48th Street Community Garden

48th_thumb.jpgSite Background
The Site is approximately 0.08 acre and is located southwest of the intersection of 53rd and 48th Streets in Emeryville. Early in the twentieth century, residential structures were constructed on the Site. In 1973, the structures were removed, and the site has been vacant since then.

Site Investigation
Soil sampling investigations were conducted at the Site in 2007 and 2010, and the results are summarized in the Site Clean-Up Plan. Lead in surface soil is the sole contaminant of concern. The source of the lead is likely paint residue (i.e., paint chips that peeled or flaked) from the former Site buildings. Paints manufactured prior to the 1970s commonly contained lead.

Proposed Cleanup
The clean-up objective is to prevent public contact with site soil that contains lead at concentrations above residential standards.

The RDA has evaluated three alternatives to cleanup the Site. The results of the evaluation are presented in the Site Cleanup Plan. The recommended cleanup alternative includes excavating and disposing of approximately 500 cubic yards of soil at permitted offsite facilities. This alternative is expected to achieve the cleanup objective, and it satisfies applicable state and federal criteria.

Clean-Up Activities
The entire clean-up is estimated to take less than 1 week and will occur only between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. The following activities will be conducted to protect the public and the environment during the cleanup:
  • Soil Loading and Transportation - The soil will be loaded into trucks in an area on 48th Street that will be clearly demarcated to keep the community a safe distance from construction equipment. Trucks will enter and leave the neighborhood along a per-determined route that will be equipped with traffic control (e.g., signs, flaggers) as appropriate.
  • Decontamination - Trucks and equipment will be decontaminated before they leave the Site and soil loading area. Street sweepers will remove soil track-out on adjacent city streets during the cleanup.
  • Dust Suppression - Excavation, loading and site restoration will be performed in accordance with best management practices that minimize dust, including wetting the soil, moving equipment slowly across the Site, and minimizing the drop height of the excavator bucket during loading.
  • Air Monitoring - During Site excavation and soil loading, ambient air will be continuously monitored for dust. The Draft Site Cleanup Plan establishes a maximum acceptable dust level to protect the community, and requires immediate action if a dust trigger level is exceeded.
  • Storm Water Quality Protection - The cleanup is anticipated to occur during dry weather. However, as a precaution, practices to protect storm water quality will be implemented onsite and in the soil loading area during the cleanup.