Friendship Gardens Site Investigation – Slater Park

In support of a project to rehabilitate the Friendship Gardens pond, which included sediment removal and rebuilding of stone walls around the pond, BETA conducted an assessment of the environmental condition of the sediment in the pond. The purpose of this assessment was to characterize the sediment for disposal during the removal work.

BETA collected three sediment samples and submitted them for laboratory analysis. The laboratory identified arsenic and several semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) above the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Residential Direct Exposure Criteria (RDEC). Based on these results, BETA assisted the City in providing notification to RIDEM. Subsequent to the notification, BETA and the City met with RIDEM to inspect the pond area. At this meeting, it was agreed that further assessment would be conducted. A year later, BETA collected three additional sediment samples from the pond area. The second round of sampling identified SVOCs, but no arsenic above the RIDEM RDEC standards.

BETA compiled the results from the two sampling events into a Site Investigation Report (SIR) that was submitted to RIDEM in April 2010. In this report, BETA documented the history of the Friendship Gardens, the field activities conducted, the results of the laboratory analysis, and presented two remedial alternatives other than no action/natural attenuation. These alternatives included capping and sediment removal. Based on the goals of the project, sediment removal was chosen as the preferred alternative.