Final Treatment System Operational
The Final Treatment System for Groundwater has been in operation since April 2, 2019. More photos of the system can be found in GW NTCRA Progress Photos.
The Final Treatment System for Groundwater has been in operation since April 2, 2019. More photos of the system can be found in GW NTCRA Progress Photos.
Visit GW NTCRA Progress Photos for more photo updates.
To date, the Groundwater Treatment System building has been completely erected and minor interior work continues. During the coming weeks, it is anticipated that the electrical and plumbing services will be completed, finishing the construction phase of the building.
Concurrent with completion of the building, work has begun to install and assemble the treatment system. The system will be constructed as designed in the 100% Removal Design-Treatment System, approved by the EPA on December 12, 2018. This system will include a metals pre-treatment process prior to treating the groundwater through the Vanox™ Advanced Oxidation Process. This final step in the treatment process is a destructive technology, and it is anticipated that 1,4-dioxane will be treated to nearly non-detectable concentrations.
The Temporary Groundwater Treatment System continues operations. The Demonstration of Compliance Report through September 2018 can be found here.
Installation of the Treatment System is anticipated to last through February, 2019.
During the treatment system design process, the Temporary Groundwater Treatment System has been operating since May 2017. Continued hydraulic monitoring and routine sampling of the system and surrounding groundwater monitoring wells indicate the system continues to achieve the three performance objectives required by design: maintaining a hydraulic capture zone, decreasing concentrations of 1,4-dioxane in groundwater, and maintaining acceptable treatment system effluent concentrations. The Demonstration of Compliance Report through June 2018 can be found here.
Work during the spring and summer of 2018 has been focused on completing the final design of the permanent treatment system and continued operations of the Temporary Groundwater Treatment system.
A site specific treatability study was completed in 2017 to identify the best ex-situ treatment option for the 1,4-dioxane and VOCs in the groundwater plume. Based on this study, an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) was selected as the most effective treatment option due to its ability to degrade 1,4-dioxane. A 100% Design Report for the system was submitted to the EPA in July 2018. Construction of the Treatment Building began in September and the final treatment system is expected to be installed and operational before the end of 2018.
Since May 23, 2017, a temporary groundwater treatment system has been operating as part of the NMI Superfund Site Non-Time-Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) for Groundwater. This treatment system is designed to extract groundwater and create a zone of hydraulic containment to minimize movement of 1,4-dioxane. This temporary system has been implemented to operate during the design phase of the permanent treatment system. Hydraulic monitoring and analytical results indicate that performance objectives for the temporary treatment system are being achieved, as supported by the data included in the December 2017 Demonstration of Compliance Report, submitted to EPA on January 10, 2018.
USEPA will host a Public Information Meeting for Nuclear Metals, Inc. Superfund site on Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held at Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street Room 204, Acton, MA. If you have any questions or special needs, please contact Sarah White, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at 617-918-1026 or white.sarah@epa.gov. The latest site update can be accessed here.
ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com recently published an article about the clean up of Starmet Corporation’sĀ contaminated buildings as part of the NMI NTCRA. Find the 22FEB17 published article link here or download this pdf.
The work under the Building NTCRA is now substantially complete with all demolition and off-site disposal of building debris finished. Placement of a liner cover over the demolished building sites to prevent rainwater infiltration prior to the start of the final remedial action is also complete, as shown in the August 2016 aerial photo. An updated photo log for July and August 2016 demolition activities can be found here. More photos on building demolition can be found on NTCRA Progress.
Demolition of Building A, the final building structure to be demolished, began last week and is approximately 50% complete. Building E demolition is complete and placement of liner over the slab is nearly complete. For a summer demolition update, seeĀ Demo Progress 24JUN – 7 JUL 2016.
Buildings B, B4, C and D have been completely demolished. The liner has been placed over the former Building D location and demolition continues towards the south end of Building C. The demolition crews have removed about half of Building E and are continuing demolition this week. Building A will be the final building removed. For more photos on demolition, see NTCRA Progress.
Last updated on October 7, 2016