoe ram or excavator, and being pulverised into pieces, often results a friable ACM release to the environment. To control this problem, the Project implemented a training program for the field engineers to enhance recognition of ACM in utilities, and a notification procedure to have the Project Incident Response Team on site to verify the presence of asbestos in the utilities and implement appropriate clean-up and abatement. 8. LEAD-BASED PAINT ABATEMENT Approximately 20,000 tons of steel was used in constructing the existing Artery. When the steel pieces were delivered to the job site, a shop coat of bright orange paint was applied. Only later, the structure was painted green. Analytical results of the paint chips from the Artery indicated lead concentration ranging from 20 to 35% (200,000 to 350,000 ppm). Lead-based paint has been used for corrosion control or rust inhibitor. Although lead-based paint has been banned for residential use since the 1970s, it is still used today in some industrial applications and can be found on steel structures such as bridge trusses, water tanks, etc. From an occupational

While beneficial reuse of the CA/T fill was on going at SI, the Project focused its attention on the remaining material, which consisted of approximately 9(?) million cubic yards of non-clearance soil and 3.7 million cubic yards of clay. With assistance from the MDEP, the Project launched a community outreach program identifying potential sites for beneficial reuse. 7. ASBESTOS-CONTAINING-MATERIAL (ACM) In order to construct the CA/T Project, 28 buildings/warehouses have to be demolished. The types of building demolished were airplane hangars, fuel farms, auto painting sho p, food storage facility, an antiquated steam generation plant, office buildings, homeless shelters, pump stations, etc. Because of the age of these structures, the Project expected ACM be found in building material such as roofing, vinyl floor tiles, and pipe insulation. The health effects associated with asbestos exposure will not be discussed here. The primary concern or pathway of exposure is inhalation; therefore, friable ACM must be handled with more care and attention. ACM waste is regulated under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air (NESHAP). As required by NESHAP, a survey must be conducted for each structure undergoing demolition or renovation to identify ACM. A certified asbestos consultant must conduct the survey and only a certified asbestos abatement contractor can perform abatement of asbestos. Abatement of friable asbestos must be conducted in full containment under a negative pressure environment. Before ACM waste can be disposed of, it must be wetted and sealed in leak-tight, properly labelled containers (ie. sealed in drums or doubled -bagged in 6-mil plastic bag. ACM waste is classified as special waste

health perspective, intact dry lead-based paint should not pose any threat to public health and the environment. However, in construction, distu rbances such as torching, grinding, abrasive blasting, and saw cutting would impact workers health and potentially, nearby receptors. The high temperatures generated during cutting and welding melts the lead and convert it into fumes. Abrasive blasting pulverises the lead -based paint into very fine dust. These airborne forms of lead present a significant health risk via the inhalation pathways. To control potential emission, the Project implemented the following strategies for lead-based paint removal: Appropriate engineering control to be provided by the Contractor Encouraging Contractor to use technology that would minimise emission of lead particles and appropriate collection of paint waste Air monitoring (workers breathing zone and ambient air at the fence line of work area) Corrective actions to be implemented by the Contractor. The purpose of air monitoring at breathing zones is for worker health protection. The purpose of ambient air monitoring at the fence line is for public health protection because the elevated Artery traversed downtown Boston and residential neighbourhoods. The DEP requested the Project to adopt the Threshold Exposure Limit (TEL) for lead, which is 0.14 g/cubic meter over a 24-hour period. The TEL is substantially more stringent than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead of 4.5 g/cubic meter, which is a 90-day rolling average. Similar to ACM, the Project incorporated the above regulatory compliance issues into performance requirements for the Contractors. The lead paint chips were collected and placed in containers, labelled with a hazardous waste code of D008, and transported with a hazardous waste manifest to a RCRA permitted receiving facility. 9. CONCLUSIONS: It has been a daunting task to manage 16 million cubic yards of excavated soils and other regulated waste material in the CA/T Project. Good management, along with the cooperation from the regulatory agencies, made this task manageable. As of today, the project has not experienced any substantial delays due to issues related to soil and waste management.

Figure 1: Spectacle Island, 2000