Peirce Field Grove Street Site

1
Peirce Field (Grove Street) Site

• Presentation to Special Town Meeting
• February 25, 2004

2
Meeting Goals

• Update Town Meeting on project
• Describe upcoming construction activities and
  schedule
• Discuss additional project issues
• Present Settlement Agreement Amendment
• Obtain Town Meeting Approval for Settlement
  Agreement Amendment

3
Town Involvement

• School Committee ?
• Soccer Field
• Peirce Field
• AHS

• Board of Selectmen ?
• AULs

• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Capital Planning Committee
• Conservation Commission
• Finance Committee

4
Historical Land Uses

• Chromium Facility
• Manufactured Gas Plant
• Cutters Pond
• Arlington High School
• DPW Yard
• Athletic Fields

5
Grove Street Bridge
?
INSERT HISTORICAL PHOTO HERE
December 16, 1913
6
PRPs Based on Historical Land Use

• Honeywell International Inc.
• Massachusetts Electric Company
• KeySpan Energy Delivery New England
• Town of Arlington

7
Shared Commitments

• Public Health
• Safety
• Environment

8
MCP Obligations

• Discovery of contamination triggers obligations
  under the law
• Comprehensive investigation and assessment
• Conservative analysis of risk to human health and
  the environment
• Long-term remedy that protects human health and
  the environment, and complies with the law

9
Investigation Results

• Five years of extensive investigation of soils,
  groundwater, sediments and surface water
• MGP residuals and chromium identified at depth in
  soils at the Site
• Surface soils do not exhibit elevated levels of
  contaminants
• AHS fields safe for current recreational/sport
  uses DPW safe for employees and other current
  uses

10
Insert site map here
11
Upcoming Construction Activities at Peirce Field

• Prepare surface and subsurface
• Install new culvert
• Install protective engineered/direct contact
  barriers
• Install clean utility corridors
• Prepare new surface
• Restore playing fields
• Inspect Fields annually
• Implement long-term OM program

12
Insert rendering of completed AHS fields
13
Upcoming Construction Activities at DPW Yard

• Remove areas of highly impacted soils and dispose
  off-site
• Install clean utility corridors
• Prepare for new pavement installation
• Install new pavement
• Inspect DPW Yard annually
• Implement pavement OM program
• Perform detailed evaluation of remedy every 5
  years and submit to DEP

14
What to Expect During Construction

• Visually
• Equipment and trucks
• Noise
• Traffic

15
Public Safety

• Implement dust and odor control
• Full time air monitoring stations at fence line
• Perimeter fencing to limit access only to
  appropriate workers
• 24-hour site security person

16
Anticipated Construction Schedule

• Spring 2004 Begin DPW Yard work
• June 2004 Begin work in AHS fields
• Late fall/winter 2004 Substantially complete
  cleanup work
• Spring 2005 Complete field restoration
• Fall 2005 Resume athletics on football field
• Spring 2006 Resume athletics on remaining fields

17
2001 Settlement Agreement

• Industrial PRPs to perform cleanup activities up
  to 7.2 M cap
• Costs above 7.2M subject to dispute resolution
  and possible reallocation
• Industrial PRPs to reimburse Town for 67 of the
  cost of recreational improvements on the Soccer
  Field (up to 2.67 M)

18
Towns Responsibilities

• Town accepted design concept for cleanup
• capping in place
• engineered barrier
• DPW Yard Class C RAO
• Approval for Floodplain activities
• Activity and Use Limitations to be recorded on
  field and DPW property

19
New Project Issues

• Current estimates indicate cleanup cost likely
  will exceed 7.2 M
• Culvert beneath Peirce Field needs replacement
• Current municipal fiscal climate makes capital
  investment by Town in Field House/ Hockey Rink
  unlikely in the near term

20
Recommended Settlement Agreement Amendment

• PRPs agree to defer dispute resolution
• Industrial PRPs to pay for majority of
  replacement culvert costs
• Industrial PRPs to provide upfront for
  recreational improvements in lieu of some of the
  future Field House reimbursement

21
Recommended Settlement Agreement Amendment
(continued)

• Additional Field Improvements
• Artificial turf on football field
• Sprinklers on baseball, softball and soccer
  fields
• New home bleachers
• Concession stand and press box
• Baseball field lighting
• Additional parking on Mill Street

22
Recommended Settlement Agreement Amendment
(continued)

• Board of Selectman Support - Obtained
• School Committee Support - Obtained
• Finance Committee Support - Obtained
• Special Town Meeting Approval Vote Needed

23
Benefits of Settlement Amendment

• Allows cleanup to proceed timely
• Allows culvert to be replaced now
• Provides funding at no cost to Town for
  construction of recreational improvements as part
  of cleanup

24
If Settlement Amendment is Not Approved

• Dispute resolution may be triggered at any time
• Culvert will not be replaced repairs will be
  responsibility of Town
• Funding for construction of recreational
  improvements as part of cleanup not available
• Industrial PRPs to reimburse Town for 67 of
  field house/hockey rink on Soccer Field Area, if
  and when constructed

25
Next Steps

• Coordinate construction plan with the Town
• Board of Health, ConCom, Police/Fire, School
  Department, Zoning Board of Appeals, Park
  Recreation, DPW
• Work with contractor to implement construction
  plan with the least disruption to Arlington
• Begin playing field construction June 18, 2004
• Continue public outreach activities

26
Communications

• Industrial PRPs and Town recently met with
  students, teachers, parents and other interested
  people at a series of meetings
• Town to retain Project Coordinator
• Website created to provide information
  www.masselectric.com/grovestreet
• 800 number and e-mail address set up to provide
  public contact points
  1-877-987-2778 grovestreetsite_at_us.ngrid.com