Town to Discuss State Hospital Site Cleanup with DCAM, DEP Friday

Medfield Town Administrator Michael Sullivan and members of the State Hospital Environmental Review Committee (SHERC) will meet Friday in Worcester with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to discuss the Immediate Response Action Plan and Phase III Feasibility evaluation for the C&D area of the Medfield State Hospital site.

Sullivan said there had been a delay in the Division of Capital Asset Management’s (DCAM) cleanup of the site because DEP is requiring DCAM issue a review of the alternative solutions for permanently removing oil from the Charles River as part of its Phase III report before it can proceed with the cleanup.

That delay led to Friday’s meeting between DEP, DCAM and the Town of Medfield.

“[This meeting has been scheduled] between the parties of interest prior to authorizing [DCAM] to proceed so we are meeting Friday in Worcester at 1 [p.m.],” Sullivan said.

The only significant change to the Phase III report, according to Sullivan, is DCAM will eventually be removing the oil-contaminated soil from the Charles River but first will be covered with aquablock.

Selectmen chair Osler Peterson said DCAM is expected to use aquablock to cap the contaminated soil within the next year, according to the Phase III document and said it was a “horrible shame and waste of money” to cover it with aquablock for “such a short period of time” because DCAM is expected to permanently remove the oil contaminated soil from the area.

Bill Massaro, Medfield resident and abutter to the state hospital, said the issue Peterson mentioned “will hopefully come up” at Friday’s meeting.

“That’s one of the things we want to talk about,” Massaro said. “We have a fair list of items that we’ve asked for test data and sample results on everything else. [The aquablock] doesn’t seem to be terribly expensive but the real issue becomes how much more difficult does it make the removal if in fact there is other oil around there that is not in the 800 square feet [contaminated area] that they’re capping right now. Do you make things worse six months, eight months or nine months from now when you take that aquablock up?”

Friday’s meeting will focus on the Immediate Response Action Plan (IRA) scope of work and the Phase III Feasibility Evaluation. Here is a look at what is expected to be discussed:

IRA Scope of Work:

• Excavation of C&D area/river bank: Extent and depth, gas line, confirmatory sampling and soil disposal.
• River bank reconstruction: Fill and cap, grading, rip rap, material selection, extent and emplacement and aesthetic concerns.

Phase III Feasibility Evaluation:

• Initial remedial alternatives technology screening: Rationale for scoping.
• Temporary sediment cap: Extent, construction details, preparation, materials and their selection, schedule for construction, maintenance, monitoring and response plan with emergency flood response plan.
• Dredging to achieve permanent solution: Extent, method, schedule/requirements for dredging.
• Additional response actions: Additional excavation, groundwater/surface water monitoring and activity and use limitation.