NEWS RELEASE
2005-12 MASSACHUSETTS MILITARY RESERVATION, Cape Cod, Mass. —
Officials of the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) announced today
that surface water tests taken in May 2005 from area ponds were non-detect for ethylene dibromide and volatile
organic compounds. AFCEE collects samples twice a year (May and July) from Ashumet,
Johns, Coonamessett, Deep and Snake ponds on Upper Cape Cod. All sampling was done
in consultation with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and was reviewed
by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection. The ponds are in close proximity to
groundwater plumes emanating from the Massachusetts Military Reservation. The
periodic sampling ensures the continued safety of the ponds for recreational uses
including swimming, boating, and catch-and-release fishing. In May 2005, the MDPH issued a
public health fact sheet stating that it is safe to swim, wade and boat in all Upper Cape
ponds which include Ashumet, Johns, Coonamessett, Deep and Snake ponds. Jonathan S. Davis, AFCEE Remediation Program Manager
stated, "AFCEE wants people to feel confident that area ponds are safe."
He added, “Our job is to be diligent in our efforts to monitor the groundwater
plumes and the ponds to provide that assurance.” For more information about AFCEE, please call Douglas C.
Karson, AFCEE Community Involvement Specialist, at (508) 968-4678 extension 2.
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