On Oct. 25, 2018, Acton residents benefited from a crash course on 1,4-Dioxane in Acton’s groundwater and drinking water.
The intervention to divert Nuclear Metal’s 1,4-Dioxane from reaching the public water supply
As discussed in earlier Green Acton posts, there is a plume of 1,4-Dioxane flowing from the Nuclear Metals, Inc. (NMI) Superfund Site, passing under the Assabet River, and impacting the water quality at the Assabet 1 public water supply well. Fortunately, there is a pro-active remediation effort underway to intercept and treat this contaminated water.
How can the NMI dioxane plume go underneath the Assabet River?
One of the more surprising aspects of Acton’s 1,4-dioxane situation is that the contaminant plume coming down from the NMI Superfund site goes underneath the Assabet River and thus reaches the Acton Water District’s Assabet 1 public water supply well.
The 1,4-Dioxane Plume from the NMI Superfund Site
Nuclear Metals, Inc. was a company that made depleted uranium munitions for the Department of Defense at a 46-acre site on Rt. 62 in Concord, just across the Concord–Acton town line. These activities resulted in significant contamination of the soil, sediment, and groundwater, and the site is now part of the federal Superfund program. Of… Continue reading →
1,4-Dioxane
1,4-Dioxane is an organic compound that was widely used as a solvent and stabilizer in industrial applications during the late 20th century.
Green Acton/LWV Event: Panel on 1,4-Dioxane in Acton’s Water
The Green Acton Water Committee and the Acton-area League of Women Voters are sponsoring an educational panel discussion about 1,4-Dioxane in Acton’s water supply.
Water Quality
Acton’s waters contain many materials in them other than pure H2O. Some of these are natural and others are introduced through human processes. This page indexes information about the quality of the groundwater, surface waters, and drinking water of Acton.
Perspectives: 1,4-Dioxane in Acton Water
By Lucy Kirshner A year ago, I passed a neighbor on the street who shared her anxiety. “There is poison in our water!” she began. “It’s 1,4-Dioxane and the town knows, but all they’re doing is diluting it, not removing it.”
2018 Candidates for Acton Water District Board of Commissioners
The Acton Water District is an independent government entity, separate from Acton Town Government. As such, it is led by a Board of Water Commissioners, analogous to the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Acton; both serve as the legislative bodies for their respective entities. The three Water Commissioners are elected officials, who serve… Continue reading →
Acton Water District letter about the EPA plan for Nuclear Metals superfund site
Available as a downloadable PDF file from the AWD here