University of California, Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits records
Collection Scope and Contents
This collection contains facsimiles of field books, records, reports and other materials related to pesticide waste pits operated at the University of California, Riverside. The pits served as disposal sites for experimental herbicides, pesticides, and other hazardous chemicals tested and utilized at UC Riverside during the twentieth century. Series I contains information on the pesticide waste pits operations. Series II has materials related to the remediation project. Series III is a collection of analyses and reports on the Pesticide Waste Pits site.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1933-2022
Languages
The collection is in English.
Access
This collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Historical Note
The UCR former Pesticide Waste Pits site encompasses an area of approximately 3.25 acres located within the UCR Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station. Agricultural research has been conducted at the university laboratories, greenhouses, and small field plots since the 1940s. Prior to 1972, some of the waste generated during research was discarded in pits excavated at the Site. Disposal activities reportedly consisted of the excavation and filling of various pits and trenches with a variety of organic and inorganic wastes, including agricultural plant wastes, plant containers, pesticides, chemical containers, and miscellaneous equipment.
Site investigation activities were conducted between 1988 and 1998, on-Site remedial excavation and soil treatment activities were conducted between June 2000 and February 2002, and groundwater monitoring activities were conducted from 1991 until 2017 to assess pre- and post-remediation groundwater quality. Constituents of concern identified in soil during the site investigations included volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, chlorinated pesticides, organochlorine pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, chlorinated herbicides, carbamate and urea pesticides, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls.
The Site was cleaned up so that remaining on-Site soil, including the backfilled soil, is health protective for current and future Site users and would not adversely affect groundwater quality. Groundwater monitoring conducted from 1991 until 2017 indicates that groundwater beneath the Site meets California drinking water criteria.
This historical note was contributed by Environmental Programs Manager Amanda Grey, UCR Environmental Health and Safety.
Extent
12.13 Linear Feet (30 boxes, 2 flat file folders)
Abstract
This collection contains records and materials related to pesticide waste pits operated at the University of California, Riverside during the twentieth century.
Collection Arrangement
The collection materials are arranged into three series based on subject matter. The series are arranged in chronological order.
Series Order
- Series 1. Field books, 1933-1974
- Series 2. Waste pits remediation documents, 1981-2005
- Series 3. Pesticide waste pits reports, 1988-2011
Acquisition Information
Provenance unknown
Separated Materials - WRCA Bound Volumes
There are 16 bound volumes of related materials that are cataloged and housed in the Orbach Science Library. Titles and call numbers are listed below:
- Health and Safety Plan Amendment: UC Riverside Pesticide Pit Remediation Project
- Site remediation Work Plan: UC Riverside Pesticide Pit Remediation Project (2 vols)
- Remedial Alternatives and Cost evaluation pesticide waste pits, UC Riverside
- Quality Assurance Project Plan Pesticide Waste Pits (TD 1066 P47 G464 2000)
- Groundwater Investigation University of California Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits Semi-Annual Analytical Report (TD 1066 P47 G77 1st ed. 1994)
- Groundwater Investigation University of California Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits Semi-Annual Analytical Report (TD 1066 P47 G77 2nd ed. 1994)
- Groundwater Investigation University of California Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits Semi-Annual Analytical Report (TD 1066 P47 G77 3rd ed. 1995)
- Groundwater Investigation University of California Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits Semi-Annual Analytical Report (TD 1066 P47 G77 4th ed. 1995)
- University of California, Riverside: Pesticide Waste Pits, Preliminary Site Investigation Work Plan (TD 1066 P47 H64 1987)
- University of California, Riverside: Pesticide Waste Pits, Preliminary Site Investigation (TD 1066 P47 H664 1987)
- University of California, Riverside: Preliminary Pesticide Waste Pits Investigation (TD 1066 P47 H667 1988)
- University of California, Riverside: Preliminary Pesticide Waste Pits Investigation (TD 1066 P47 H667 1988 Appendix B and C)
- Piezometer Installation at the UCR Agricultural Operations Yard
- University of California, Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits Investigation Stage II
- Pesticide Contaminated Hazardous Waste Sites (TD 1066 P47 P444 1996)
Processing History
Processed by Andrew Lippert, Special Collections Processing Archivist, 2018
Subject
- University of California, Riverside (Organization)
- Title
- University of California, Riverside, Pesticide Waste Pits records
- Status
- Processed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Andrew Lippert, Special Collections Processing Archivist
- Date
- 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives Repository
University of California
Rivera Library
P.O. Box 5900
Riverside CA 92517-5900 USA
specialcollections@ucr.edu