http://www2.townonline.com/concord/opinion/view.bg?articleid=90547
Roberts: Citizen involvement needed at Starmet Superfund Site
By Mark Roberts Thursday,
September 23, 2004
It has not been in the paper much recently, so you may have forgotten
that one of the nation's worst Superfund sites is located near Acton off
Route 62. The Nuclear Metals, Inc. Superfund Site, is located on a 46-acre
parcel located at 2229 Main St. in West Concord. In 1958, NMI began manufacture
of depleted uranium products, primarily as penetrators for armor piercing
ammunition. They also manufactured metal powders for medical applications,
photocopiers, and specialty metal products, such as beryllium tubing used
in the aerospace industry. From 1958 to 1985, NMI discharged radioactive
and other hazardous waste including depleted uranium, zirconium; magnesium;
beryllium, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and other solvents into an unlined large
pit in the ground. NMI's activities also resulted in burying drums of
radioactive waste in at least two areas and creating a landfill with radioactive
and other hazardous wastes.
On Oct. 1, 1997, NMI was renamed Starmet Corporation. In May 2001, Starmet
transported 1,700 drums containing depleted uranium from its South Carolina
facility to the site, to facilitate its planned sale of that facility.
Starmet also had approximately 2,000 drums and other containers of depleted
uranium and beryllium wastes stored inside buildings at the site.
Starmet was ordered to remove the 3,700 drums of waste material, but could
not comply because of bankruptcy. After negotiations, the U.S. Army has
agreed to fund the removal of the 3,700 drums under the supervision of
the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection.
In June 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency also negotiated an agreement
with five potentially responsible parties including: the U.S.
Army, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Whittaker Corporation, MONY Life Insurance
Co., and Textron, Incorporated, for the performance of an investigation
and cleanup feasibility report costing an estimated $8 million. The site
has been divided into 18 separate areas, each of which will be investigated
and cleaned up. The Concord annual Town Meeting of 2003 passed a resolution
that the site shall be cleaned up for all uses allowable under the current
zoning, including residential. This remedial investigation is just the
first step in a multi-year process which will be required before the NMI
Superfund Site is finally cleaned up.
EPA recognizes that the interests of the public are represented by a citizens'
group, CREW (Citizens Research and Environmental Watch), and the town
of Concord through its 2229 Main St. Advisory Committee. CREW is a volunteer
citizens group, which has been involved actively since 1989 in seeking
a cleanup of the toxic and radioactively contaminated property, working
closely with oversight agencies. Grants from the government and private
foundations have enabled CREW hire consultants to assist the oversight
agencies with cleanup plans. The 2229 Main St. Advisory Committee was
appointed in 2001 to advise the selectmen on issues concerning the Superfund
process after the NMI Site was designated a Superfund Site. The Committee
meets monthly at 141 Keyes Road, Concord.
In December 2003, de maximis, the project coordinator for the non-government
responsible parties, submitted a draft Work Plan, an eight-volume report
which provided the complete detail of the proposed investigation and cleanup
study. In a 70 page report, CREW member professionals and the environmental
consultant, GeoInsight Inc., submitted hundreds of comments to improve
the Plan. The comments involved historic information, the number, type
and location of samples being taken, and provided information showing
that the proposed model of the flow of ground water and radioactive and
hazardous contaminants in ground water was flawed and needed to be revised.
This advice, as well as that of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Mass. Department of Environmental Protection and the
2229 Main St. Committee, was used to amend the plan. There is no question
that the plan to investigate and propose cleanup remedies is substantially
better now thanks to the advice of all the above. EPA and de maximus have
set up an expanded public involvement process with CREW and the 2229 Main
St. Committee by having periodic meetings with them about the technical
aspects of the remedial investigation, so the interests of, and the contributions
from, the public and Concord are heard on a regular basis.
It is only through continued public involvement and oversight that the
Starmet Superfund Site will be cleaned up in a manner consistent with
the goals of the residents of Concord, that the site be cleaned up once
and for all and will not be a permanent blight in town. There are two
things that every Concord resident can do to monitor the investigation
and cleanup. The first is to regularly check the official Web site set
up by de maximus, which will be updated periodically as the investigation/
cleanup goes forward. The Web site address is http://www.nmisite.org.
The second thing you can do is to attend the public meetings held by the
EPA, the next one of which is scheduled for Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the
Concord Town House Hearing Room on Monument Square. The EPA will be discussing
whether emergency removal actions are required to address the buried drums,
holding basin, the waste landfill and/or the facility buildings without
waiting for the completion of the entire remedial investigation/ feasibility
study process that will take years. All residents of Concord are encouraged
to attend to learn what is going to be going on over the next few months,
what health and safety measures are going to implemented to ensure that
the investigation does not release contaminants into the environment,
and to demonstrate to the EPA that Concord takes the Starmet cleanup seriously
and wants this Site cleanup as quickly and completely as possible. Hope
to see you there.
Mark Roberts is a resident of Concord, CREW Member and environmental attorney.
