Following is a summary of activities conducted in the four towns surrounding MMR in 2000. Please refer to the IRP plumes and treatment systems map (Figure 3) for information about plume locations.

Bourne

• AFCEE entered into an agreement with the Bourne Water District to pay for the entire cost of connecting residences in the Scraggy Neck area to municipal water. The connections are scheduled to begin in Spring 2001.
• As a precaution, six monitoring wells located upgradient of the Bourne municipal water supply were sampled for volatile organic compounds. Three of these wells were sampled monthly, and three were sampled quarterly. All samples met the drinking water standards and health advisories.
• Groundwater samples were collected from beneath Red Brook Harbor by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the summer of 2000.
• Chemicals present in the Landfill 1 (LF-1) plume were detected in these samples at concentrations below drinking water standards, which led USGS scientists to believe that portions of the LF-1 groundwater plume may discharge into the harbor.

Falmouth

• RODs were signed for Chemical Spill 4 (CS-4), Chemical Spill 20 (CS-20), Chemical Spill 21 (CS-21), Fuel Spill 13 (FS-13), Fuel Spill 28 (FS-28), and Fuel Spill 29 (FS-29) groundwater plumes.
• As a result of the existing extraction, treatment, and discharge system currently in place at the leading edge of the FS-28 groundwater plume, most of the Coonamessett cranberry bogs returned to production.
• AFCEE entered into an agreement with the Town of Falmouth to pay for the entire cost of connecting residences in a defined area to municipal water. The defined area is bounded by Route 151 on the north, Sam Turner Road on the west, Hatchville Road on the east, and the intersection of Hatchville Road and Sam Turner Road on the south. The connections are scheduled to begin in Spring 2001.
• The Coonamessett Water Supply Well, a Town of Falmouth water supply well, continues to be treated with granular activated carbon as a precaution. The pumped groundwater from this well remained non-detect for ethylene dibromide (EDB) during 2000.
• The Ashumet Plume Citizens’ Committee, appointed by the Town of Falmouth Board of Selectmen in 1997, continued to hold regular meetings. At the November 2000 Fall Falmouth Town Meeting, members passed Article #70, which directs Falmouth Selectmen and the Ashumet Plume Citizens’ Committee to develop a use for previously committed AFCEE funds as an initial investment in a more comprehensive nutrient reduction program. AFCEE and the Ashumet Plume Citizens’ Committee are working together to improve outreach efforts to the local community about the committee’s work.

Mashpee

• A groundwater treatment system started operation in January 2000 to remove contaminants from the remaining portion of the SD-5 South plume and a part of the CS-10 plume.
• The leading edge of the CS-10 groundwater plume was further investigated by installing monitoring wells along the southern portion of Hooppole Road and two wells east of Johns Pond. Chemicals related to the CS-10 groundwater plume were detected in wells on Hooppole Road and a trace amount of trichloroethylene (TCE) was detected in one of the wells installed northeast of Johns Pond. Based on the depth and types of chemicals detected in these wells, the chemicals present are believed to be related to the CS-10 plume.
• An agreement was reached on the cleanup actions for the Fuel Spill 1 (FS-1) EDB groundwater plume, and the ROD was signed in May 2000. The selected cleanup approach involves continued operation of the leading edge groundwater treatment system and the construction of a new extraction, treatment, and reinjection/discharge groundwater treatment system in the body of the plume. Cleanup actions for the leading edge of the FS-1 plume have been ongoing since April 1999.
• AFCEE entered into an agreement with the Mashpee Water District to pay the entire cost of connecting homes on Saddleback Road to a municipal water supply. As a precaution, the residential wells on Saddleback Road have been sampled twice a year for the past three years, and no contaminants were detected.
• AFCEE convened a group of local stakeholders, the Ashumet Pond Nutrients Advisory Group, to provide comments and advice on proposed AFCEE actions for reducing phosphorus inputs to Ashumet Pond from the former MMR wastewater treatment plant. Multiple Town of Mashpee Conservation Commission hearings and public meetings were held for this project, and AFCEE received an Order of Conditions in September to perform an alum treatment in the pond within the next three years.

Sandwich

• As a precaution for the nearby Fuel Spill 12 (FS-12) groundwater plume:

• AFCEE entered into an agreement with the Sandwich Water District to pay the entire cost of connecting homes on Pinecrest Drive in Forestdale to municipal water supply. The connections are expected to be completed in early 2001.
• AFCEE entered into an agreement with the Sandwich Board of Health to pay for the cost of sampling the surface water of Snake Pond in Forestdale during the 2000 recreational season. No contaminants were detected in that sampling.

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.

Source areas are defined as the location where contaminant(s) entered the soil, water, air, or sediment.

Activities in 2000 and
Summary of Activities to Date

• Completed remedial design for treating soil at 27 source areas.
• Started source area investigations to delineate the extent of contamination for excavation.
• In conjunction with EPA and DEP, updated the MMR Soil Target Cleanup Levels document to guide the cleanup of source areas.
• Prepared and submitted to EPA and MassDEP the draft work plans and quality program plans for source area cleanup.
• Since the start of source area cleanup:

• Using a combination of thermal treatment or asphalt batching technologies, over 56,000 tons of soil have been removed and treated, preventing the soils from contributing to additional groundwater contamination.
• Almost 45,000 pounds of fuel products have been removed from the FS-12 source area using air sparging and soil vapor extraction.

Status of Cleanup

Please see Figure 1. Of the 80 potential source areas identified:

• 38 sites have been closed with no further action necessary (based on the finding that the sites do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment),
• 4 sites have been closed with treatment completed,
• 11 sites are under investigation, and
• 27 sites have cleanups in design (soil cleanup scheduled to begin in early 2001).

Figure 1. Status of Source Area Cleanup

Activities Planned for 2001

To date, 15 groundwater plumes have been identified as part of the IRP cleanup program. AFCEE continued to operate, maintain, and monitor operating groundwater treatment systems. AFCEE further investigated areas near plumes when there was insufficient data to design a system adequately or to reach a decision on how to clean up a plume.

A groundwater plume is a volume of contaminated groundwater that extends downgradient from the source area to its leading edge (similar to smoke from a smokestack as it drifts downwind in the atmosphere). In some cases, a plume can be detached from the source area or can be stationary.

A groundwater plume can also be defined as a body of groundwater containing contaminants exceeding maximum contaminant levels as defined by multiple samples from multiple wells. In the absence of maximum contaminant levels, a risk-based level will be established.

Activities in 2000 and Summary of Activities to Date

• In January 2000, a treatment system began operating to remove contaminants from the remaining portion of the SD-5 South groundwater plume and part of the CS-10 groundwater plume.
• The CS-10 South/Southwest system—the fourth treatment system to remove contaminants from portions of the CS-10 groundwater plume—began operation in April 2000.
• Since the start of groundwater cleanup:

• About 7.2 billion gallons of groundwater have been treated to date.
• Nearly 12 million gallons of groundwater are treated per day.
• Over 1,435 pounds of solvents and 234 pounds of fuels have been removed from the groundwater to date.
• To date, IRP has installed over 5,000 monitoring, extraction, and reinjection wells and piezometers in and around MMR.

Status of Cleanup

Please see Figure 2. Of the 15 groundwater plumes identified:

• 3 plumes are undergoing long-term monitoring (Eastern Briarwood, Western Aquafarm, and FS-13);
• 8 plumes are undergoing long-term monitoring and cleanup with 12 treatment systems already in place (CS-4, SD-5, FS-12, FS-28, FS-1 leading edge, CS-10, LF-1, and Ashumet Valley);
• 2 plumes are under investigation (CS-19 and CS-10); and
• 5 plumes have treatment systems in design (CS-4 modified system, CS-20, CS-21, FS-1, and FS-29). Further groundwater data collection is ongoing to effectively design a treatment system for each of the plumes. AFCEE plans to have these in place by 2004.

Figure 2. Status of Groundwater Cleanup

NOTE: There are 15 groundwater plumes. However, FS-1, CS-4, and CS-10 are included twice in the above chart. The FS-1 leading edge treatment system has been operating since April 1999, and an additional FS-1 system currently is being designed. Likewise, the CS-4 treatment system has been operating since November 1993 but will be modified in the future. The CS-10 plume currently has treatment systems in place but is also under investigation.

Activities Planned for 2001

In 2000, AFCEE integrated the Ecological Studies Program with performance monitoring into a combined program called SPEIM.

The system performance monitoring portion of the SPEIM program ensures that no contaminants are being re-introduced into the groundwater during return of treated groundwater and that the system is capturing groundwater plumes as designed.

The purpose of the ecological impact monitoring portion of the SPEIM is to monitor and evaluate potential effects of groundwater plumes and the groundwater cleanup activities (e.g., treatment systems) on the various ecosystems (e.g., ponds, bogs, and rivers) on or surrounding MMR.

Sampling private water supply

To ensure that contaminated groundwater plumes do not adversely affect public health, AFCEE continues to work closely with the surrounding towns, EPA, and MassDEP to protect residential and municipal water supplies.

AFCEE conducts a residential well sampling program to ensure that residential wells have not been affected by nearby groundwater plumes. As part of this program, AFCEE collected and analyzed approximately 800 well-water samples from 350 homes in 2000. No detections of contaminants above the maximum contaminant level were found in any residential wells.

In situations where the safety of residential wells is considered threatened, AFCEE supplies bottled water as a precaution until sampling indicates the wells are clean or until connections to municipal water are established. In 2000, AFCEE provided 13 homes with bottled water.

In 2000, 20 homes were connected to municipal water supplies. Four agreements were established to connect approximately 380 more homes in Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich. The installation work for those homes is expected to begin in 2001. To date, AFCEE has connected approximately 700 residences to municipal water supplies.

Figure 3. IRP Plumes and Treatment Systems

AFCEE’s community involvement program has continued to conduct activities to meet its two main purposes:

• engaging local community members and neighborhood residents in decision-making processes for the IRP cleanup program, and
• keeping the public informed about the IRP cleanup program by providing educational outreach to the broader Cape Cod community.

Community involvement staff provide the public with the information needed to participate actively in the decision-making process for ongoing cleanup work. This information usually is presented by distributing news releases, mailing notices to residents where cleanup work is proposed or ongoing, and mailing fact sheets on specific cleanup topics. To communicate this information effectively, community involvement staff interact with the public through a variety of means including personal contact, community advisory teams, public meetings, and public hearings. The community involvement office also provides information packages for residents interested in buying or selling property. Additional activities include delivering documents to information repositories at local libraries, updating the IRP web site daily, and maintaining an administrative record for IRP plumes and sites.

Educational outreach provides AFCEE the opportunity to educate the public on risk associated with the plumes, the status of cleanup work, how cleanup work is being conducted, and lessons learned about cleaning up MMR contamination after operating treatment systems for several years. It also provides AFCEE an outlet for sharing information learned about the diverse ecosystems on and near the MMR, which have been studied as part of the IRP. Educational outreach is accomplished by visiting schools and civic groups, conducting tours of operating treatment plants, and participating in multipurpose public events such as the Barnstable County Fair and Cape Cod Air Show.

Community Involvement Activities in 2000

• An update of the Community Involvement Plan was completed and released in July 2000. The plan reflects input from numerous community interviews conducted during 1999.
• 48 public and community advisory team meetings were held.
• 3 public hearings were held in neighboring communities.
• 29 posterboard sessions were held in conjunction with community events such as public meetings, the Barnstable County Fair, town meetings, etc.
• 25 site tours were conducted for a variety of interested groups.
• 15 speaking engagements were conducted at places such as schools and other community forums.
• There were 40,000 visits to the IRP web site.
• 60 news releases were issued.
• 10 fact sheets were produced.
• 48 display ads were published in local newspapers to notify the public of important events.
• 20 neighborhood notices were distributed to keep residents informed of fieldwork efforts.
• 7 public comment periods were held to obtain community input on 14 different sites.

Tours and Speaking Engagements

The members of the AFCEE Speakers’ Bureau are available to make presentations and conduct tours for educational forums, civic groups, and the general public. The Speakers’ Bureau consists of specialists who are involved with the AFCEE cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater related to MMR. The interactive presentation topics include:

• A discussion of geology and hydrology
• Public health risk
• An overview of the MMR cleanup history
• The status of AFCEE’s environmental cleanup

Tours of AFCEE cleanup sites and facilities on MMR also are available upon request. The tours can be combined with an on-base briefing similar to the presentation described above.

For more information, please contact Douglas Karson, Community Involvement Specialist at (508) 968-4678
extension 2. Mr. Karson’s e-mail address is doug.karson@ mmr.brooks.af.mil.

The fiscal year (FY) 2000 budget reflects significant progress for the IRP with the largest amount of money being spent on actual cleanup (capital costs).

Administration includes IRP staff and contracted technical and managerial support. It also includes community involvement and administrative record programs.

Studies includes investigations and reports for IRP sites.

Capital Costs includes design and construction of cleanup actions and supporting activities. It also includes alternate water supply projects.

Operation & Maintenance (O&M) / Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) includes operation and maintenance of treatment systems along with performance monitoring and reporting.

There are several ways to obtain copies of information regarding the IRP.

Public Information Repositories & Web Site (www.mmr.org)

The IRP public information repositories and web site allow the public access to the following information:

• Brochures, fact sheets, and other general information
• Maps of the sites and groundwater plumes
• Meeting summaries
• News releases

Where are the IRP Public Information Repositories?

Jonathan Bourne Library
19 Sandwich Road
Bourne, MA 02532
(508) 759-0644

Falmouth Public Library
123 Katharine Lee Bates Road
Falmouth, MA 02540
(508) 457-2555

Sandwich Public Library
142 Main Street
Sandwich, MA 02563
(508) 888-0625

Mashpee Public Library
Steeple Street
Mashpee, MA 02649
(508) 539-1436

U.S. Coast Guard Library
Building 5205, Ent Street
Otis ANGB, MA 02542
(508) 968-6456

Online at http://www.mmr.org

Administrative Record Online at www.mmr.org

The online administrative record allows the public to search and view the following documents:

• Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation reports
• Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study reports
• Technical studies (e.g., a groundwater study)
• Records of Decision/Decision Documents
• Engineering design and construction information

For information on the Superfund process for investigating sites and selecting appropriate cleanup, please refer to page 10 of the Community Guide to the Installation Restoration Program at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (Summer 1998) or to Section 2.5, The Superfund Process, of the Community Involvement Plan Update (final July 2000). These documents are available at the locations described above.

For More Information

For Information on Other MMR Environmental Programs

There are several other environmental initiatives ongoing at MMR sponsored by organizations other than the IRP. For more information on these environmental programs, please contact the MMR Joint Program Office at (508) 968-5824.

administrative record: a collection of documents generated during the investigation of the site that form the basis for selection of a remedial action and are placed in a central location for public review.

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 periodically at an off-site licensed recycling facility.

alum treatment: process of putting liquid alum (aluminum sulfate) into lake/pond water to precipitate to a floc—a very fine, fluffy mass formed by the aggregation of fine suspended particles—that settles through the water column removing fine particles to the sediment and building up a barrier layer to contain soluble phosphorus in the lake/pond sediments.

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.

cleanup: actions for removing contaminants from the environment.

decision document: a document that outlines the rationale and public comment at the site investigation stage leading to the decision that a remedial investigation/feasibility study is not required.

downgradient: the area toward which groundwater flows.

drinking water standards: see maximum contaminant levels.

ecological impacts: potential effects on ecosystems, including threatened and endangered species, habitats, wetlands, surface water bodies, and forested areas.

enforceable milestones: the time limitations to perform certain work (such as drilling monitoring wells), write specific documents (such as work plans), or make definite decisions. The time limits are established under the terms of the FFA.

ethylene dibromide (EDB): an additive in aviation gas to control the buildup of lead in engines.

extraction, treatment, and reinjection (ETR): a system that extracts groundwater, treats it to reduce or eliminate contaminants, and reinjects the treated water into the aquifer.

extraction well: a well where water is pumped out to treat the water and to redirect groundwater movement.

Federal Facility Agreement (FFA): an agreement between EPA and individual federal facilities that establishes a procedural and legal framework for investigating and remediating Superfund sites.

granular activated carbon: a highly adsorbent form of carbon used to remove organic molecules from an air or liquid source. (Carbon has the ability to attract organic molecules and hold them in the pores within the carbon granule.)

groundwater: the supply of fresh water found beneath the earth’s surface, usually in aquifers, which supply wells and springs.

groundwater plume: a body of groundwater containing contaminants exceeding maximum contaminant levels as defined by multiple samples from multiple wells. In the absence of maximum contaminant levels, a risk-based level will be established.

hazardous waste: a waste material that may pose a threat to human health or the environment.

Installation Restoration Program (IRP): the U.S. Department of Defense program implemented at U.S. military bases to identify, investigate, and clean up contamination resulting from past operations.

leading edge: the portion of a groundwater plume that is farthest from the spot where the plume was generated.

maximum contaminant level (MCL): 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.

monitoring well: a well from which water level and water quality data are collected.

no further action: a recommendation made for a site when no unacceptable risk to human health and the environment is found.

non-detect: when a laboratory reports the level of a specific chemical as "ND," it means that the laboratory equipment cannot identify that chemical in the sample. Non-detect does not mean zero; it simply means that the sample does not have any contaminants in it or the concentrations are lower than the laboratory reporting limit (which is the lowest concentration of a specific chemical that the laboratory can accurately measure).

operation and maintenance: 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 waste water will be properly operated and maintained to achieve normative efficiency levels and prescribed effluent limitations in an optimum manner.

performance monitoring: a sampling program that ensures each treatment system is operating as designed.

phosphorus: a nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs widely, especially as phosphates. An essential chemical food element that can contribute to the eutrophication of lakes and other water bodies. Increased phosphorus levels result from discharge of phosphorus-containing materials into surface waters.

piezometers: a small slotted standpipe, usually hand driven into the ground, which is used to measure pore-water pressure, seepage, and groundwater movement. It can also be used to sample near-surface groundwater.

plume: see groundwater plume.

proposed plan (PP): a document that summarizes for the public the preferred remedial alternative for a site and presents the rationale for the preference.

record of decision (ROD): a document presenting the remedial action selected under agreement with the regulatory agencies.

reinjection well: a well where clean water is pumped into the aquifer to replace contaminated water that has been removed.

remedial action (RA): activities conducted to reduce or eliminate the long-term risks to human health or the environment from exposure to contaminants.

remedial alternative: an option outlining a specific design for treatment to be compared and evaluated with other cleanup options.

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, evaluate the risks to human health and the environment, and provide information for identifying and evaluating options for remedial action.

risk: measure of the chance that adverse impacts to life, health, or the environment may occur.

sediments: soil deposited by wind, water, or glaciers.

site investigation (SI): the initial investigation phase at a site or plume, including data analysis to confirm or deny the presence of contamination (and whether further response actions are needed).

Soil Target Cleanup Levels (STCLs): Acceptable levels of substances in soil that are protective of human health and the environment, based on EPA’s risk assessment guidance, with modifications for state guidelines, as appropriate. STCLs are used as a conservative screening tool to guide soil cleanup for several source area sites.

soil vapor extraction: see air sparging and soil vapor extraction.

solvent: a compound, usually a liquid, that dissolves or disperses other substances. TCE and perchloroethylene (PCE) are common solvents used for equipment maintenance and degreasing.

source area: the location where contaminant(s) entered the soil, water, air, or sediment.

Superfund: the program operated under the legislative authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) that funds and carries out the EPA solid waste emergency and long-term removal remedial activities. These activities include establishing the National Priorities List, investigating sites for inclusion on the list, determining their priority level on the list, and conducting and/or supervising the ultimately determined cleanup and other remedial actions.

supplemental remedial investigation: see remedial investigation.

supplemental site investigation: see site investigation.

thermal treatment: a technology by which heat (550°F) is transferred to contaminated soils via rotating screws. Fuels and solvents are reduced to vapor form and passed through a granular activated carbon filter.

treatment: a method, technique, or process designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of contaminated soils and/or groundwater.

trichloroethylene (TCE): a chlorinated solvent used to dissolve or disperse another substance such as oil. TCE was used extensively in the past for cleaning and metal degreasing.

upgradient: the area from which groundwater flows.

volatile organic compound (VOC): any organic compound that evaporates readily to the atmosphere. For example, benzene is a VOC found in gasoline that can be emitted into the atmosphere when gasoline evaporates. VOCs are also used in paints, plastics, solvents, and other products.