BRUNSWICK

Two proposed recreation projects in early stages of fundraising and development are awaiting the conveyance of Brunswick Landing property eyed for development.

A proposed multi-use sports arena and outdoor pool are planned for separate parcels of land adjacent to the Brunswick Recreation Center, but the properties are still undergoing testing and cleanup by the Navy, in conjunction with environmental agencies, after chemical contaminants were found in the soil and groundwater.

The land will not be conveyed to the town until the Navy has completed its testing and remedial action is taken so the site does not pose a danger to human health or the environment.

Thousands of tons of soil have already been removed from the site, known as site 9, which once housed the base’s waste incinerator. Once the site no longer shows contaminants exceeding environmental standards, it will be conveyed to the town. The projected timeline for the turn over is by 2019, according to officials.

Chemicals at issue

Paul Burgio, the Philadelphia-based environmental coordinator for the base realignment and closure program for the Navy, said testing of the soil and groundwater at the site revealed chemical contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, metals, and radiological items. Minor exceedances of PAHs have been found in the soil, and the groundwater contained levels of vinyl chloride above Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Vinyl chloride is a colorless, flammable gas used to make a variety of plastic products, including PVC pipes, wire coating, and plastic kitchen ware, and is a common contaminant found near landfills, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Maine Department of Environmental Protection Agency Project Manager Iver McLeod said PAHs are a class of chemicals that refer to about 100 chemicals, and each has its own maximum allowed level as determined by environmental regulatory bodies. According to Burgio, there are three common PAHs found in the soil at the site — Benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(a)anthraceme and Benzo(a)fluoranthene.

The Navy works closely with both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on all environmental issues at the former Naval Air Station at Brunswick. Both agencies provide regulatory oversight on the cleanup and the program, Burgio said.

PAHs occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline, and are produced when gas, oil, tobacco and garbage are burned, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health effects from exposure to low levels of PAHs are unknown, but studies show individuals exposed by breathing or skin contact for long periods to mixtures that contain PAHs and other compounds can also develop cancer, CDC data says.

PAHs are commonly found in asphalt, roof tar and other products used at the former base, Burgio said. People are most likely to be exposed to PAHs through exhaust, wood smoke, and tobacco, according to the CDC.

Further soil testing is expected to be completed this summer. Groundwater sampling and monitoring has been performed for many years and will continue until the contamination level in the groundwater decreases below the EPA’s maximum contaminant levels, said Burgio. Two hundred tons of PAH contaminated surface soil will be removed from the site this summer, he said.

The Maine DEP will continue to monitor the groundwater at least every five years in perpetuity once the land is conveyed. The cost of the cleanup, so far about $100 million, is covered by the U.S. Department of Defense, said McLeod. Once the site is turned over to the town, it will be safe for development, he said.

Thomas Farrell, Brunswick Parks and Recreation director, said he is hopeful the parcels will be conveyed to the town at the latest by 2019. McLeod confirmed the Navy estimates the land will be conveyed by that time. McLeod said restrictions will likely be put on the property once it is conveyed, such as a well cannot be drilled at the site. This restriction is consistent for all properties at the former base, except at the golf course.

Burgio comes to Brunswick quarterly to give public updates on the testing at the properties and prepares the findings and data and plan for mitigation if necessary, Farrell said.

A final cleanup plan was completed about 15 years ago, and numerous studies assessed the environmental impacts from the ash that was beneath Navy barracks that were demolished in 2005. In two years, 2006 through 2008, 42,000 tons of ash and top soil was excavated and taken off the base for disposal. This information was included in EPA documents about the progress of the cleanup, and confirmed by Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Steve Levesque.

“Every stitch of property is cleaned up and cannot be conveyed until it meets public safety and environmental standards,” he said, adding he has no concerns about the land. Levesque said the Navy will be responsible for testing the land in perpetuity and is on the hook legally and financially for any environmental issues related to the former base.

History of the cleanup

According to the EPA, the Navy has spent more than $100 million investigating and cleaning the site and has transferred more than 2,700 acres of the base to parties, including the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, the town of Brunswick, and Southern Maine Community College.

The former base is part of the National Priorities List, explained by McLeod to be sites identified for longterm cleanup activity for the worst hazardous waste sites in the country. Sites in Maine were scored in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he said.

From an October 1984 assessment, beginning in 1942, seven areas at the Landing were used to dispose of or store hazardous waste, occupying a total of 15 acres. Areas were used to dispose of household and office waste, as well as acid, and asbestos wastes, and pesticides, solvents, and waste oil present at the site threatened groundwater, including a nearby public well serving 18,000 people, and adjacent wetlands.

A 1990 agreement established the Navy, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was responsible for studying the site and cleaning up the 3,100 acres on the former base site.

jlaaka@timesrecord.com

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