Bay Road Holdings LLC (formerly Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation)
- Background
- Soil and Groundwater Cleanup
- Cleanup Evaluation
- Future Redevelopment
- Contacts
- Key Documents and Further Information
Background
The Bay Road Holdings LLC site (“site”) is a 12-acre closed hazardous waste management facility (“facility”) located at 2081 Bay Road in East Palo Alto, California. Bay Road Holdings LLC, the responsible party, is under an administrative consent order to clean up the property. Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation (“Romic”), the former owner/operator, site operations resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. The facility closed in 2007, and all surface structures were removed in 2009. The site is vacant, capped and fenced off.
The facility operated from 1956 to 2007. Soil and groundwater beneath the site are contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Typical VOCs found are solvents commonly used in the dry cleaning and automotive industries.
Soil and Groundwater Cleanup
Biological treatment is the primary cleanup method to address soil and groundwater contamination at the site. In 2008, EPA issued the cleanup plan (“final remedy”) that the responsible party is required to complete. The final remedy sets cleanup goals and methods to reach them.
Biological treatment systems inject a mixture of water and food-based nutrients into the ground through horizontal injection wells. Natural bacteria in the ground feed on the nutrients and contamination, breaking it down into less toxic by-products. Other parts of the final remedy include:
- excavation and disposal of contaminated soils
- groundwater and surface water monitoring
- maintenance of the existing site cap
- monitored natural attenuation
- financial assurance
- and land-use restrictions
These measures keep contamination from impacting drinking water and the nearby community.
Cleanup Evaluation
EPA routinely evaluates cleanup progress as part of our regulatory oversight. The responsible party did several pilots to find the best way to do a site-wide cleanup. Treatment systems were installed in 2020, and treatment continues today.
The treatment systems are slowly reducing groundwater contamination. Treatment is less effective in areas with heavy contamination. Non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) is contamination in its purest form; it can be difficult to address and is present at the site. This kind of contamination can gradually contaminate groundwater making it difficult to achieve long-term remedial goals.
EPA will post a summary report to this website when complete that evaluates current site conditions, cleanup progress, treatment system improvements and complementary cleanup methods.
Future Redevelopment
The responsible party is evaluating the site for commercial redevelopment. Redevelopment is governed by the City of East Palo Alto through local zoning ordinances. EPA oversees site cleanup to ensure reuse is protective of human health and the environment.
The final remedy requires a risk management plan for any site redevelopment. The existing remedy includes the site-wide cap and groundwater treatment to contain and treat contamination. Any proposed changes to site use must be evaluated to decide if more protections are needed to protect people from site contamination. EPA supports safe redevelopment of the site that follows all requirements of the final remedy.
Contacts
EPA is the lead agency under the administrative consent order for the site characterization and cleanup. California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) is the lead agency for facility closure and longer-term site management and land use restrictions. California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) is a non-lead agency that provides additional oversight to ensure protection of the water resources.
Nicole Palazzolo
EPA Project Manager
palazzolo.nicole@epa.gov
(415) 972-3045
Gavin McCreary
DTSC Project Manager
gavin.mccreary@dtsc.ca.gov
(916) 255-3710
Sherry Gamboa
RWQCB Project Manager
sherry.gamboa@waterboards.ca.gov
(510) 622-2355
Key Documents and Further Information
The following PDF files contain the key documents for the Site. Hard copies of these documents are available for public review at the following location:
U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest, Region 9
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
Learn More: Visiting the Pacific Southwest (Region 9) Office
If you have questions or would like to make an appointment to see the records, contact the Project Manager, Nicole Palazzolo (palazzolo.nicole@epa.gov) at (415) 972-3045.
- EPA Fact Sheet: Environmental Cleanup at the former Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation Property (pdf)
- Technical Memorandum: Bay Road Holdings RCRA Site Climate Vulnerability Assessment (pdf)
- Revised Risk Management Plan: 2081 Bay Road, East Palo Alto, California (pdf)
- EPA and DTSC Letter: Conditional Approval of Risk Management Plan for Bay Road Holding Site, Palo Alto, CA (pdf)
- ISD™ Groundwater Recirculation Pilot System Work Plan (pdf)
- Conceptual Remedial Design Plan (pdf)
- Revised Comprehensive Site-Wide Sampling and Analysis Program Report (pdf)
- Comprehensive Site-Wide Sampling and Analysis Plan (pdf)
- EPA Final Remedy Decision Document (pdf)
- EPA Fact Sheet: Romic Final Remedy Decision (pdf)
- Hoja de hechos: Decisión final de Romic (pdf)
- Statement of Basis: Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation (pdf)