Project Highlights

The former Barbour Boat Works (BBW) site is a 5.8-acre site located in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina along the northern bank of the Trent River (Figure 1).  This site is listed as a NC State Inactive Hazardous Site by the NC Superfund Section, Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch.  The property originally consisted of wetlands and shallow waters of the Trent River

The site was built up to its present elevation by a combination of fill soils and residue from site activities.  The BBW site was primarily used industrially and commercially as a sawmill and later, for boat production, sales and maintenance.

The BBW site is located directly between the Trent River and the former location of the New Bern Coal Gas Plant, a CERCLIS site located to the north across Tryon Palace Drive at the corner of Tryon Palace Drive and Hancock Street.

Fifteen structures remained on the site along with several wooden docks and bulkheads located along the Trent River.  The buildings, docks and bulkheads had been demolished and removed.  The central portion of the site was used for sandblasting paint from commercial boat hulls.

Services Provided by S&ME

S&ME performed the following services at the former Barbour Boat Works site:  A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), a geotechnical subsurface study; asbestos survey/abatement plan/bid specifications/abatement air monitoring/final clearance for the state and an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

The project work is being performed on behalf of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) in preparation for the development of a History Museum and.  A Remedial Investigation under the NC Inactive Hazardous Site’s Voluntary Remediation Program, which included an Environmental Risk Assessment of the Trent River; A Feasibility Study/Remedial Action Plan; Engineering Cost Estimates;  Plans and Specifications for bid submittal for remediation using NC State Construction Guidelines (bid package dated January 31, 2004).

The Phase II ESA/geotechnical subsurface study at the site involved the use of 40 Geoprobe® borings for soil and groundwater sampling, four test excavations, and eight geotechnical borings.  The findings identified soil and groundwater contamination.  The geotechnical assessment identified foundation issues for the development of the proposed facilities (building and parking lots).  The EA addressed environmental impacts for the proposed development.

In summary, the proposed development would enhance the environmental condition of the site by demolishing an abandoned industrial site and re-developing the site as an educational facility, benefiting tourism and the local economy.  In addition, the proposed project would improve the environmental setting by remediating contaminated soil groundwater, creating wetlands, and mitigating stormwater runoff discharged into the Trent River. A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued for the environmental impacts associated with the future development of the site.

The findings from the limited Phase II ESA prompted the owners, NCDCR, to participate in the Voluntary Remediation Program regulated under the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR), Superfund Section, Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch.

The scope of work and methodology for the Remedial Investigation (RI), including field work and data analysis, was performed according to the S&ME Remedial Investigation Work Plan (Work Plan).  The Work Plan addressed heavy metals, pesticides, PCBs, and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) contamination in the site’s soil, groundwater and Trent River sediments.

This plan also included an Ecological Risk Assessment of the Trent River benthic environment to evaluate impacts to the ecology of the river sediment and to assist in the remedial decision making process. The Assessment included sediment sampling for chemicals of concern, macro-invertebrate sampling, and statistical analyses.

At the end of the RI, S&ME developed a Feasibility Study and Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for the soil, groundwater and the Trent River sediments.  The RAP accepted and approved by NCDENR Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch was the following: 1) No further action for the sediments in the Trent River in front of the former Barbour Boat Works property. 2) Natural attenuation with monitoring of the groundwater; and, 3) capping of the soil with geotextile layer and protective soil fill covering in areas of concern to prevent public exposure to the impacted soils.  Deed restrictions were also implemented to prevent the use of the shallow groundwater aquifer as a source of potable water or irrigation system.

S&ME oversaw the soil remedial program and will continue to monitor the groundwater for the next 30 years following MNA program in the RAP. Construction of the Tryon Palace History Museum had begun.  Work is on-going, and S&ME has recently contracted directly with the NCDCR to provide construction materials testing from 2008 through the completion of the project estimated to be in 2010.