[CPEO-MEF] EPA 1 Administrative Order #5: Textron

[joelf@cape.com]

Dear Folks,

EPA Region 1 has issued another Administrative or (by Consent) under 
the Safe Drinking Water Act. This time, against the Textron 
Corporation (formerly AVCO). The order by consent reportedly follows 
grand jury hearings on possible criminal violations by the company 
and/or its employees.

Between 1967 and 1999, Textron occupied hundreds of acres of the 
Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) and operated under contract 
with various military services. Responsibility for overseeing the 
actions of Textron lay with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Textron primarily tested armor piercing artillery weapons at the 
site. In particular Textron fabricated shells containing depleted 
uranium, but insists that they were not tested at the site. Waste 
water containing explosives was dumped at MMR by Textron and the 
company brought toxic refuse from its other operations to MMR for 
disposal.

Investigations conducted by EPA and the Army Guard under previous 
adminstrative orders have already demonstrated ground water 
contamination at the Textron site and flowing off-base into the 
environmentally sensitive Snake Pond area of Sandwich. RDX and high 
levels of perchlorate have been found. Large caches of buried 
artillery and mortar rounds have been discovered.

Textron will be required to conduct further investigations under EPA 
and public scrutiny and to perform necessary clean up activities.

For the relevant documents, see: http://www.epa.gov/ne/mmr/order.html

Joel
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Joel Feigenbaum
24 Pond View Drive
E. Sandwich MA 02537
(508)-833-0144