Cleanup Plan

Wellesley College’s three primary goals for the cleanup of the former paint pigment factory site are to protect public health and the environment, clean up the contamination, and bring about a permanent solution so that the land can be safely reused. Upon final approval from DEP, the College will prepare the work site starting in March 2001. Site preparation involves clearing approximately 30 acres of trees and vegetation from uplands and wetlands south of Route 135 and east of Paintshop Pond. A system of pumps and temporary holding dams, silt curtains and sumps, will drain Upper Waban Brook, Paintshop Pond and the wetlands. These preparations will enable earthmoving equipment to excavate an estimated 36,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment from the uplands, the southern end of Paintshop Pond, Upper Waban Brook and the Northern and Southern Wetlands.

Approximately 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil will be treated using chemical reduction – converting hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium (a less toxic and more stable form). At the same time, a "clean pad" consisting of clean soil will be created in a portion of the Northern Wetland at an elevation above the water table. Contaminated soil and sediment will be excavated and consolidated on the "clean pad" platform and capped with a protective cover called an engineered barrier designed to prevent water from entering and contamination from exiting or leaching to the surface or groundwater.

After excavation, the Southern Wetlands will be restored at their current location, backfilling the area with clean soil and wetlands soil, and re-introducing a variety of plants and shrubs. The Northern Wetlands will be largely replaced and enlarged by at least one acre, along the eastern bank of Paintshop Pond. The banks of Upper Waban Brook and Paintshop Pond will be restored and the concrete dam at Paintshop Pond will be repaired. Monitoring will be done to verify cleanup is complete and all cleanup equipment will be removed.

In the spring of 2002, several athletic fields will be constructed on top of the completed containment area, enable the college to reuse the land through an expansion of its athletic facilities. Click here to view a drawing of the completed athletic fields and surrounding wetlands.

Fact Sheet – December 2000

in PDF format: if you don't have Acrobat Reader, click here to get it (free)

Maintained by the Office for Public Information
Last Modified: June 5, 2002
paintshop pond