IRP Cleanup Report Volume 2, Issue 3 October 2001

Installation Restoration Program
IRP Cleanup Report

Volume 2, Issue 3
October 2001

An Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence quarterly newsletter to provide information on the Superfund cleanup at the Massachusetts Military Reservation

Inside this Issue

Ashumet Pond Treatment Update
Storm Drain 5 Groundwater Plume Shrinks
Source Area Update
How to Get More Information
Community Programs and Educational Resources
Join Our Team!
Speakers’ Bureau Program
Speakers’ Bureau Announcement
IRP Update

Landfill 1 (LF-1) Update

In August 1999, AFCEE began operation of the LF-1 groundwater treatment system. AFCEE publishes an annual System Performance and Ecological Impact Monitoring (SPEIM) Report. The 2000 LF-1 SPEIM is summarized below:

Ecosystems: AFCEE samples monitoring wells and seeps to make sure operation of the LF-1 treatment plant does not harm nearby ecosystems.

A seep is a location along the shoreline where fresh groundwater bubbles to the surface, similar to a spring.

Treatment Plant: The operation of the LF-1 treatment plant is meeting the design objective to remove contaminants from the northern and southern portions of the plume before the contaminants can migrate off base.

Red Brook Harbor: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) discovered that (Trichloroethene) TCE in groundwater was discharging to the Red Brook Harbor. However, they concluded that it is unlikely that chemical compounds from the LF-1 plume would be detected in the ocean water of Red Brook Harbor. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) sampled shellfish from Red Brook Harbor in 1997. No plume contaminants were detected.

In 2001, DPH concluded that TCE bioconcentration in shellfish is unlikely to result in exposure levels that would present unusual health concerns for human consumption of shellfish. DPH did resample shellfish as a precautionary measure in September 2001.

Sampling

Figure 1: Sampling is done annually at 3 locations at Red Brook Harbor and 5 locations at Squeteague Harbor. Since 1997, all seep samples at both locations have been non-detect for VOCs. However, in 2001, seep samples from Squeteague Harbor showed trace levels of some COCs.

Ashumet Pond Treatment Update
Preventative Medicine

Figure 2: Workers on this unique vessel injected a mix of alum and sodium aluminate 35 feet beneath the surface of Ashumet Pond. The alum-mix helps fight the effects of a plume of phosphorus that is entering the pond from an old wastewater treatment plant on the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). The plant was closed in 1995. Too much phosphorus can contribute to algae blooms and fish kills.

"Usually an alum-mix is applied on the surface of an entire pond," notes Spence Smith, the AFCEE project manager. "We treated just 28 acres of the 203 acre pond. Targeting only the deep area hasn’t been done before at any pond." Also, the alum-mix injection is the deepest ever accomplished worldwide, according to Smith.

Ashumet Pond
Figure 2: Photo by Jason Clere

"The use of the alum-mix is one part of AFCEE’s commitment to the public to reduce the effects of excessive phosphorus in Ashumet Pond," says Robert Gill, who directs the AFCEE cleanup program on the MMR.

Figure 3: A one of a kind vessel designed specifically for AFCEE was launched in Ashumet Pond in early September. The chemicals injected from the vessel into the pond can reduce algae growth and improve water clarity, fish habitat and the pond’s general ecological health, according to Smith.

"We hope the treatment will stop problems from developing at all or being less severe if they do," says Smith. "It’s a type of preventative medicine."

The results of the short-term monitoring and evaluation of the alum-mix treatment will appear in a future issue of the IRP Cleanup Report.

Ashumet Pond
Figure 3: Photo by Lana Brodziak

Storm Drain 5 Groundwater Plumes Shrink

Groundwater treatment systems have shrunk the boundaries of the Storm Drain 5 (SD-5) North and South groundwater plumes. The sizes of the two groundwater plumes were reduced as a result of pumping contaminated groundwater from the plumes, treating the water to remove the contaminants, and pumping the clean water back into the ground.

The boundaries were updated in Spring 2001 after data gathered in July 2000 went through a detailed review. The previous SD-5 North plume boundary was drawn using data obtained in August 1997 when the treatment system and its aboveground treatment facility were started up. Data collected in May 1999 was used to define the previous SD-5 South plume boundary. Two wells, called recirculating wells, draw in contaminated water, treat it in self-contained underground facilities and recirculate the clean water back into the ground. The recirculating well at Hillside Avenue has operated since June 1999 and the recirculating well at Wheeler Road was operational from June 1999 through December 2000.

Source Area Update

The cleanup of contaminated soil at 27 source areas on MMR in 2001 is proceeding on schedule. All 27 sites have been investigated fully to establish the extent of contamination and many already have been excavated and backfilled with clean native soils.

Asphalt Batching vs. Off-site Disposal

Originally, the soils at many of the sites were to be excavated and cleaned up using a process called cold-mix asphalt batching. However, AFCEE, in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have recommended that hauling these soils off-base for disposal was the best remedy.

With this change in the preferred remedy, an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) for the source area sites will be published in late 2001. The ESD will explain the rationale for switching from cold-mix asphalt batching of soils to off-base disposal and also changing certain permissible soil contaminant levels at MMR. The public will have a chance to comment on the ESD during a formal public comment period, which is scheduled for late 2001/early 2002.

Current Status

To date, over 14,000 tons of contaminated soils have been excavated, with another 10,000 to be excavated. Almost 1,000 tons of soil already has been taken off-base for disposal because those particular soils did not meet the initial criteria for cold-mix asphalt batching. The remaining 23,000 tons were to be cold-mix asphalt batched; however, these soils are now proposed for off-base disposal at a permitted disposal facility.

Soils at three source areas, encompassing 7 total sites, are being treated by soil vapor extraction and biosparging systems. These sites include Firefighter Training Area 2 (FTA-2)/Landfill 2 (LF-2), Petroleum Fuel Storage Area (PFSA)/Fuel Spill 10 (FS-10)/FS-11 and Chemical Spill 10 (CS-10) Detail C.

Construction of the FTA-2/LF-2 SVE system

Figure 5: Construction of the FTA-2/LF-2 SVE system. The trench will hold a pipe that will carry contaminants to a central treatment facility.

When soil remediation is completed at these 27 sites in 2002, only a few source areas will remain to be addressed. Many of these remaining sites are already in the formal study process (see Figure 6 below).

For example, CS-8 (CG) and CS-22 will be undergoing an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) in early 2002. An EE/CA is an expedited Superfund process for identifying and evaluating cleanup alternatives for a site. The formal public comment period for the CS-4 EE/CA has been completed and AFCEE will now proceed with the recommended alternative, which is soil excavation with off-base disposal.

Figure 6: Note – Only 25 sites are listed as "Cleanup in Progress", since 2 sites were closed out as "No Further Action" after sampling showed no contamination at the site above regulatory limits.

Several other source areas had Decision Documents (DD) leading to no further action in 2001. They included CS-15 and FS-27. A DD outlines the rationale leading to the decision that a remedial investigation/feasibility study is not required. For 2002, the Coal Yard 1/Coal Yard 3 (CY-1/CY-3) site is scheduled to have a DD leading to no further action, as well.

How to Get More Information

There are several ways to obtain copies of Information regarding the Installation Restoration Program.

Public Information Repositories/Web Site

The Public Information Repositories give 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 Rd 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
On-line at http://www.mmr.org

Administrative Record Online www.mmr.org

Allows the public to search and view the following documents:

Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation reports
Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study reports
Technical studies
Records of Decision/Decision Documents
Engineering design and construction information

Community Programs and Educational Resources

The Community Programs and Educational Resources web page has been added to the IRP web site. It is available as a resource for educational groups, citizen organizations, and the general public. The web site provides the following information about community programs:

Installation Restoration Program Overview
Speaking Engagements and Tours
Residential Well Sampling Program
Real Estate Information
Crossword Puzzle
Environmental Education Resources Bibliography
Site Mailing List

For more information, please visit the web site at www.mmr.org/community/index.htm or contact Doug Karson at 508-968-4678 x 2. We welcome your comments at webmaster@mmr.org.

Join Our Team!

The Plume Cleanup Team (PCT) is recruiting new members. The PCT was formed in July 2001 by integrating members of the Public Information Team (PIT), Joint Process Action Team (JPAT), and Long Range Water Supply Team (LRWS).

The team provides technical and community involvement advice on the cleanup of contaminants The PCT meets regularly, on the second Wednesday evening of each month at various locations on and around the MMR.

As an active PCT member, you can provide advice on IRP investigations and cleanup decisions, evaluate the performance of treatment systems, and develop approaches to keep the public informed and involved.

If you would like to become an active member of the PCT, please contact Doug Karson, Community Involvement Specialist at 508-968-4678 x 2.

Speakers’ Bureau

In 1992, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) developed a Speakers’ Bureau Program for educational groups, citizen organizations, and the general public. The Speakers' Bureau consists of specialists from the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) who are involved with the cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater at the base.

The Speakers’ Bureau is an educational resource to consider when discussing environmental subjects, such as ecology, groundwater contamination, and geology. AFCEE can provide a hands-on presentation including a discussion of geology and hydrology, a discussion of public health risk, and an overview of the history and current status of the IRP environmental cleanup program.

AFCEE can work with you to develop an interactive presentation tailored to the needs and interests of your group. The Speakers’ Bureau has addressed the Cape Cod Community College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, local high schools, DEP, EPA, United States Geological Survey (USGS), community, civic, professional, and realtor groups.

Typically, the presenters use a tabletop groundwater model to demonstrate how AFCEE is cleaning up contaminated groundwater at the MMR. Several layers of soil are visible in the clear plexiglas model. Water colored with red dye is inserted into the soil to simulate groundwater contamination.

AFCEE speaking engagement

Figure 7: AFCEE speaking engagement at Wheaton College. Doug Karson, Community Involvement Specialist, Mike Goydas, Technical Service Manager, and Dan Miller, Geologist, use the groundwater model to simulate plume cleanup.

The audience can watch the colored water form an underground plume flowing through the groundwater model. They'll see the moving plume intercepted by an extraction well and then pumped to a small activated carbon filter next to the model. This filter extracts the colored dye from the water. Finally, the audience sees clear, clean, filtered water being pumped back into the groundwater. This is a small-scale version of the program’s 12 million-gallon-per-day cleanup systems.

AFCEE speaking engagement

Figure 8: AFCEE speaking engagement at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. Doug Karson, AFCEE Community Involvement Specialist, and Robert Gill, AFCEE Program Manager, give a presentation.

Tours of AFCEE cleanup sites and facilities off the MMR also are available upon request. The tours can be combined with a briefing, similar to the presentation described above.

For more information, please see the Speakers’ Bureau public announcement below or contact Frank Adinolfi, Community Involvement Specialist at (508) 968-4670 x 5983; or email frank.adinolfi@mmr.brooks.af.mil.

AFCEE Speakers Bureau

Installation Restoration Program Update

The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) is the agency responsible for the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR).

The IRP is the program to clean up groundwater plumes and restore the groundwater aquifer. The third quarter cleanup report contains articles highlighting ongoing cleanup activities, community involvement efforts, and recent developments in the IRP.

More information can be found at the IRP web site, www.mmr.org or by calling Doug Karson, IRP Community Involvement Specialist at 508-968-4678, x 2.