Eversource seeks demolition and soil cleanup at former Station 58 on Grand Street

Eversource (NSTAR Electric Company) and its consultant TRC Environmental Corp. told the Woburn Conservation Commission on Jan. 9 that they will demolish a decommissioned substation known as Station 58 at 42 Grand Street and remove contaminated soil on the property.

The project team said assessment work completed between August and October identified contamination in the fenced yard and in a basement sump at the north side of the site, and that they are moving into demolition and full remediation design. Michael Martin, a TRC project representative, said the plan includes removing the building and site structures, disconnecting utilities that tie to the street, decommissioning a dry well at the northeast corner, and excavating contaminated soil.

Why it matters: the site sits adjacent to wetlands and a documented intermittent stream, and the work involves hazardous‑materials protocols overseen by state and federal agencies. Neighbors raised concerns about public safety, traffic, dust and pest displacement during demolition and remediation.

Martin told commissioners that the team does not expect PCBs to be widespread in building materials and that potential concerns are mainly for building materials such as asbestos-containing components. He said test pits will be used to check a surplus fill pile and that excavation volumes are currently estimated at about 200–300 cubic yards. In the deepest area behind the building, excavations could reach 6–8 feet; in the sump area, he said, excavations would likely be 2–3 feet due to shallow bedrock.

The project team described environmental controls required by regulators and by contract: an asbestos regulated work area limited to trained personnel; perimeter air/dust monitoring and constant dust suppression (misting and water sprays); truck-wash and wheel‑wash measures to prevent tracking; and post‑excavation confirmatory sampling on a 5‑foot by 5‑foot grid to demonstrate remediation goals have been met. Martin said the EPA will approve PCB soil management procedures and MassDEP will receive the release‑abatement and demolition notices. He added that the demolition will require local demolition permits after abatement and utility disconnects are complete.

Public commenters asked about safety and traffic. Bill Papalado, identified as the Woburn city councilor for Ward 2, said residents want to know how often work of this type is done and how incidents are handled. David Fallon, of 40 Green Street, said construction traffic and hours of operation will be a concern because Eastern Avenue serves two schools and is heavily used during commute times. The applicant said work would be conducted Monday through Friday during normal business hours, that a contractor traffic management plan would identify truck routes and construction entrances, and that city departments would be notified as required.

Commissioners and the public pressed the applicant on asbestos protections. Martin described worker respirators, on‑site decontamination, an asbestos project monitor required by state law, perimeter monitoring for fugitive fibers and plans to keep asbestos‑related activity within a regulated area. He also said that nontraditional work plans are only used when bulk asbestos in soil must be handled differently than typical building abatement.

Neighbors asked about rodent control after demolition. The applicant said no evidence of a rodent infestation has been found inside building interiors to date, but agreed to include contractor requirements for nuisance rodent control and accepted a commission request to provide an integrated pest‑management plan for post‑demolition landscaping.

Other site items discussed included a wooden footbridge over an intermittent stream that appears to be on the property; the applicant agreed to remove it if it is on Eversource property and said removal could be done by hand. A commission member noted that a delineation of the wetlands shown on submitted plans had not been field‑confirmed; Martin said the project can proceed pending confirmation and that delineations are valid for three years.

Administrative actions taken during the hearing included a motion to waive the commission’s usual peer‑review requirement for this industrial/commercial project; commissioners voted in the affirmative by voice vote. The public hearing was then closed by unanimous voice vote at the applicant’s request.

What’s next: the applicant will submit required notifications and formal cleanup plans to MassDEP and EPA (public documents, the applicant said), prepare demolition and traffic plans for local permits, and provide the commission with requested documentation, including the integrated pest‑management plan and copies of regulatory submittals when available.