Project

Overview

Gould Island contains a former U.S. Naval Base located in the middle of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, abandoned since the late 1960s, with incomplete previous environmental assessment.  It is currently owned by the State of Rhode Island as a designated bird sanctuary.  The state is also considering allowing passive recreation.

Challenge

Limited access, heavy overgrowth, and a wide variety of contaminants of concern and potentially contaminated areas made for a challenging comprehensive assessment.

Solution

Under Credere’s $2.5 million Architect/Engineer (AE) hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste (HTRW) contract with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District, Credere is implementing a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) at the Former Gould Island FUDS Navy torpedo testing facility in Narraganset Bay to assess environmental unknowns and allow for passive recreation uses on the island.  Credere worked with a local non-profit, Clean Bays, to clear areas for investigation and provided daily transportation and barge support to the remote island for the project. 

The RI/RA includes investigation at 28 previously unassessed areas including a waste disposal area, several transformer areas, tank areas, and coal storage areas.  Credere completed the initial data gap analysis and field reconnaissance, and Uniform Federal Policy (UFP) Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).  In winter/spring 2018, Credere implemented the field program including installation of five bedrock monitoring wells; advancement of approximately 75 direct-push soil borings in overburden and installation of approximately seven overburden monitoring wells; well development and groundwater sampling; excavation of test pits on the western beach and hand excavation of test pits after petroleum was identified within the tidal area; collection of incremental sampling methodology (ISM) samples from approximately 20 decision units with three replicates; and collection of surface soil and concrete samples throughout the island, particularly to support possible TSCA PCB assessment requirements.

Result

Data from our RI is being utilized to support a human health and ecological risk assessment to ensure that remedial activities are protective of human health and the environment.