| 20 October 97 Dear Acceptance Group Member: As you know, a few weeks ago, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) announced the start of the decision process and public comment period for the Storm Drain 5 (SD-5) South groundwater plume emanating from the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). At that time, we distributed fact sheets describing the plume, the groundwater treatment technologies, and the alternatives under consideration to clean up the plume. We are now entering the next phase of the decision process, which involves the decision criteria matrix document. The matrix is a tool being used by the remedial project managers from the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to compare and evaluate the plume response alternatives. Working with hydrological, ecological, human health, and other technical specialists, the remedial project managers have filled out the first two categories of the matrix, which essentially evaluate whether or not the alternatives meet basic human health and environmental criteria, and how well each alternative will work. The third category of the decision criteria matrix evaluates how acceptable each alternative is to the public and specific "acceptance groups." This part of the matrix will be filled in by the acceptance groups, which include the public-at-large, affected neighborhoods, citizen teams, Senior Management Board selectmen, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Natural Resource Trustees, EPA, DEP, and Department of Defense. Enclosed is a copy of the matrix document, entitled "SD-5 South Plume Response Decision Criteria Document." Also enclosed is a fact sheet providing an overview of the evaluation of the alternatives. As a member of the one of the acceptance groups, you are asked to review the alternatives and the matrix document. Your acceptance group will then review and discuss the matrix and recommend to the remedial project managers your preferred alternative(s), acceptable alternatives, and any unacceptable alternatives. The remedial project managers need to receive your acceptance group’s recommendations by the end of the public comment period on November 21st. A posterboard session and public meeting describing the comparison of proposed alternatives will be held on Wednesday, November 12th. The posterboard informational session will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 6:30 p.m.. The meeting will be held at Mashpee High School at the intersection of Route 151 and Old Barnstable Road in Mashpee. Please call the Community Involvement Office at (508) 968-4678 for more information. You may also comment on the alternatives as an individual. To comment on the alternatives that have been proposed, please submit written comments by 5:00 p.m. November 21st to: HQ AFCEE/MMR Written comments can also be submitted via electronic mail by sending a message to jwhitaker@mafmh.ang.af.mil or by using the comment form on our Internet homepage (http://www.mmr.org). Once the acceptance criteria part of the matrix is complete and the public comment period has ended, the remedial project managers from AFCEE, EPA, and MassDEP will meet and recommend the preferred alternative for cleaning up the SD-5 South plume. The decision that AFCEE makes and announces on December 15th will be the alternative that will be presented in a draft execution plan in February 1998. It will then be designed, constructed, and started up by the EPA-enforceable deadline of June 22, 1999. Your involvement in the decision criteria process is critical. Your involvement ensures that the alternative selected not only cleans up the plume and meets regulatory requirements, but also is acceptable to the affected communities. We look forward to working with you through the decision process and developing an alternative that achieves the goal of cleaning up the SD-5 South plume in a manner that is acceptable to the affected communities. If you have any questions, please call the Community Involvement Office at 508-968-4678. Sincerely,
JIM F. SNYDER Attachments:
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