Overview of the Installation Restoration Program Fact Sheet #2001-06 The Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) is located on the upper western part of Cape Cod. It covers approximately 30 square miles and includes portions of the towns of Bourne, Mashpee, Sandwich, and Falmouth. The MMR sits over the recharge area for the sole source groundwater aquifer, on which the towns and the MMR rely for their drinking water supply. The aquifer is made up of several lenses. The Sagamore Lens is a 300-foot-thick layer of groundwater located on the Upper Cape. Portions of the MMR have been used for military purposes since 1911. Since 1935, the base has been used for training and maneuvers, military aircraft operations, maintenance, and support. Some activities required the use of petroleum products, solvents, and other hazardous materials. It was common practice for many years at the MMR, as it was at other military bases and industrial facilities throughout the country, to dispose of wastes in unlined landfills and drywells, to dump and burn them at firefighter training areas, or to just dispose of them wherever convenient. In addition, pipeline breaks and accidental spills are known to have occurred at the MMR. Today, the generation, use, and disposal of hazardous materials is strictly managed and regulated to protect the environment. In 1978, the Town of Falmouth detected detergents in a town drinking water supply well. This discovery initiated the investigation and cleanup efforts on MMR. The MMR was added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Priorities List in 1989 as a result of contamination at the base. Commonly known as "Superfund," the National Priorities List is a published list of hazardous waste sites in the country. The Installation Restoration Program (IRP) is responsible for investigating and cleaning up contamination from past practices at Department of Defense sites. At the MMR, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) manages the IRP. The EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provide regulatory oversight of the MMR Superfund program. The Superfund program addresses hazardous waste releases resulting only from practices that were discontinued before 1976. Current activities that may affect the environment are not evaluated under Superfund. This is why the environmental investigations at the MMR are not all managed by the IRP. For example, the Massachusetts Army National Guard is responsible for the investigations designed to determine what effects small firearms, howitzer, and mortar training operations have had on the groundwater, soils, and sediments below the Impact Area portion of MMR. In 1996, AFCEE
was designated as the lead agent for the IRP. AFCEE assumed program management
responsibility, bringing a change in management and additional contracting resources and
funding to MMR. The Superfund process consists of several phases that lead to the ultimate goal of cleaning up a site and providing a safe environment for the citizens living nearby. Throughout the process, there is opportunity for local community involvement. First, a detailed study of the site is completed to identify the cause and extent of contamination at the site and the possible threats to the public and the environment. This study is known as a Remedial Investigation (RI). Next, if further action is necessary, a Feasibility Study (FS) is prepared to develop the options for cleaning up the site. After the RI and FS have been completed, the information in the FS is used to develop and present a Proposed Plan, which is presented as a fact sheet that describes the various cleanup options under consideration and identifies the option preferred by AFCEE. The Proposed Plan is distributed to the public, public meetings are held to solicit input, and a public comment period is held. Following the public comment period, AFCEE submits a Record of Decision to the EPA. The Record of Decision describes how AFCEE plans to clean up the site or if no further action. Upon acceptance by the EPA, a notice is placed in local newspapers to inform the community of the cleanup decision. Next the
cleanup system blueprints and associated plans are developed; this is referred to as the Remedial
Design (RD). Information about the design is distributed to the community and
construction of the final remedy begins as outlined in Remedial Action (RA)
documents. Once the system is up and running, the project moves into the Operation and
Maintenance (O&M) phase. During this phase, review and updates take place, along
with a comprehensive evaluation of the system every five years. To date, 80 potential source areas have been identified through records searches and field investigations. In cooperation with EPA and DEP, AFCEE has worked to determine which sites warranted cleanup based on the levels of contamination present and the potential threat to human health and the environment. Of the 80 potential source areas identified:
Since the start of source area cleanup:
As contaminants filter through the sandy Cape Cod soil, they encounter groundwater, which can result in a groundwater plume (plume). A groundwater plume can be defined as a body of groundwater containing contaminants exceeding maximum contaminant levels, or safe drinking water standards. To date, 15 groundwater plumes that flow from the MMR have been identified by the IRP. Many have moved beyond the base boundary while some remain near their source area. These groundwater plumes are in various stages of study and cleanup.
Figure 2: Status of Groundwater Cleanup
Of the 15 groundwater plumes identified:
Figure 2 provides a summary of the groundwater cleanup at MMR. Since the start of groundwater cleanup:
TABLE 1: Status of Plume and Source Areas
An element critical to the success of the cleanup of groundwater plumes is access to the land located above the areas of contamination in the plumes. Plumes that have migrated beyond the base boundaries may exist below public or private property, rights-of-way, near recreation areas, and base property. The property may be required for installing monitoring, extraction, or reinjection wells; laying piping; or installing recirculation wells. Prior to any construction activities, a real estate specialist for the Department of Defense contacts the appropriate property owners. The specialist outlines the exact needs for that property, how long the property will be needed, and answers other questions the property owner might have. AFCEE makes every attempt to work with landowners to address their concerns, make adjustments if possible, and mitigate any impacts. All safety precautions are taken during construction to protect human health and the environment. AFCEE makes every attempt to locate wells or treatment systems in semi-remote locations where equipment used in construction and maintenance is not readily accessible to the public. Generally, dust is controlled by using water to keep the dust from becoming airborne. The public is notified before construction begins. Neighborhood notices are issued in advance to make residents aware of construction plans. AFCEE works with the appropriate town selectmen, boards of health, department of public works, and police and fire departments to address their concerns prior to construction. Every effort is made to avoid commuting hours, school bus stops, seasonal activities such as nesting and hunting seasons, and to keep construction to regular daytime working hours. AFCEE has had
exceptional cooperation to date from commercial, private, and public property owners.
Without their participation, the cleanup program would not be at the point it is now.
AFCEE looks forward to working with the residents of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and
Sandwich, property owners, and those who enjoy the Upper Cape, to continue making progress
with the cleanup. In addition, five local libraries house information repositories for the cleanup program.
The Administrative Record, which is a public record of all documents used in decision-making, is available online at www.mmr.org/adminrec.htm. The online administrative record allows the public to search and review the following documents:
Doug Karson, Community Involvement Specialist Jim Murphy, Community Involvement Coordinator Ellie Grillo, Community Involvement
Coordinator air sparging and soil vapor extraction (SVE): a process that removes hydrocarbons from both soil and shallow groundwater by injecting air bubbles into the upper groundwater near the source, where the plume is the shallowest, causing the volatile components of the release to rise to where they can be captured in the unsaturated overlying soils. The vapor is retrieved by a vacuum system and treated aboveground by passing it through a catalytic oxidizer (similar to an automobile catalytic converter) that uses heat and a metal catalyst to break down the contaminants to carbon dioxide and water. The air (in vapor phase) then passes through activated carbon filters that rid the air of any remaining fuel compounds. The carbon filters are recycled at an off-site licensed recycling facility. asphalt batching: a process that incorporates low-level contaminated soils into paving material with the addition of a heated emulsion at less than 120°F. The process is regulated by DEP, and the final product is used statewide as a base under asphalt-paved surfaces. The subgrade material is capped with 1 to 2 inches of asphalt cover for durability and to limit infiltration of water. Therefore, the asphalt-batched material is not exposed directly to traffic and elements. aquifer: an underground geological formation containing usable amounts of groundwater that can supply wells and springs. Feasibility Study (FS): a report that identifies and screens potential cleanup alternatives for a site that requires further remedial action. groundwater plume: a concentration of contaminants in groundwater exceeding safe drinking water standards, usually extending from a distinct source. A groundwater plume is defined by multiple samples from multiple wells. Impact Area: the 2,200-acre area located in the center of Camp Edwards that was used as a target for artillery and mortar firing during training exercises. maximum contaminant level: the maximum concentration of a given contaminant allowed in drinking water under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. When the state drinking water standards are more stringent than the federal MCL, the state standard is used. National Priorities List: the EPA list of controlled or abandoned hazardous waste sites that are priorities for long-term remedial evaluation and response. no further action: a recommendation made for a site when no unacceptable risk to human health and the environment is found. Operation and Maintenance (O&M): activities conducted after a Superfund site action has been completed to ensure that the action is effective; or actions taken after construction to ensure that facilities constructed to treat wastewater will be operated properly and maintained to achieve normative efficiency levels and prescribed effluent limitations in a optimum manner. piezometers: a small slotted standpipe, usually hand-driven into the ground; used to measure pore water pressure, seepage, and groundwater movement. Proposed Plan: a document that summarizes the preferred remedial action for a site and presents the rationale for the preference. recharge area: an area of land where there is a year-round transfer of water from the surface to groundwater; where rainwater and snow soaks through the earth to reach an aquifer. Record of Decision (ROD): a document presenting the remedial action selected under agreement with the regulatory agencies. Remedial Action (RA): activities conducted to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to human health or the environment from exposure to contaminants. Remedial Design (RD): a phase of remedial action that follows the remedial investigation/feasibility study and includes development of engineering drawings and specifications for a site cleanup. Remedial Investigation (RI): an investigation to gather and analyze the data necessary to determine the nature and extent of contamination at a site. sites/source areas: the location where contaminant(s) enter soil, water, air, or sediment |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
