The Acton Memorial Library maintains a public repository of documents about the WR Grace Site. These documents, dating back to the 1970’s, can be found on the second floor, in the oldest portion of the library. (Please ask at the reference desk, if you need assistance.) WR Grace documents are also available for public review at the Acton Health Department in Acton Town Hall.
Many of the documents before 1997 concern the identification and cleanup of contaminated sludge and soil from onsite lagoons and other disposal areas. More recent documents focus on the groundwater contamination that extends beyond the borders of the WR Grace property, reaching both the Assabet River to the south and three public water supply wells to the northeast. (The Acton Water District treats the public water supply to meet all applicable water quality standards.)
If you are interested in further information about the WR Grace site, the August 30, 2002 Remedial Investigation Report (RI) is a good place to start. The text in Volume I provides an overview of the site. (Section 3 of the text provides details on the contaminants, including a more extensive list than the usually cited benzene, VDC, and vinyl chloride.) The figures include cross sections of the benzene, VDC, and vinyl chloride plumes, and the distribution of inorganic compounds in groundwater onsite. Large site maps (24” X 36”) are also included in this and many other WR Grace reports. Appendix B (in Volume II of the RI), lists the contaminants that exceed standards in two ways—by chemical name, and by sampling location.
**** Draft Phase II, Remedial Investigation Report, for the WR Grace Site, Acton, MA, Aug. 30, 2002, by GeoTrans, (In Volume I: See the text, especially Sections 1 through 3; In Volume II: See Appendix B)****
According to the current site schedule, WR Grace will submit the following critical documents during Spring 2004. These documents will be available for public review in the public repository at the library.
1. Public Health Risk Assessment
2. Ecological Risk Assessment
The two risk assessments will determine which areas of the site will require remediation (cleanup).
3. RI/FS: Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study: The Feasibility Study will assess different technologies and approaches to remediate the site and will propose a cleanup strategy. Public comment is welcome.