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Sites in Reuse in Massachusetts
Army Materials Technology Laboratory (AMTL) Watertown*
AMTL Watertown, better known as the "Arsenal," was established in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1816, and employed 10,000 people at the end of World War II. The site was used for a variety of military- and war-related activities, including weapons and ammunition manufacture and storage. In addition, a research nuclear reactor was used for molecular and atomic structure research activities in the 1960s. In 1987, the Army discovered contamination during a site inspection, and in 1994, EPA added the site to its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. Since that time, sources of contamination have been removed from the site and the nuclear reactor was demolished. The first redevelopment at the site was in 1968 when the town bought 55 acres of the property and built the Arsenal Mall, Harvard Community Health Center, and Arsenal Apartments on a portion of the land. From 1996 to 2005, seven residents of Watertown formed the Watertown Arsenal Development Corporation (WADC), a body responsible for choosing, negotiating with, and overseeing a developer who would create an office park on 30 acres of the land. The parcel was ultimately purchased by Harvard University and includes the Arsenal on the Charles commercial complex, which currently has 39 tenants including retail stores, restaurants, a child care facility, a fitness center, corporate offices, and various other businesses. The Arsenal Center for the Arts is also located within the complex and serves as an important cultural asset to the community with a theater, gallery space, artists’ studios, and other resources and services. The center has been developed with the style and architecture of the original brick buildings in the area. The Commander’s Mansion, a historic landmark occupying a 7.2 acre parcel of the property, is available for meetings and formal functions. The popular Squibnocket Park is located on an 11-acre parcel along the Charles River and provides biking and walking trails, as well as access to the Watertown Yacht Club, a privately-owned marina that has been operating since 1940. The establishment of the Arsenal on the Charles complex has created over 2,000 new jobs in the Watertown community.
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*Facility being closed and redeveloped under the Base Realignment and Closure Act.
Cannon Engineering Corporation
The six-acre Cannon Engineering Corporation (CEC) Superfund site in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, has been cleaned up and redeveloped, thanks to an unusual effort by the town and a local propane distribution business. CEC used the site in the mid- to late-1970s to transport, store, and burn hazardous wastes. Mishandling of the waste and various reporting violations led to the closure of the facility in 1980. In 1982, the state removed contaminated sludge and drums from the site, and, in 1983, EPA added the site to its list of priority hazardous waste sites, the National Priorities List (NPL). In the mid-1990s, Osterman Propane Distribution relocated to the former CEC facility on one of the two property parcels that comprise the site. The details of the relocation agreement were complicated, but the Town of Bridgewater, Osterman, EPA, and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority were able to reach an agreement that benefited the environment by ensuring the continuation of groundwater monitoring, benefited the business by giving it a place to relocate, and benefited the town by keeping the business and the jobs and revenue in the area. In addition to propane storage and distribution, Osterman also sells gas appliances and related equipment and remains in operation at the site today. The second parcel was leased by Omnipoint Communications Enterprises, Inc. in 1998 and redeveloped to support a cellular communication tower. Institutional controls regarding land use and the use of groundwater were implemented at both parcels, and groundwater monitoring is ongoing. In 2010, EPA will conduct a Fourth Five Year Review to evaluate the protectiveness of the cleanup actions undertaken at the site.
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Fort Devens*
The Fort Devens Superfund site, once a military base with extensive contamination, is on its way to becoming the largest redevelopment project in the history of Massachusetts. In 1989, EPA added the site to its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. The closure and thorough cleanup of this former army base has attracted numerous public and private sector employers who recognize the redevelopment potential and have located, or are planning to locate, on this former hazardous waste site. Several federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Defense, are reusing almost 600 acres of the site, while the Fish and Wildlife Service is using another 836 acres to expand a national wildlife refuge. In addition, private redevelopment at the site has brought warehouses and distribution centers, manufacturing and industrial space, and research and development facilities. The successful partnership created between the EPA, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, and the State of Massachusetts, is expected to result in over 2,500 jobs at the site.
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*Facility being closed and redeveloped under the Base Realignment and Closure Act.
Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex*
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will soon take control of the Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex, a former U.S. Army military installation that covers approximately four square miles and includes portions of the towns of Maynard, Stow, Hudson, and Sudbury, Massachusetts. The Annex property is joining the Great Meadow National Wildlife Refuge, located about 20 miles outside Boston. Established in 1942, the Annex served as an ammunition depot, an ordnance test station, a troop training and research area, and a laboratory disposal area. Because portions of the site were found to be contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals, EPA added the site to its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup in 1990. To restore the site and protect natural habitat, the U.S. Army worked with EPA to remove contaminated soil, cover an on-site landfill with a cap, remove underground storage tanks, and monitor ground water. New vegetative growth is already occurring at the site, substantially increasing habitat for regional wildlife.
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*Facility being closed and redeveloped under the Base Realignment and Closure Act.
Industri-Plex
A unique public/private partnership has resulted in plans to redevelop the Industri-Plex Superfund site into a Regional Transportation Center, a major commercial and retail district, and a wetland preserve. The site is located in Woburn, Massachusetts, just 12 miles outside of Boston. From 1853 to 1969, a series of manufacturers at the site produced chemicals, insecticides, munitions, and glue products made from raw and chrome-tanned animal hides. As a result, large waste piles of animal hides remain on the property, along with heavy metals and other hazardous chemicals. In 1983, EPA added the site to its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. After the site was listed, EPA, with concurrence from the State, developed a cleanup plan that includes the construction of several protective covers over portions of the site, allowing the site to be put back into productive use. EPA has entered into several agreements with the new owners of the property that limits their liability in exchange for assistance during the cleanup. Once the redevelopment is complete, over 4,300 jobs are expected, leading to increased spending in the local economy and income and sales tax revenues. The transportation center will also relieve much congestion on several highways leading into Boston, making the lives of many daily commuters much easier.
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Norwood PCBs
The Norwood PCBs site is located along a densely commercial corridor of Route 1 in Norwood, Massachusetts. For close to forty years, the original 26-acre property housed a succession of businesses that manufactured and maintained electrical components, before being subdivided in the mid-1980s. The most contaminated parcel is approximately 9.6 acres in size and was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1983, after EPA detected elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the soil and ground water. The most contaminated soil from the site, as well as sediments from a nearby creek, were excavated and consolidated under an asphalt cap. Less contaminated sites were covered with gravel and the remaining factory infrastructure on the site was demolished. Long-term remedy maintenance continues including annual collection of ground water, surface water and sediment samples. Redevelopment of the site into 56,000 square feet of commercial space was completed in September 2008. The layout of the commercial center was designed to preserve the remedy in place and has increased the thickness of the asphalt cap remedy so that it now exceeds the requirements in the Record of Decision.
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South Weymouth Naval Air Station*
The South Weymouth Naval Air Station in Weymouth, Massachusetts, reportedly burned flammable liquid wastes on site and disposed of small amounts of waste battery acid in a leach field. In 1994, EPA added the site to its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. The base was closed in 1997, and cleanup is underway. Redevelopment plans include construction of a $220 million "mega-mall" at the former base. Developers hope to open the mall in 2002. Hotels, restaurants, office space, elderly housing, a homeless shelter, a golf course, and recreational and open space are also being considered for portions of the site.
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*Facility being closed and redeveloped under the Base Realignment and Closure Act.