The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a community/stakeholder information session, about the status and future of the WR Grace (WRG) Superfund site, for February 3 at 7pm. This post provides some background and links to further information to help area residents formulate their questions and comments about the status of the clean-up, what zoning… Continue reading →
Meeting about Reuse of the W.R. Grace Site set for February 3
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled an informational meeting to update the community about the status of the WR Grace Superfund site and discuss possible future reuses of the Acton portion of the site.
Encouraging Response from EPA Region 1 on WR Grace Superfund Site
On October 22, 2019 Green Acton Director Kim Kastens visited the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, DC with a delegation from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. At this meeting, Green Acton’s request was that the Record of Decision (ROD) for the WR Grace Superfund site be reopened and 1,4-dioxane be… Continue reading →
Perspectives: Making the Case for 1,4-Dioxane Remediation at EPA Headquarters in D.C
By Kim Kastens This story begins on a sleepy Sunday afternoon in September 2019. I sort of wanted to go out to hear a talk, but I also sort of wanted to stay home and relax. But I had announced the talk by email in my role as Green Acton Water Committee Chair, and Green… Continue reading →
Green Acton Statement to EPA about 1,4-Dioxane at WR Grace
On October 22, 2019, Kim Kastens, a Green Acton Director and Chair of the Water Committee, traveled to the Headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC to make a request about remediation of 1,4-dioxane at the WR Grace Superfund site. The trip was in association with the Center for Health, Environment and Justice,… Continue reading →
Summary of Fifth WR Grace Five-Year Review
Overview: The Environmental Protection Agency has released a new Five-Year Review (FYR) Report on the WR Grace (WRG) Superfund site, a former industrial site that straddles the town line between Acton and Concord. The purpose of a five-year review is to evaluate how well a clean up plan (“remedy”) is working to be protective of… Continue reading →
Acton’s Health Department and Water Quality
Water is essential to life, and thus to health. Here in Acton, the Town Health Department oversees many water-related activities and entities. It attends to public and private wells, swimming pools, and the NARA Pond swimming beach, potential sources of groundwater contamination (including septic systems, underground storage tanks, and two Superfund sites), and potential sources… Continue reading →
Lack of Progress on Remediation of 1,4-Dioxane at WR Grace Superfund Site
The previous post described the recent progress that has been made in reducing the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the WR Grace Superfund Site by extracting and treating the groundwater, as called for in the 2005 Record of Decision (ROD). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for 1,4-Dioxane.
Progress on Remediation of VOCs at WR Grace Superfund Site
Since 1985, groundwater at the WR Grace Superfund Site in southeast Acton has been extracted and treated for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Data from the 2018 annual monitoring report suggest that this remediation is making progress.
Green Acton Provides Stakeholder Input for WR Grace Superfund Site Five-year Review
As part of its regular schedule of every-five-years reviews of each active Superfund site, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks input from affected communities. The WR Grace site is up for review this year, and EPA sought input from Green Acton, the Acton Water District, and the Town of Acton Health Department.