Call for Nat'l Testing of Impact Areas

[Richard Hugus <rhugus@cape.com>]

The following letter was generated by citizens working on a study of the
Massachusetts Military Reserevation Impact Area. A number of people from
other bases added their signatures in support.

********************************************
 January 17, 1998

Sherri Wasserman-Goodman
Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental Security
The Pentagon - Room 3 - E808
Washington, DC 20301-3400

Carol Browner
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters Building--Waterside Mall
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460

Dear Ms. Browner and Ms. Goodman:

 We wish to bring to your attention the implications of results obtained so
far from an EPA-supervised study of the soil and groundwater at the 2,200
acre Camp Edwards impact area at the Massachusetts Military Reservation.

 Since the beginning of the study in the Summer of 1997, carcinogenic
contamination has been documented in the soil and in the aquifer below the
impact area and at firing positions. So far twenty wells have been found to
contain explosives contamination and twenty-one wells still need to be
completed. Numerous soil samples in the impact area have shown an array
explosives, heavy metals, other inorganics, herbicides, and volatile
organic compounds. Soil samples taken from the gunnery positions show
chemical contamination from propellants. Moreover, the latest findings
appear to confirm the existence of at least two plumes of
explosives-related contamination spreading from the impact area toward
remaining clean water supplies on Upper Cape Cod. As you may be aware,
water supplies for the entire region of Upper Cape Cod have already been
damaged by extensive groundwater contamination from Otis Air Base.

 It is now clear that artillery, mortar, and demolition practice threaten
groundwater resources. Therefore we urge you, the officials most
responsible for overseeing the environmental effects of military
activities,to create pilot studies of the soil and water at each of the
major artillery and mortar ranges in the United States. These studies would
assess the danger posed by munitions firing and demolition at each of these
ranges while providing data from a diverse set of conditions to augment the
findings at the Massachusetts Military Reservation.

 We would be willing to meet with you in order to discuss details of this
proposal. Tribes, indigenous peoples and all other stakeholders should have
a valid, active role in setting criteria and methodology for this testing.
We look forward to hearing from you about this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Joel Feigenbaum
Alliance for Base Cleanup (MMR)

James Kinney
Alliance for Base Cleanup (MMR)

Richard Hugus
Otis Conversion Project, Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR)

Paul Zanis
MMR Impact Area Review Team

Laura Olah
Executive Director of Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB)

Bill McGlinn
Ann R. Miller
Richard B. McGlinn
David M.McGlinn
Peter Strauss
Rusty Gates
R. Bruce Johnson
Bob Linsenman
Dan Drislane
Edward McGlinn
Lenny Siegel
Grace M. Potorti
Tess Nelkie
Steve Southard
Steve Sendek
Skip Favro
Ruth Favro
Ron Weber
Pat Dwyer
Jim Schramm
Jay Gleason
Dan L. Alstott