In May and June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be excavating contaminated sediment along the shoreline at the vacant Aerovox plant as part of the ongoing cleanup of New Bedford Harbor, Mass. This cleanup effort is expected to last for six to eight weeks.
The area of the shoreline to be excavated extends approximately 100 ft out into the river directly along the shoreline of the vacant Aerovox building and is known to contain high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and solvents. Once excavated, the sediment will be stabilized with Portland cement and transported to EPA’s facility at the end of Sawyer Street for temporary storage.
Contaminated sediment will be handled with extreme care, and the cleanup process will be fully protective of the health of nearby residents. Operational activities for this cleanup include the construction of temporary docks to allow excavation equipment to access targeted shoreline sediment.
Upon excavation, sediment material will be placed immediately into water-tight containers. As those containers become half-full, they will be moved inside a temporary enclosed structure that will be built on site. Inside that structure, the contaminated sediment will be mixed and stabilized with cement in preparation for transportation to Sawyer Street.
During mixing operations, the interior of the enclosed facility will be under negative pressure, allowing the EPA to collect and treat any gases that may be released from the sediment. After mixing, the resulting stable and hardened material will remain in the sealed containers as they are transported by licensed trucks to EPA’s sediment storage facility at Sawyer Street, where they will be safely covered.
Dock construction and other preparation activities will be underway to ready the site for cleanup through May. Because of their very close proximity to and potential for direct contact with the contaminated sediment, crews in the immediate work zone will be wearing protective clothing and supplied air.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/ne/nbh/.
Source: U.S. EPA
