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Shapefile data as of 3/19/2024, uploaded on 3/20/2024.
Overview
Releases of oil and/or hazardous material to the environment are required to be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup (BWSC), in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 21E and procedures established within the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) (310 CMR 40.0000).
The sites mapped in this data layer represent only a subset of the total reported release sites tracked by MassDEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup (BWSC).
An AUL provides notice of the presence of oil and/or hazardous material contamination remaining at the location after a cleanup has been conducted pursuant to Chapter 21E and the MCP. The AUL is a legal document that identifies activities and uses of the property that may and may not occur, as well as the property owner’s obligation and maintenance conditions that must be followed to ensure the safe use of the property. The complete AUL is filed at the County Registry of Deeds office for the respective City/Town. In addition, a copy of the AUL is available in MassDEP BWSC site files and in City/Town Offices where the AUL is located.
Location types featured in this data layer include the approximate center of an AUL site, the center of a building on the property where the release occurred, the approximate center of the lot, and source of contamination.
Under Massachusetts’ privatized waste site cleanup program, data maintained by MassDEP regarding site location is provided by Responsible Parties (RP), Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) and by Licensed site Professionals (LSPs), who work for the RPs and PRPs.
Anyone wishing to view an AUL site file can refer to the Waste Site & Reportable Release search in the Energy & Environmental Affairs Data Portal or make arrangements with the respective MassDEP Regional Office through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The MassDEP encourages persons to review these site files when they make decisions that consider a specific site.
This point layer is stored and distributed as AUL_PT.
Data Limitations
Many of the locations in this data layer are based on information provided by the RP, PRP or their LSP. Locations in this data layer should ONLY be considered as an ”approximation” or “best estimate” based on the information available at the time the site was mapped. The accuracy and completeness of the information submitted has not been verified by MassDEP.
AUL site data are temporal. Although the data layer will be updated on a periodic basis, it will never be complete or up-to-date. Please refer to the associated Unlocated Sites List table (AUL_PT_USL) for a current list of unmapped AUL sites.
Please refer to the Waste Site & Reportable Release search in the Energy & Environmental Affairs Data Portal for the most current information about a particular site.
The MassDEP recognizes that point features are not the ideal spatial model for representing contaminated areas, especially in the case of large sites or if considerable contaminant migration has occurred. However, due to legal and accuracy considerations, the spatial representation of AUL sites as point features is currently the only realistic method for generating AUL site data on a statewide scale.
Due to the limitations of this data layer, the following disclaimer language applies to the MassDEP AUL site data:
Data Disclaimer:
Point locations representing AUL sites in this data layer have not been field-verified and should be considered approximate.
Please be advised that this data layer is incomplete. The MassDEP has been unable to locate some AUL sites due to inadequate source material. AUL Sites that are not yet reported are not mapped.
AUL site contamination may extend well away from the point representing a site on this map.
Refer questions regarding the AUL site data to the MassDEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup at bwsc.edep@mass.gov.
Attributes
1. Data Structure
The attribute table for the MassDEP AUL sites datalayer contains the following columns:
| Field | Definition |
| RTN | Release Tracking Number (RTN), unique site ID |
| NAME | Site name assigned by MassDEP BWSC describes the site in terms of its location use or type. |
| ADDRESS | Site address assigned by MassDEP BWSC |
| TOWN | Standard (1-351) municipality name |
| STATUS | Compliance status according to MassDEP BWSC |
| RAO_CLASS | Classification of RAO |
| AUL_DATE | Date of AUL RAO filing |
| REGION | MassDEP Region code |
| SITE_INFO | Link to site's description web page |
2. Description of General Site Information Items
General site information attributes are populated using the most current MassDEP BWSC database information available at the time of update.
RTN
The Release Tracking Number (RTN) is a unique 7-digit site identifier assigned to reportable releases by MassDEP BWSC. This number is preceded by either 1,2,3 or 4 (e.g. 3-0001234) according to the MassDEP region in which the site is located (see: description of MassDEP Region ID below).
NAME
The name assigned by MassDEP BWSC that best describes the site location. The site name does NOT necessarily reflect the identity of any PRPs.
ADDRESS
The number and street assigned by MassDEP BWSC that most accurately describes the site location; mile markers or similar highway designations may also be used.
TOWN
The name of the municipality associated with the site as assigned by MassDEP BWSC.
STATUS
MassDEP BWSC site compliance status:
| Status Code | Definition |
| ADQREG | Adequately Regulated |
| DEPMOU | DEP Memorandum of Understanding |
| DEPNDS | Not a Disposal Site (DEP) |
| DEPNFA | No Further Action (DEP Determined) |
| DPS | Downgradient Property Status |
| DPSTRM | Downgradient Property Status Terminated |
| INVSUB | Submittal Invalidated by MassDEP |
| LSPNFA | LSP No Further Action |
| PENNDS | Pending Not a Disposal Site |
| PENNFA | Pending No Further Action |
| RAO | Release Action Outcome, a site/release where an RAO Statement was submitted. An RAO Statement asserts that response actions were sufficient to achieve a level of no significant risk or at least ensure that all substantial hazards were eliminated. |
| RAONR | Response Action Outcome Not Required |
| REMOPS | Remedy Operation Status |
| SPECPR | Special Project |
| STMRET | Response Action Outcome Statement Retracted |
| TCLASS | Tier Classification |
| TIERI |
-TIER I: Any disposal site which meets the following criteria at the time of Tier Classification shall be classified as Tier I: (a) there is evidence of groundwater contamination with oil and/or hazardous material at concentrations equal to or exceeding the applicable RCGW-1 Reportable Concentration set forth in 310 CMR 40.0360, and such groundwater is located within an Interim Wellhead Protection Area, Zone II, or within 500 feet of a Private Water Supply Well; (b) an Imminent Hazard is present; (c) one or more remedial actions are required as part of an Immediate Response Action pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0414(2); or (d) one or more response actions are required as part of an Immediate Response Action to eliminate or mitigate a Critical Exposure Pathway pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0414(3). |
| TIER1D |
- TIER ID: (1) A disposal site shall be deemed a Tier ID ("default") disposal site if any of the following apply: (a) an Responsible Party (RP), Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) or Other Person for such disposal site fails to submit to MassDEP one of the following by the applicable deadline in 310 CMR 40.0501: 1. a Permanent Solution Statement; or 2. a Tier Classification Submittal; or (b) the person undertaking response actions is in noncompliance with M.G.L. c. 21E, 310 CMR 40.0000 or any other applicable requirement, and MassDEP reclassifies the disposal site as a Tier ID disposal site pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0583. |
| TIER2 | Any Tier Classified disposal site that is not Tier ID pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0502 or 40.0520(5) and does not meet the Tier I Criteria described at 310 CMR 40.0520(2). |
| UNCLSS | Unclassified |
| WCSPRM | Waiver Completion Statement Permanent |
| WCSTMP | Waiver Completion Statement Temporary |
RAO_CLASS
Categories of RAO submitted to MassDEP BWSC:
Class A RAO: Remedial work was completed and a level of "no significant risk" has been achieved.
A-1: A permanent solution has been achieved. Contamination has been reduced to background or a threat of release has been eliminated.
A-2: A permanent solution has been achieved. Contamination has not been reduced to background.
A-3: A permanent solution has been achieved. Contamination has not been reduced to background and an Activity and use Limitation (AUL) has been implemented.
A-4: A permanent solution has been achieved. Contamination has not been reduced to background and an Activity and use Limitation (AUL) has been implemented. Contamination is located at a depth of 15 feet but evaluation has determined that it is not feasible to reduce it.
Class B RAO: Site assessment indicates that "no significant risk" exists. No remedial work was necessary.
B-1: Remedial actions have not been conducted because a level of No Significant Risk exists.
B-2: Remedial actions have not been conducted because a level of No Significant Risk exists, but that level is contingent upon one or more Activity and use Limitations (AULs) that have been implemented.
B-3: Remedial actions have not been conducted because a level of No Significant Risk exists, but that level is contingent upon one or more Activity and use Limitations (AULs) that have been implemented, and contamination is located at a depth of 15 feet but evaluation has determined that it is not feasible to reduce it.
Class C RAO: A temporary cleanup. Although the site does not present a "substantial hazard", it has not reached a level of no significant risk. The site must be evaluated every five years to determine whether a Class A or Class B RAO is possible. All sites are expected eventually to receive a Class A or B RAO.
Note: AULs are legal restrictions used in the context of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan to limit future exposure to contaminants remaining at a site See Guidance on Implementing Activity and Use Limitations for additional information.
REGION
The MassDEP Region in which the site is physically located. This field is populated with one of the following numeric MassDEP Region codes:
|
MassDEP Region Code |
DEP Region – Office Location | Acronym |
| 1 | Western Region - Springfield | WERO |
| 2 | Central Region - Worcester | CERO |
| 3 | Northeast Region - Wilmington | NERO |
| 4 | Southeast Region – Lakeville | SERO |
Related Tables
- MassDEP BWSC Downloadable Sites List - This compressed file (RELEASE.ZIP) includes a database file (RELEASE.DBF) containing a record for all reportable releases tracked by the MassDEP BWSC. MassDEP BWSC updates this file on a regular schedule. Tabular data contained in RELEASE.ZIP can be related to the AUL_PT datalayer by the RTN. Please note that Oil and/or Hazardous Material Sites with AULs are only a subset of the total reportable releases contained in the MassDEP BWSC Downloadable Sites List.
- Registry of Deeds (AUL_PT_ROD) – Contains Registry of Deed Book/Page information compiled by MassDEP BWSC to date. Please note that this data is currently a work in progress and is an incomplete, partial list. Future update of this information will be dependent on staffing resources.
- Location Documentation Table (AUL_PT_LDT) - See MassDEP Standards for Point GIS Data.
- Unlocated Sites Table (AUL_PT_USL) - Contains a list of known, unlocated Oil and Hazardous Materials Sites with AULs at the time of publication. In the 1/12/2016 update this table is empty, as all current AUL sites have been located.
Maintenance
The MassDEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup (BWSC) maintains this data (email: bwsc.edep@mass.gov).
The current data are up-to-date through March 19, 2024.
Also see the MassDEP Tier Classified Oil and/or Hazardous Material Sites (MGL c. 21E) Datalayer, which often is updated in conjunction with the AUL sites.
| Last updated: | March 20, 2024 |
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