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Acronymns

CMR – Code of Massachusetts Regulations
COC – Contaminants of Concern
CrIII – Trivalent Chromium
CRVI – Hexavalent Chromium
CSA – Comprehensive Site Assessment
cy – cubic yards
EIR – Environmental Impact Report
ELCR – Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk
ENF – Environmental Notification Form
EOEA – Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
HEFA – Health and Educational Facilities Authority
HI – Hazard Index
HQ – Hazard Quotient
MADEP – Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
MCP – Massachusetts Contingency Plan
MEP – Multiple Extraction Procedure
MEPA – Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act
mg/kg – milligrams per kilograms
mg/l – milligrams per liter
MGL – Massachusetts General Law
MHC – Massachusetts Historic Commission
Pb - lead
ppb – parts per billion
ppm – parts per million
RAP – Remedial Action Plan
RIP – Remedy Implementation Plan
SPLP – Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure
TCLP – Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
UCL – Upper Concentration Level
USACE – United States Army Corps of Engineers
ug/L – micrograms per liter, which is equivalent to parts per billion (ppb)

Glossary

Bank
The portion of the land between the low water and high water elevations, that confines a pond or stream.

Berm
A narrow shelf of dirt, or ledge typically at the top or bottom of a slope.

Bordering Vegetated Wetland
The area characterized by a wetland plant community and wetland hydrology, adjacent to a pond or stream.

Bordering Land Subject to Flooding
The 100-year floodplain bordering a pond, lake or stream.

Chemical reduction/stabilization
In this case, a process used to chemically convert hexavalent chromium (the more toxic and mobile form) to trivalent chromium, which is more stable and less mobile in the environment, thus reducing the potential for harm to human health and the environment.

Clean pad
The excavated area in the Northern Wetland that will be back-filled with clean soil, and serve as a platform on which contaminated soil and sediment will be consolidated and capped with an engineered barrier.

Cleanup
measures regulated by federal, state and local authorities to decrease or eliminate contamination that could affect public health and/or the environment.

Contamination
Undesired (e.g., hazardous) material that is deposited on the surface of or mixed with another material such as water, air, soil.

Dewatering
Use of a system of pumps, pipes and temporary holding dams to drain or divert waterways or wetlands before excavation of soils and sediments can occur.

Dose
Refers to the amount of contaminant that is actually absorbed by the human body.

Ecological Risk Assessment
An assessment to evaluate environmental conditions and to determine appropriate remedial end-points to eliminate significant risks.

Engineered Barrier
A protective cover consisting of several layers of clean soil and a layer of high-density polyethylene that is placed over the contaminated materials. It is designed to (1) prevent water from entering and leaching contamination into groundwater, and (2) prevent human or wildlife contact with the contaminated materials.

Environmental Monitoring
Sampling of environment (air, water, soil, vegetation, animals) that is compared with baseline samples to see if any changes have occurred.

Excavation
The process of digging, cutting or scooping, and removing of material.

Exposure
Refers to the amount of contaminant that reaches an object’s surface in a given time period.

Groundwater
Water in the part of the ground that is wholly saturated.

Human Health Risk Assessment
An evaluation, using MADEP procedures under the MCP, to estimate the contaminants’ potential for significant risk to human health.

Impact
The risk or potential risk/problems associated with a contaminated site or a proposed remedy.

Land Under Water
The area below the annual low water elevation of a pond or perennial stream

Leaching
Extraction of contaminants from soil or sediment as water passes through the soil or sediment.

Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP)
Regulations administered by MADEP to streamline and accelerate the assessment and cleanup of hazardous material releases to the environment. The MCP outlines requirements for investigation and cleanup in five phases.

Phase I - Initial Evaluation of Site Conditions and Interim Remediation
Initial evaluation of the site provides baseline information to define the area, and assesses the need for short-term remedial measures while the evaluation of the site proceeds.
Phase II – Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA)
Characterizes the type and extent of hazardous material, and estimates the risk to human health and the environment.
Phase III – Identification, Evaluation and Selection of Comprehensive Remedial Action Alternatives
The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) presents cleanup alternatives to address identified site risks, including the "no action" alternative, a comparison of the alternatives, and a detailed rationale for the preferred alternative.
Phase IV – Implementation of the Selected Remedial Action Alternative
The Remedial Implementation Plan (RIP) contains requirements for the design, construction and implementation of the cleanup, including documentation that all workers will have appropriate training and supervision, and that all federal, state and local permits and approvals have been secured.
Phase V – Operation, Maintenance, and/or Monitoring
At the end of cleanup, Phase V requires that the site be maintained and/or monitored at regular intervals until the Response Action Outcome has been achieved.

Mitigation
Measures taken to alleviate or make less severe.

No Action Alternative
Under the "no action" alternative - a typical part of an alternative evaluation - no additional remedial actions would be conducted and the site would remain in its current condition.

Preferred Alternative
The alternative selected from a comprehensive evaluation of all alternatives.

Remediation
The act of remedying or mitigating risks identified for purposes of cleaning up a contaminated site.

Response Action Outcome
A classification given to a site under the MCP to designate the level to which significant risks or substantial hazards have been mitigated at the conclusion of remedial actions (e.g. Class A-1, Class A-2, Class C, etc.).

Risk
The possibility or probabilities of causing harm under certain exposure conditions.

Riverfront Area
The land within 200 feet of the annual high water elevation of a perennial stream.

Site Investigation
A survey of the type, and extent of contamination present, and an estimate of its impact on human health and the environment.

Upland
Dry land located at an elevation above wetlands or waterways.

Wetland/Wetland Resource Area
As defined by the Wetlands Protection Act.

Questions and Answers

We recognize that members of the College community will have questions about how the cleanup will affect life on campus. Below are answers to some of the questions you may have about the cleanup.

What areas of the campus are affected by the cleanup?
The 16-acre former paint factory site is located on undeveloped land and largely unused in the northwest corner of the campus. The College's cleanup is focused on: Paintshop Pond; Upper Waban Brook; the northwest corner of Lake Waban; the northern and southern wetlands, and the uplands immediately south of Route 135. The cleanup will involve excavating contaminated soil and sediment from the uplands, wetlands, Upper Waban Brook and Paintshop Pond.

To begin cleanup, it will be necessary to clear trees and vegetation from a 30-acre area south of Route 135, east of Paintshop Pond and northwest of Lake Waban. This work is necessary to gain access to contaminated areas and to create an area of clean soil (referred to as a "clean pad") that is an important part of the cleanup plan. Some students have raised questions about the impact of the clearing and cleanup on animals currently living in the area. We expect that most of the animals living in the area will leave and relocate once the clearing begins. The clearing will be conducted in stages, giving the animals the chance to move, and efforts will be made to minimize the loss of animal life during clearing and construction. People also have raised concerns about the visual impact the cleanup will create. During the cleanup, of course, the area will be a construction zone with large pieces of equipment in operation. Once cleanup is completed, the College will re-vegetate the area to make it aesthetically pleasing, consistent with the principles of Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. that guide the landscape at the College.

What is the College cleaning up?
The College is cleaning up high levels of metals - including lead, trivalent chromium, hexavalent chromium and arsenic, which were contained in paint pigments found in the soil and sediment of the former paint factory site. Our goal in the cleanup is to remove the contaminants from any potential contact by humans or wildlife, thereby minimizing potential risks to human health and the environment.

When will work begin? How long will it take?
If we receive regulatory approval in a timely fashion, we expect to start site work some time in March 2001. The entire cleanup is expected to take approximately 14 months, start to finish.

Am I at risk while the College is undertaking the cleanup?
No. During the cleanup, a number of safety measures will be taken to ensure the protection of students, staff and faculty. First, the project area will be fenced off to prevent anyone from entering the site. Additional erosion and dust control measures will be taken to protect any possible exposure outside the fence line. We also will implement an extensive, "real time" air monitoring program to verify that any dust-borne contamination is well below any level that might pose a concern to students, staff and faculty - including those who are engaged in outdoor activities or sports. Monitoring stations will be posted at the fence line of the site work. Health-protective action levels for the site have been established that are much lower than the levels that could cause health impacts. Should these action levels be exceeded at the fence line, additional dust control measures will be undertaken. In the unlikely event that these control measures are not effective, work will be stopped until the situation is rectified.

In addition, fixed monitoring stations will be installed and operated continuously at the Distribution Center, the soccer field and the Oval tennis courts. These stations will enable us to make sure that levels in these locations are always below the protective levels. Finally, three portable monitoring stations will also operate each day, with their locations adjusted as the wind direction changes.

What about noise from the project?
Although the project area is at the far western edge of campus, there may be some noticeable noise from the operation of construction equipment. The College is committed to strict compliance with the Town of Wellesley’s noise ordinance, which forbids construction work before 7 AM or after 7 PM, Monday-Saturday, and any work on Sunday.

Will areas of the campus be off-limits during the construction?
Yes. Several areas will be affected; some throughout the project and others at different points in time. Before March, for example, portions of Lake Waban and the walking path will be placed off-limits, with fencing erected and signs posted. This area will be off-limits throughout the 14-month duration of the project. During this period, portions of the walking and jogging path will be similarly affected. Other areas impacted include the tennis courts near the Distribution Center along Route 135, which will be closed from June 1 through the remainder of the project. Our plan is to have the Oval tennis courts remain open throughout the project, with a dust monitoring station located there to ensure safety. In addition, the Distribution Center will remain open throughout the project, with an air monitoring station installed to ensure that construction does not pose any impact to people using this area. This monitoring information will be made available to all those interested. Parking may also be impacted during points in the project and we are carefully studying possible impacts, to minimize any disruption.

Will the athletic fields be usable during construction?
During the first week of construction, we will not use the recreational areas in the vicinity of the cleanup, to enable us to ensure that air monitoring levels are met and to verify our monitoring procedures. After that first week, the areas will be available for regular use. The college is planning a full schedule of athletic and recreational activities on the fields throughout the project. Continuous air monitoring will be conducted to ensure the safety of all participants.

Maintained by the Office for Public Information
Date Created: June 26, 2001
Last Modified: July 20, 2001
paintshop pond