I initially began to raise concerns when I arrived to pick my daughter (5
   years old) up from school one afternoon and noted that the air was full of
   some kind of chemical. I came to learn that National Grid had hired a
   consulting firm named GZA Geoenvironmental to dismantle two holding tanks
   located close to the school. Apparently, the process included taking out
   the contents of the tanks and treating them. When I called with complaints
   about the smell, I was told that it was most likely the 'rainwater' and
   'mud' that the workers were taking out of the tanks. Moreover, I was
   informed that National Grid had installed monitors around the periphery of
   the site, and that those would alert us if there had been a problem. Hence,
   no problem. It happened again, and I finally learned that the smell was
   naphthalene. In response to my concerns, RI DEM requested the data from the
   monitors. National Grids own records showed that the levels of a couple of
   contaminants - including naphthalene and benzene - had passed the acceptable
   levels of concentration established by EPA on multiple occasions.

National Grid was able to do this work without too much scrutiny from RI DEM
   because of a loophole in the legislation that excludes above ground tanks
   that hold substances that they were created to hold from close oversight.
   National Grid is currently completing an analysis of the chemicals on the
   entire twenty-some acre sight, and coming up with a proposed remediation
   plan. That plan should be coming out in the next month. After, there will
   be a period of public comment and discussion.

The person overseeing the site at RI DEM, Joe Martella, has created a
   website with documents about the site. It is at
         http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/waste/tide.htm.

Holly

Demolished Tanks