[CPEO-MEF] RAB reports on environmental cleanup at 4 sites

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Massachusetts
GROTON LANDMARK
RAB reports on environmental cleanup at 4 sites
By C. David Gordon
May 14, 2003

SHIRLEY - Preparations are getting underway for full-scale remediation
of groundwater contamination at the former Army airfield. At the same
time, bidding nears for a contractor to stop another contamination plume
in groundwater from moving further in Ayer north of the former Army
municipal landfill.

Participants in the Devens Restoration Advisory Board meeting last week
also heard about final mop-up operations at two environmental
restoration sites on Devens.

Arcadis is the contractor undertaking cleanup of two plumes of
parachute-cleaning fluid contamination in groundwater at the former
airport. The firm is working to prepare a draft Record of Decision for
public review and comment, and its workers in the field are installing
additional monitoring wells.

Company spokesman Glenn Gordon commented on a plan to install two
special wells 80 feet apart at the end of the major plume nearest the
Nashua River. The wells will be tests of the in-well stripping (IWS)
operation designed to use water to force the contaminant to be
dissipated in the air. Data from this operation will be used to run a
full-scale IWS approach in the future.

There is an expectation that it could take 27 years to restore
groundwater in the areas of plume to drinking water standard. Putting
institutional controls in place, therefore, to prevent people from
risking their health by sinking wells and using the wellwater assumes an
urgency. Magnifying that importance is the fact that most of the
property under which the contaminant is moving is state-held land or
that of Merrimack warehouse, across Route 2A from the contamination
source rather than on Army land. Well regulations that address
monitoring, permitting and enforcing any use of groundwater in the area
must be established and rights of private property owners on affected
lands must be respected.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.grotonlandmark.com/Stories/0,1413,107~5178~1390305,00.html

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