|
 |
|
| |
Site Type: Long Term/National Priorities List (NPL)  |
OTIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE/CAMP EDWARDS |
 | Click here for interactive map
Get an interactive map. |
|
| Falmouth and Bourne and Sandwich and Mashpee, Massachusetts |
Barnstable County
| Street Address: | OTIS AFB HERBERT RD |
| Zip Code: | 02542 |
Congressional
District(s): |
10 |
| EPA ID #: | MA2570024487 |
| Site ID #: | 0100960 |
| Site Aliases: | DOD/MMR/USAF Sani Landfill, DOD/MMR/Base Landfill, POD/MMR/USAF Sani Landfill, DOD/MMR/Current Fire Training Area, DOD/MMR/Former Firefighting
|
|
| Site Responsibility: | Federal |
| NPL LISTING HISTORY |
| Proposed Date | 07/14/1989 |
| Final Date | 11/21/1989 |
|
Site Description
The Otis Air National Guard Base/Camp Edwards site covers approximately 22,000 acres and is more commonly known as the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). Although the occupants and property boundaries have changed several times since MMR was established in 1935, the primary mission has always been to provide training and housing to Air Force and/or Army units. A review of past and present operations and waste disposal practices identified numerous potentially contaminated areas, including several areas located on the southern portion of MMR. These contaminated areas are the result of historic chemical/fuel spills, fire training activities, landfills, and drainage structures. Additionally, effluent from the former sewage treatment plant was historically discharged into sand beds where it seeped into the groundwater. In 1984, the U.S. Geological Survey detected contaminants in monitoring wells downgradient of this former plant. In 1983 and 1984, the Air Force detected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in on-site monitoring wells near the Base Landfill and a Fire Training Area. Monitoring had also detected VOCs in several hundred private wells (all of which are now on municipal water) and in one town well (which is shut down). The EPA has designated the Sagamore Lens underlying MMR as a sole source aquifer under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Numerous remediation projects addressing both the soil and groundwater contamination at MMR have been implemented since the mid to late 1990's. Approximately 100,000 tons of soil have been treated at MMR, while to date, there are numerous treatment plants in place which treat approximately 18 million gallons a day of contaminated groundwater. All treated groundwater is returned to the aquifer or discharged to surface water.
For more information on this project, see http://www.epa.gov/ne/mmr
There is also another investigation and cleanup program at MMR which is under the authority of Safe Drinking Water Act Administrative Orders. The Army is the lead agency in conducting this program which is know as the Impact Area Groundwater Study Program. This work is separate from the ongoing Superfund work, however it is coordinated within the EPA, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the MMR. For more information, see http://groundwatersprogram.army.mil
Threats and Contaminants
The groundwater is contaminated with VOCs, including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethylene, ethylene dibromide (EDB), carbon tetrachloride, and dichloroethylene. Ethylene dibromide has been found to be upwelling in two separate locations, outside the MMR property boundaries, within cranberry bogs in Mashpee and Falmouth. People could be at risk if they accidentally drink or come into direct contact with contaminated groundwater. Contaminated groundwater could also pose a threat to the environment within several ponds and streams used for recreational purposes. Soil contaminated with heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, PCBs, and petroleum hydrocarbons has been removed in cleanup actions in 2001-2002. Other principle threats such as contaminants in drainage structures and underground storage tanks have been removed thus eliminating potential future sources of groundwater contamination.
Cleanup Approach
This site has been addressed in several stages: initial actions and long-term remedial phases focusing on the multiple groundwater plumes and source areas.
Response Action Status
| Initial Action | In 1986, water lines were installed to private residences affected by groundwater contamination. In 1990, contaminated sediment was pumped from the site and removed. |
| Ashumet Valley Plume | The sources of this groundwater plume have been identified as the former fire training area 1 and the former MMR sewage treatment plant, which discharged treated water to infiltration beds. As a result, a groundwater plume was created which consisted of chlorinated solvents. The Ashumet Valley plume is being remediated by 3 extraction wells which pump a total of 1.73 million gallons per day. This system was installed in 1999 as part of an interim Record of Decision (ROD). As part of system optimization, in 2007, 2 of the 3 existing extraction wells were shut down. A Feasibility Study to develop the final remedial alternative for Ashumet Valley has been developed and includes clean-up alternatives for portions of the plume downgradient of existing extraction wells. A ROD will be issued in early 2009. The Air Force has also addressed impacts from the sewage treatment plant and is monitoring phosphorus levels in Ashumet Pond. To address these impacts, the Air Force has performed alum treatment of Ashumet Pond as well as installing a permeable reactive barrier on the shore of Ashumet Pond to address the phosphorous currently entering the pond from the higher levels of phosphorous contained in the Ashumet Valley plume. |
| Fire Training Area One (FTA-1) | A removal action, which involved excavation and on-site thermal treatment of contaminated soil was completed in September 1997. The thermal desorption system treated a total of 59,900 tons of contaminated soils (approximately 42,500 tons from FTA-1, 13,000 tons from CS-4, 3,600 tons from CS-9, and smaller amounts from FS-2 and FS-25). |
| Storm Drain-5 | In August 1997, 10 extraction wells and a treatment system were installed and this system treated approximately 0.5 million gallons per day of contaminated groundwater to address the northern portion of the plume. In June 1999 and January 2000, 2 recirculating wells and an extraction well were installed to address the southern portion of the SD-5 plume. Due to decreasing concentrations of contaminants in the plume, the northern portion of the extraction system was shut down in August 2003 and the southern portion of the system was shut down in February 2004. A final no action ROD with limited groundwater monitoring was signed in September 2006. Groundwater monitoring is still continuing, and based on montoring results, the monitoring wells which originally were part of the sampling program have been reduced. |
| Fuel Spill One (FS-1) | Source area and groundwater investigations were recently completed and a ROD was signed on May 15, 2000. The selected remedy was groundwater extraction, treatment and surface discharge with long-term monitoring and institutional controls. A pilot groundwater extraction system has been operating at the leading edge of this EDB plume since April 1999. Final (100%) Remedial Design is anticipated in January 2002 with the groundwater extraction system online by September 2002. In October 2002 a fire destroyed the treatment plant, and the entire structure had to be rebuilt. The new system was put into operation in October 2004. As of December 2008, three extraction wells are operating at 515 gallons per minute. |
| Fuel Spill -12(FS-12) | This source area was the result of a now abandoned fuel pipeline leak which was reported to occur in 1972. A removal action was initiated in October 1995 through the installation of an air sparging/soil vapor extraction (AS/SVE) system. This system was shutdown in February 1998 after achieving the soil cleanup goals established.
In August 1997, a groundwater extraction and treatment system was put into operation at FS-12. This system consisted of 26 extraction wells and 19 reinjection wells, and treats approximately 1 million gallons per day. This treatment system was installed as an interim system, and the final Feasibility Study evaluating alternatives will be completed in 2005. A final ROD was signed in September 2006 and selected continued groundwater extraction, treatment, and reinjection. Throughout the years of operation, there have been numerous system optimizations based on a reduced plume volume. As a result, there are currently only 4 extraction wells operating at a pumping rate of 360 gallons per minute. |
| Fuel Spill-28 (FS-28) | Portions of this plume were detected in 1993, and in 1996 groundwater investigations found ethylene dibromide (EDB) to be upwelling in the Coonamessett River, a surface water outside of the base boundary. In a time-critical removal action, an extraction well and a series of shallow wellpoints were installed in October 1997 to address this groundwater contamination and reduce the upwelling of EDB into the river. This system is designed to treat approximately 1 million gallons per day, and the treated water is then discharged to the Coonamessett River through 2 oxygenating bubblers. A ROD selecting continued groundwater extraction, treatment and discharge was finalized in October 2000. An additional leading edge extraction well was added in 2007 to capture a portion of the plume. |
| Fuel Spill-29 (FS-29) | This plume was first detected in 1998 during an investiation of an area outside of the MMR boundary. The detached plume has not been linked to any specific source area, but concentrations of EDB have been detected in this plume above drinking water standards. A ROD was signed in 2000 to design and build an extraction and treatment system to address this groundwater contamination. The FS-29 treatment system went online in September 2006. In Fall 2008, extraction was reduced to one extraction well, 80EW0001, pumping at 200 gpm. An ESD for this plume was finalized in September 2008. |
| Base Landfill One (LF-1) | A landfill cap was completed in 1995. A groundwater extraction and treatment system at the MMR boundary in Bourne, MA was installed as part of an interim ROD in September 1999. This system consists of 5 extraction wells and treats approximately 1 million gallons per day. Monitoring of natural attenuation parameters within the body of the plume and extraction system performance is continuing. A Feasibility Study was conducted in 2006 and a final ROD was issued in September 2007. The ROD recommended the operation of the existing system and construction of a new extraction well on the south side of the plume to address contamination which was bypassing the existing extraction wells. The new extraction well has been constructed and is currently in operation.. |
| Chemical Spill Four (CS-4 | In 1992, the remedy for cleaning up the CS-4 groundwater contamination was selected in a Record of Decision (ROD). The remedy called for a groundwater extraction and treatment system. The system was installed and began operation in late 1993. After another remedial investigation, a new remedy was selected for CS-4 in February 2000. In May 2003, the existing system was turned off because a new design with downgradient extraction wells was to go online in July 2004. In addition, contaminated soil from the CS-4 source area (approximately 13,000 tons) has also been cleaned up through a removal action performed in conjunction with Fire Training Area One (FTA-1) soils (see below). A removal action in the northern portion of the CS-4 source area was conducted in 2001 and removed 5,200 tons of contaminated soil. As of December 2008, three extraction wells in the new groundwater remedy for CS-4 operate at a combined rate of 394 gpm. An ESD for this plume was finalized in September 2008. |
| Chemical Spill 10 (CS-10)/Fuel Spill 24 (FS-24) | In 1996, 15 drainage structures were removed as part of a basewide removal program. In November 1998, a ROD was signed which specified cleanup actions using both soil vapor extraction (SVE) and excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils. In 2001, over 1,500 tons of contaminated soil were excavated and taken off-site for disposal. The SVE system began operation in February 2002, and the system was shut down in 2004.
A groundwater pump and treat system became operational in 1999 which addressed the CS-10 groundwater plume. This system consists of 16 extraction wells and treats approximately 5 million gallons a day. The treated water is returned to the aquifer via a system of reinjection wells and infiltration trenches. This system was installed as an interim measure, and a final Feasibility Study was developed to determine the final remedy for this operable unit. A ROD is planned for the summer of 2009. |
| Chemical Spill-19 | The primary source of contaminants at this site is ordnance and military waste disposal. Monitoring wells installed in the area have detected explosive compounds or RDX in excess of the Health Advisory. A removal action was performed in 2005 to remove the source of contaminants. An Interim ROD was finalized in April 2006 and selected long-term monitoring for RDX while another site, the Central Impact Area which is being addressed in a different program, is being evaluated. A Feasibility Study to address different alternatives to address the CS-19 plume is scheduled to be submitted in early 2009, and a ROD to address the final remedy for this plume is scheduled for September 2009. |
| Chemical Spill-20 (CS-20) | This plume was first detected in 1997 during the FS-28 groundwater investigation. The main constituents in this plume are TCE and PCE, and were thus distinguishable from the adjacent FS-28 plume which primarily consisted of EDB contamination. A ROD was signed in 2000 to design and build an extraction and treatment system to address this groundwater contamination. This system began operations in September 2005, and as of December 2008, is operating at 568 gpm from two extraction wells. Due to problems obtaining access, a leading edge extraction well was not installed as designed. Modelling suggests that the uncaptured portion of the plume will not migrate far. Monitoring and institutional controls are being conducted to track this portion of the plume and prevent exposures to contaminated groundwater. An ESD documenting this change was issued in September 2008. |
| Chemical Spill-21 (CS-21) | This plume was first detected in 1998 during an investigation of an area outside the MMR boundary. The main constituent in this plume is TCE. A ROD was signed in 2000 to design and build an extraction and treatment system to address this groundwater contamination. The CS-20 treatment system went online in July 2004. As of December 2008, four extraction wells are operating at a combined flowrate of 1394 gpm. |
| Chemical Spill-23 (CS-23) | This plume was detected in 2002 and delineated in 2004 during a remedial investigation. An interim groundwater extraction system began operations in 2006. A final ROD was finalized in September 2007. The extraction system consists of two extraction wells which extract the contaminated groundwater and pump it to the Hunter Avenue Treatment Facility, which also accepts contaminated groundwater from the LF-1 plume. |
| Enforcement Highlights | A Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) was signed in 1991 (and subsequently amended in March 2000) governing the Superfund cleanup. Signatories to the FFA include the National Guard Bureau, the Air Force, and EPA. Since May 1996, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) - Installation Restoration Program is currently the lead agent under the terms of the FFA. Five year reviews have been conducted and issued in the following years: 1999, 2004, and 2008. |
Environmental Progress
Installation of water supply lines to numerous residents affected by and/or potentially affected by groundwater contamination has reduced the health threats posed by site contamination. A semi-annual residential well monitoring program is also in-place. In addition, municipal water supply wells have been provided with treatment systems, and over 12 million gallons per day of contaminated groundwater is currently being treated both on and off of MMR. Surface water in Snake Pond is tested annually to ensure the pond is safe to the public. The EPA, in coordination with the Army, Air Force, and the NGB, has determined that the Otis Air National Guard/Camp Edwards site does not pose an immediate threat to the environment or public health while final cleanup activities are being planned.
A Partial Deletion of a total of 61 source area sites that have been investigated and, if needed, remediated was completed and effective on October 26, 2007 (72 FR 60786).
Current Site Status
MMR was placed on NPL in 1989; a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) was signed in 1991 (and subsequently amended in March 2000) governing the Superfund cleanup. Signatories to the FFA include the National Guard Bureau, the Air Force and EPA (Commonwealth of Massachusetts did not sign original FFA, and U.S. Coast Guard was recently removed as a signatory). An Interim Record of Decision (IROD) was signed in September 1995 describing the cleanup decision for seven groundwater plumes; subsequent design issues. Public input required modifications to these cleanup decisions prior to implementation. Final RODs are currently being planned for each of these groundwater plumes.
Twelve groundwater treatment systems are currently in operation on 11 groundwater plumes; combined treatment system rate exceeds 18 million gallons per day. Three recent groundwater RODs call for additional treatment systems on five contaminated plumes; enforceable milestone dates for treatment system start ups are planned for 2005 and 2006. Cleanups at approximately 25 separate source areas have recently been completed. The cleanup included excavation-offsite disposal and soil vapor extraction/biosparging. Site Investigations/Remedial Investigations at several additional source areas are continuing; future disposition of these source areas is uncertain at this time.
Site Photos
Links to Other Site Information
Newsletters & Press Releases:
Federal Register Notices:
Administrative Records:
Reports and Studies:
Decision Documents:
Final Record of Decision for Area of Contamination: Fuel Spill-2, February 7, 2002  | | |
| Final Interim Record of Decision for Groundwater Plume: Chemical Spill-19, July 07, 2006 (7.25 MB)
| | |
| Decision Document for Demolition Area 1 Groundwater Operable Unit, November 1, 2006 (35.8 MB) | | |
| Final Record of Decision for Eastern Briarwood, Western Aquaform, and Storm Drain-5, August 1, 2006 (11.14 MB) | | |
| Final Record of Decision for Fuel Spill-12 Groundwater, September 28, 2006 (24.22 MB) | | |
| Final Record of Decision for Landfill-1 Source Area and Groundwater, September 28, 2007 (10.26 MB) | | |
| Final Record of Decision for Chemical Spill-23 Groundwater, September 28, 2007 (5.37 MB) | | |
| Final Explanation of Significant Differences for Chemical Spill-4, Chemical Spill-20, Chemical Spill-21, Fuel Spill-13, Fuel Spill-28, and Fuel Spill-29 Groundwater Plumes, September 26, 2008 (5.20 MB) | | |
View Records of Decision (RODS) on-line (EPA HQ)  | | |
Other Links:
Site Repositories
Jonathan Bourne Library, 19 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532 (508) 759-0644
Falmouth Public Library, 123 Katherine 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 Common, Mashpee, MA 02469 (508)539-1436
U.S Coast Guard Library, Building 502, Otis ANG Base, MA 02542 (508) 968-6456
Contacts
| EPA Remedial Project Manager: | Lynne Jennings |
| Site Responsibilities: | Otis Team Leader |
| Address: | |
| Phone #: | (617) 918-1210 |
| E-Mail Address: | jennings.lynne@epa.gov |
| |
| EPA Remedial Project Manager #2: | Paul Marchessault |
| Site Responsibilities: | |
| Address: | |
| Phone #: | (617) 918-1388 |
| E-Mail Address: | marchessault.paul@epa.gov |
| |
| EPA Community Involvement Coordinator: | Jim Murphy |
| Address: | |
| Phone #: | (617) 918-1028 |
| E-Mail Address: | murphy.jim@epa.gov |
| |
| State Agency Contact: | Leonard Pinaud |
| Address: | |
| Phone #: | (508) 946-2786 |
| E-Mail Address: | |
| |
| EPA Remedial Project Manager #3 | Bob Lim |
| Address: | |
| Phone #: | (617) 918-1392 |
| E-Mail Address: | lim.robert@epa.gov |
| |
|