| A Guide to the Environmental Cleanup at the
Massachusetts Military Reservation |
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What is the Massachusetts Military Reservation? The Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) is comprised of about 22,000 acres of land on the Upper Cape that includes parts of the towns of Bourne, Sandwich, and Mashpee, and borders the town of Falmouth. Many people know it by a prior name, Otis Air Force Base, or a Camp Edwards or Otis Air National Guard Base. Today, the MMR is a multi-function facility, serving mainly as a training area for the Massachusetts Army and Air National Guards, and as the home of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and the Air Force 6th Space Warning Squadron (PAVE PAWS).
Are the land and water at the MMR contaminated? Because of past practices such as disposal and spillage of materials that are now regulated as hazardous wastes, some areas of soil on the MMR became contaminated. Also, the aquifer, or underground water source, beneath the MMR has become contaminated. A contaminant "plume" is a portion of the groundwater that contains dissolved contaminants above a level considered safe for drinking water. The size and shape of a plume is confirmed by multiple detections from multiple monitoring wells. A plume moves in the direction of the groundwater flow. Some plumes have crossed the base boundary and have traveled underneath neighboring towns. Two important facts concerning these plumes:
Historic military use in the northern 15,000 acres of Camp Edwards has resulted in soil and groundwater contamination on and under the Impact Area and training ranges by various explosive compounds and other contaminants. Except for detections in the groundwater near Snake Pond in Sandwich, most explosive detections have been within the MMR property boundaries.
The Environmental Management Commission will be advised by a Community Advisory Council, a Science Advisory Council, and an on-site Environmental Officer. What is being done about the contamination? Otis Air National Guard Base Cleanup: In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence has identified and investigated 80 "source areas", or areas where contamination is thought to originate. Some of these source areas are actually on Camp Edwards land, but are still being handled by the Air Force. Of these 80 source areas:
In addition, 15 underground
contaminant plumes coming from these source areas have been identified. Of these 15
plumes:
NOTE: The sum of these plumes is 17 because two of the plumes are being cleaned up while at the same time undergoing additional investigation; thus they are counted twice. Also, starting in 1986, about 700 homes that have had their private wells threatened by plumes from the MMR have been connected to municipal water supplies. Camp Edwards Impact Area Investigation: Significant progress has been made investigating and cleaning up the Impact Area and nearby training ranges at Camp Edwards. Some of the major accomplishments by the Impact Area Groundwater Study Program include:
Is there a health risk from contaminants at the MMR? You can be exposed to pollutants by breathing, eating, drinking, or through skin contact. There is a potential risk to your health only if the contaminant travels from the source to you, and in sufficient quantities. In other words, if you do not come in contact with the contaminant, then you cannot be exposed. The graphic below illustrates this concept.
What are the cleanup programs used at the MMR? The cleanup of historic contamination is done under a Federal law called the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, more commonly known as "Superfund." Otis Air National Guard Base was declared a Superfund site in 1989. At Otis, the historic contamination came from sources such as old fuel tanks, underground gasoline supply lines, chemical and fuel spills, fire training areas, landfills, a wastewater treatment plant, and open dumping into storm drains (which was common practice throughout the country until about 20 years ago). The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence manages this program through the Installation Restoration Program. At Camp Edwards, the investigation and cleanup of the Impact Area and training ranges are based on a series of three "Administrative Orders" that the EPA has issued since 1997 under a Federal law called the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Safe Drinking Water Act protects all drinking water sources, including aquifers, from contamination. The EPA is using the Safe Drinking Water Act to manage the investigation and cleanup of contamination of the aquifer underneath Camp Edwards. The EPA has designated this aquifer, called the Cape Cod Aquifer, a "sole-source" aquifer, meaning that there is no alternative source of drinking water on the Upper Cape. The cleanup of the Impact Area and training ranges at Camp Edwards chiefly involves explosive compounds, such as Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX), and propellants, such as perchlorate, rather than fuels and other chemicals. The National Guard manages this project on the northern 15,000 acres through the Impact Area Groundwater Study Program. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is also playing an important role in the cleanup of the MMR through implementation of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan. The Massachusetts Contingency Plan is the state’s regulation which governs the investigation and cleanup of oil and hazardous waste. At the MMR, the Massachusetts Contingency Plan works in concert with Superfund and the Safe Drinking Water Act. When will the cleanup be done? The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence is expected to have all of the source areas (contaminated soil) investigated, cleaned up, or closed out by 2003, with agreement by the EPA and DEP. They are also expected to have all of the groundwater plume treatment systems designed and in place by 2004. The project will then go into what is referred to as "operation and maintenance" (O&M) and long term monitoring. During this phase, the groundwater and treated water will be tested frequently to ensure that the systems continue to function as planned.
How much does this cleanup cost? Through Fiscal Year 2001, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence has spent more than $446 million investigating and cleaning up the source areas and groundwater plumes for the Superfund cleanup at Otis Air National Guard Base. That figure will likely exceed $556 million by the time all of the soil and groundwater treatment systems are installed in 2004. The total "cost to complete" is estimated at over $817 million. For the Impact Area Groundwater Study Program, through Fiscal Year 2001, about $100 million has been spent thus far, and another $238 million is budgeted for Fiscal Year 2002 through Fiscal Year 2007 for investigating and cleaning up the Impact Area and training ranges.
Contacts for additional Information There are many ways to get information about
the environmental programs at the MMR. The following is a list of contact names and phone
numbers, listed by topic.
Here are some useful Web sites, with additional links, where you can get even more information about the MMR. Joint Program Office Air Force Center for Environmental
Excellence-Installation Restoration Program Environmental & Readiness Center
Native mushrooms growing in the Camp Edwards training area at the MMR. If you would like to view or download this Community Guide on the Internet, you can do so at the JPO’s web site at www.mmr.org. You will need the free "Adobe Acrobat" software. A critical part of the success of the cleanup at the MMR has been the active, thoughtful involvement of local concerned citizens. Many people have devoted large amounts of time to ensure, as investigation and cleanup strategies are formulated, that the decision makers keep the concerns of the affected community in mind as they move forward. There are a number of ways that you can become involved with the cleanup at the MMR. One way is to join one (or more) of the environmental program citizen teams whose job is to ensure that community concerns are considered by the Federal and State environmental regulators and military agencies that are responsible for the cleanup programs. These groups are:
Another way to share your
interests and gain knowledge is to attend the meetings that are held on a
monthly basis, all of which are open to the public. A complete schedule of meetings is
available by going to the Installation Restoration Program’s web site at "www.mmr.org", and then clicking on
"Community." Or, you can call the Public Meeting Hotline at (508) 968-4678, ext.
1 or the Joint Program Office at (508) 968-5908.
Massachusetts Military Reservation Environmental Programs Mailing List The Joint Program Office, the organization at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) that coordinates environmental activities, is maintaining the community mailing list. This list is used for mailings specific to each environmental program as well as for base-wide information. Mailings include things like fact sheets, neighborhood notices, periodic updates, etc. If you would like to be included in the mailing list, please print this page, fill it out, and mail it to the address below. Or you can fax the completed form to (508) 968-5677. Name: Mailing Address: City: State: Zip: Phone (optional): Please check or mark the programs you would
like to receive information about:
Please print this page and mail it to:
If yes, email address: ___________________________________
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