NEWS RELEASE 99-4 Comment Period Suspended on SD-5 South Plume; Public Hearing Postponed Massachusetts Military reservation, CAPE COD – The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE), in consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (MADEP), announced today it has suspended the public comment period on the Storm Drain 5 (SD-5) South groundwater plume project. In addition, a public hearing that was scheduled on the project for 7 p.m., January 20th, at Christ the King Parish, Mashpee, has been postponed. Concerns were raised by the public, USEPA and MADEP regarding a new area of trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater detected several months ago that has been shown to be upwelling in Johns Pond, separate from the SD-5 South plume. There were many questions about the extent of the TCE contamination and whether there were possible risks to public health and the environment from the TCE found in Johns Pond. AFCEE Project Manager Jim Snyder stated "the current design and schedule for the SD-5 South treatment system was developed before the presence of the TCE Plume was known and does not address it. We need to more fully define the extent of the TCE Plume and its source if possible. We need to modify our approach for the SD-5 South treatment systems to consider this new area of groundwater contamination," he stated. The scheduled start-up date for treatment wells for the SD-5 South Plume is still scheduled for June 22, 1999. The TCE has been traced in groundwater to the eastern shore of Ashumet Pond and a plume is being characterized. The plume is 75 feet wide, about 45 feet thick within groundwater, and 20 feet below the water table. The highest concentration of TCE in groundwater is 1,502 parts per billion (ppb) near Johns Pond. TCE up to 263 ppb in groundwater has been detected near the Ashumet Pond shore. Residences in the immediate area are on municipal water and their water supplies are safe. AFCEE will proceed with a new public comment period, meeting and hearing on the Storm Drain 5 South Plume once the TCE Plume is better defined and questions and concerns are addressed. Information on future events will be provided once they are known. All comment letters that have already been submitted will be included in the official record, and the Responsiveness Summary will be issued after the close of the new comment period. For more information please call Douglas Karson, Community Involvement Specialist, (508) 968-4678, ext. 2.
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