The Massachusetts Military Reservation Problem
June 19, 2001
Eleven toxic waste plumes continue to stretch outward from
their points of origin on the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which
consists of 22,000 acres, preying on the health and security of nearby
residents and stealing from the Upper Cape's water supply. The Upper Cape
water supply is in jeopardy, and if nothing is done, demand for water will
outstrip supply by the year 2020. The cleanup of the Massachusetts
Military Reservation on Cape Cod has been a $165 million failure.
Of the $165 million spent on the cleanup so far, only 25 percent has been
spent on actual cleanup - the rest has been consumed by studies. And despite
some efforts to stop the pollution, military tenants are still polluting
the base. Although more than $165 million has been supposedly
spent on the cleanup, plumes continue to spread, clean water continues
to be destroyed at a 3 million-gallons-a-day, chemical carcinogens continue
to surface, wells continue to be shut down, residentet fuel additive, and
is a probable carcinogens continue to get sick, and property values continue
to decline. The discovery of EDB or Ethylene dibromide in the water sources
in Hatchville is becoming a large problem. EDB was used as a jet
fuel additive, and is a probable carcinogen. Ever since EDB was discovered
in a working bog after harvest in early October of 1992, military contractors
have been testing private wells in the neighborhood every two weeks and
providing bottled water to nearby residents. Currently, 30 to 40
homes are being regularly tested. Although officials say that EDB
does not pose an immediate health risk locals are concerned. And while
studies do not conclusively link base plumes to higher cancer rates on
the Upper Cape, the state Department of Public Health found in 1995 that
total cancers in Hatchville were 60 percent above the state average.
Newspaper
article on EDB
Maps
that show source areas on Cape Cod
Massachusetts Military
Reservation web page
Other
web sites related to this topic
Old jet fuel, found last year in a
test well at the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod, burns
atop a glass of water, illustrating the threat to Cape Cod's underground
aquifer.
http://www.epa.gov/region01/mmr/index.html
These unexploded mortar shells were discovered on the
Massachusetts Military Reservation, and are one of the many things contributing
to the pollution of the base.
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