The Nuclear Metals Incorporation or the Starmet Corporation is located on a 2229 Main Street in Concord, Massachusetts. The site produced depleted uranium products for armor piercing ammunition. They also created metal powders for medical applications, photocopiers, and specialty metal products, such as beryllium tubing for aerospace needs. From1958 to 1985, the holding basin that contained all the industries waste such as depleted uranium and copper was unlined, which caused issues.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering took ground water samples that showed volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the supply well. This well was formerly used for drinking water for the community. The results indicated that the ground water beneath the property was contaminated with radioactive material and VOCs. A sphagnum bog on the grounds had evidence of radioactive contamination. The soil, sediment, surface water, and ground water on the site had high levels of depleted uranium. On some of the soil and sediments, Poly Chlorinated Bi-phenyls were recorded. The buildings and structures on the grounds were as well contaminated with depleted uranium and other hazardous substances.
In 1998, the company conducted a voluntary partial cleanup of contaminated soils under The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The process involved excavation and transportation to an off site of about 8,000 cubic yards of the depleted uranium and copper contaminated soil. The cleanup stopped at the end of 1998 when the company decided that the standards set could not be met without excavating a significant amount of material.
In 2002, the installation of fencing around the area where buried drums were located and the regradi...
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...f attention from residents. Whether or not the title is exaggerated is unclear to me. However, I assume that it must be to a certain point because of the fact that Concord is still around and so are its residents. The nightmare was dealt with and continues to be addressed. If the site went untouched, I wonder what a nightmare that would have been.
Works Cited
Ericson/ The Environmental Magazine, Ed. "A Radioactive Nightmare In Concord, Massachusetts." A Radioactive Nightmare In Concord, Massachusetts. The Host Pros, 08 Mar. 2004. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. .
"Find New England Sites - NUCLEAR METALS." Find New England Sites - NUCLEAR METALS. Concord Public Library, Concord, MA, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. .
Throughout this mining process a byproduct is created called chat. The chat is leftover rock and waste from mining that did not contained the desired materials. The chat was left on the site because the Bureau of Indian Affairs thought it could be of value to the Quapaw tribe (1). This chat contained high levels of toxic lead and other harmful chemicals. It is estimated that there are 75 Million tons (150 billion pounds) of chat piles remaining exposed to the environment as well as numerous flotation ponds that haven’t been taken into account (4).
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Hooker admits to burying about 21,800 tons of various chemicals in the canal. There are at least twelve known carcinogens in the canal including benzene which is well-known for causing leukemia in people (Gibbs 22). The air, soil, and water tests have found chemical migration throughout a ten block residential area. The extent of the chemical migration is still unknown.
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