NEWS RELEASE
2004-08 Massachusetts
Military Reservation (MMR), Cape Cod, Mass. — Officials from the Air Force Center
for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) announced today that they will hold a public
informational meeting to discuss the upcoming construction project associated with the
cleanup of the Chemical Spill 4 (CS-4), CS-20, CS-21 and Fuel Spill 29 (FS-29) groundwater
plumes. Food and refreshments will be served. Public Informational Meeting The posterboard session will be an opportunity to view construction plans and
meet one-on-one with representatives of AFCEE, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The posterboard
session will be followed by an informational meeting. A question and answer session
regarding the construction and cleanup of these plumes will follow the informational
meeting. For more information regarding this meeting, please call Mr. Doug Karson, AFCEE
Community Involvement Specialist at 508-968-4670 ext. 4687. BACKGROUND: In 2000, the Air Force Center for Environmental
Excellence (AFCEE), in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), signed Records of Decision (RODs) for the Fuel Spill 29 (FS-29), Chemical
Spill 4 (CS-4), CS-20 and CS-21 groundwater plumes. The Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) concurred with these decisions. The RODs specified the following actions to be taken in regard to
these 4 plumes: [1] Discontinue use of the existing CS-4 groundwater plume
extraction well fence (see CS-4 plume section below); [2] Construct axial extraction well
systems and granular activated carbon treatment plants for the CS-4, CS-20 and CS-21
groundwater plumes and [3] Design and construct a groundwater extraction well
system within the leading portion of the FS-29 plume. The goal of these cleanup systems is to: [1] prevent and/or reduce
residential exposure to plume contaminants and [2] remediate the groundwater aquifer to
federal and state drinking water standards (or maximum contaminant levels (MCLs)) within
a reasonable time period, if technically and economically feasible. The CS-4, CS-20, CS-21, and FS-29 plumes are within the town of
Falmouth, near the southwest portion of the MMR on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. All four
of the plumes are detached from their sources and are comprised of various volatile
organic compounds including carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), ethylene dibromide (EDB),
perchlorethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). The exact locations of the
CS-20, CS-21, and FS-29 source areas are unknown, but the plumes are assumed to be a
result of various fuel or chemical spills on the southwestern portion of MMR several
decades ago. The source of the CS-4 groundwater plume was a vehicle maintenance area
and storage yard, which was used from 1940 to 1983. The area included a former
gasoline station, a former bus terminal, and a suspected waste disposal pit. The
state and federal MCL for CCl4, PCE and TCE is 5.0 micrograms per liter (µg/L). For
EDB, the Massachusetts MCL is 0.02 µg/L.
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