Tilden Way and Clement Avenue Transportation Improvement Site Removal Action Workplan

Tilden Way and Clement Avenue Transportation Improvement Site Removal Action Workplan

The project consists of implementing a Removal Action Workplan (RAW) to address soil concentrations of lead and arsenic above environmental screening levels on approximately 1.52 acres of land located along the north side of Tilden Way near Blanding Avenue in Alameda, CA (Site). The RAW activities consist of excavation and off-Site disposal of approximately 1,800 cubic yards of impacted soils (~2,700 tons) over an approximately 15,500 square-foot area at depths of 2 to 4.5 feet below ground surface (bgs). Background: The Site, which is linear in shape, measures 1.52 acres and is located along the north side of Tilden Way. The westernmost area of the Site boundary is near the intersection of Broadway and Clement Avenues and the easternmost area is near the Oakland Estuary Tidal Canal where Tilden Way becomes Fruitvale Avenue. The Site consists of two parcels of City-owned land (identified as Alameda County Assessor Parcel Numbers 70-196-42 and 70-196-27-2) and a portion of the City’s right-of-way adjacent to APN 70-196-42 and the current intersection of Broadway and Clement Avenues (refer to Figures 1, 2 and 5 of the RAW for reference). The Site is currently vacant except for disused portions of a railroad track and a loading platform near its western end. Land in the vicinity of the Site has historically been used for residential and commercial/industrial purposes, including residences, oil substations, concrete mixing plants, auto repair shops, and retail shopping centers. Currently, the area north of the Site between Broadway and Blanding Avenue includes single-family residences and a funeral home. The area north of the Site and east of Blanding Avenue is developed with a commercial shopping center. The area south of the Site includes single-family residences, a vacant industrial property developed with multiple buildings (historically occupied by the Alameda Unified School District Corporation Yard), and a vacant, undeveloped property east of Blanding Avenue. The Oakland Inner Harbor Tidal Canal is located approximately 195 feet northeast of the proposed excavation area. A railroad line owned by Southern Pacific Transportation Company was present on the Site as early as 1897. The Site was owned by Union Pacific Railroad, the successor of Southern Pacific Transportation Company, until it was transferred to the City of Alameda in 2021. The Site has occasionally been used for staging of construction materials and equipment since 2021 but has otherwise not been improved or occupied. The source of elevated arsenic and lead concentrations in on-site soil is not known; however, according to the RAW, it is assumed to be present in soil from industrial activities associated with the former railroad transportation and/or naturally occurring conditions. The distribution of both lead and arsenic is heterogenous, with elevated concentrations present in isolated areas (hotspots) across the Site (see Figure 5 in the RAW). An order of condemnation with land use restrictions (Order) was recorded for the Site by the City of Alameda on July 20, 2021. The Order restricts future use of the Site for public purposes, including use as a right-of-way, public utility corridor, and recreational trail. The Order prohibits the Site use for residential purposes, lodgings, accommodations, indoor educational or childcare facilities. It is noted that the Order is not a DTSC land use covenant. The Site is proposed to be redeveloped by the City of Alameda with a public walking/biking trail, roadway segments, landscaped (i.e., grassy) areas, bioretention basins, and two dog parks. In March 2023, the City of Alameda approved the design concept for Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Project and filed a Notice of Exemption encompassing development of the trail segment and related improvements (CEQA State Clearinghouse No. 2023030575). The City subsequently entered into a voluntary cleanup agreement (VCA) with DTSC on September 14, 2023. This RAW was prepared in accordance with the VCA and is based on previous environmental investigations conducted at the Site, which include a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment in 2018, a Phase II Soil and Groundwater Investigation in 2019, and a Supplemental Site Investigation in 2024. Project Activities: The RAW has been prepared with the future proposed uses and site conditions in mind and is designed to be protective of human health, safety, and the environment in context of the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Project which has been approved for development by the City of Alameda. The RAW entails excavation of soil over an approximately 15,500-square-foot area within the 1.52-acre Site to a depth of 2 to 4.5 feet bgs, totaling approximately 1,800 cubic yards (~2,700 tons). Soils will be profiled prior to excavation and then disposed of off-Site with an appropriately licensed disposal facility. Transport of excavated soils will entail approximately 135 truckloads of soil from the Site (assuming approximately 20 tons per load). Prior to the proposed remedial action, Site preparation activities will be conducted including site inspections, boundary setting, demarcation of hotspots and fencing installation. Excavation activities will include the use of heavy equipment including loaders, backhoes, vacuum excavators, hand tools, or other similar equipment. Excavation operations may generate fugitive dust emissions. Suppressant foam, water spray, and other forms of vapor and dust control may be required during excavation, and workers may be required to use personal protective equipment to reduce exposure to compounds of concern (COCs; i.e., arsenic and lead) in soil at the Site. Due to the differing waste classifications of impacted soil, confirmation and post-excavation sampling will be required to appropriately characterize waste per DTSC requirements. Excavated soils will be loaded into trucks or containers and waste will be characterized in containers. Stockpiling may occur prior to transportation. Stockpiles will be covered and sampled to ensure that it is not COC-impacted, as specified in the RAW. Excavated areas will not be backfilled but sheer edges will be smoothed to avoid a safety hazard. Excavated areas will be regraded during redevelopment of the Site. After completion of the remedial excavation, the final excavation extents will be surveyed by a professional land surveyor. The estimated duration required for excavation, hauling, and mobilization/demobilization activities is approximately two weeks. In compliance with the City of Alameda’s noise ordinance, noise-generating construction operations will be limited to between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, including federal holidays, and between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Construction activities will be prohibited on Sundays. In conjunction with the existing order of condemnation, a land use covenant (LUC) will be required for areas with remaining soil concentrations greater than residential screening levels for soil. The LUC will include legal descriptions of restriction areas, and a site plan that identifies restriction areas. The LUC will describe measures to be implemented that are protective of human health and the environment and will include specific restrictions, which will include development and implementation of a site management plan (SMP) at a minimum, and which may include an operations and maintenance plan, annual and five-year inspections and reporting, and continued DTSC oversight. The SMP will be developed under DTSC oversight to provide procedures to be followed when handling Site soil during redevelopment activities and future soil disturbing activities such as utility repair or installation. Although not anticipated, in the event biological, cultural or historical resources are discovered in the course of project activities, work will be suspended while a qualified biologist, cultural or historical specialist makes an assessment of the area and arrangements are made to protect or preserve any resources that are discovered. If human remains are discovered, no further disturbance will occur in the location where the remains are found, and the County Coroner will be notified pursuant to the Health and Safety Code, Chapter 2, Section 7050.5.

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