BURBANK SCHOOL OIL TANK RELEASE UPDATE
12/24/03
In concert with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and directed by Joel Mooney, LSP, of Haley & Aldrich, the Town continues its response actions to mitigate impacts caused by the release of No. 4 oil which leaked from the underground tank at the Burbank School on Friday, December 12, 2003. Oil from this release flowed into the storm drain system at the Burbank School, which then was ultimately discharged into Clay Pit Pond. The Town is in frequent communication with state and federal environmental regulators to coordinate activities and maintain regulatory compliance.
At this time, the Town is still in the Emergency Response phase and continues to dedicate significant efforts to remove oil initially released into Clay Pit Pond and recover oil at the location of the tank at the Burbank. Over the last week, the following activities have been completed or are planned as part of the continued efforts to mitigate the release:
- Indoor air at the Burbank has been monitored and has not been impacted. The intake for the gym ventilation (which was near ground level) has been moved to above the School’s rooftop to distance the intake from activities in the tank area. While the release is heavy oil that does not tend to volatilize, the Town will continue these testing efforts for the duration of the clean-up effort to ensure a safe educational environment for Burbank students.
- The Town has also reached out to abutters of the release (along the driveway to the school) and has voluntarily conducted indoor air quality tests in these homes, which also showed no indication of impact.~ The Town will continue to offer this testing on a periodic basis when requested by the homeowners.
- The tank at the Burbank has been emptied of oil and will be removed next week during the school break. The school will continue to be heated using a temporary above-ground tank.
- To isolate the area of the tank release from the Town’s storm drain system and Clay Pit Pond, an oil/water separator and mobile treatment system have been installed at the Burbank School. Water flow from the tank release area will now flow into the oil/water separator, which will allow oil to be recovered. Water captured by the oil/water separator will be pumped through filters and granulated carbon prior to discharge into the storm drain. The water discharging from the treatment system will be monitored and tested to make sure it is in regulatory compliance. This installation has been approved by DEP and EPA. While the previous activity of pumping from manholes limited the flow from the
release area, the installation of this system at the Burbank stops further inflow of oil-impacted water into Clay Pit Pond. This will facilitate the clean-up of the Pond. The Town's efforts at the Pond are being coordinated with the Conservation Commission, which has oversight over the maintenance of Clay Pit Pond.
- Activities at the Pond consist of containing, corralling, and cleaning up oil. As the ice has gone out of the Pond with this week’s unseasonably warmer weather, a cross-pond boom is being used to sweep any surface oil off the Pond. Other booms have been placed to trap oil at the Pond’s perimeter to allow these to be cleaned up and to prevent migration of the oil around the Pond to other areas that have not been impacted.
These Emergency Response activities will continue to mitigate the impacts of the release. As a next step, the Town will undertake an exploration and testing program to assess the extent of the release. This assessment will be the basis for further remedial activities to clean-up areas impacted by the release. Following this assessment, the Town will also be able to estimate the costs for the clean-up. The Town will aggressively pursue all opportunities to fund these costs, including insurance and grant opportunities.
The Town will make every effort to minimize disruptions to the community from equipment noise and response activities. However, the Town asks for everyone's patience and understanding and that residents recognize that a certain level of disruption will be necessary in order to assure appropriate remedial actions required by state and federal regulations.
As more information becomes available, the Town will provide updated information. Please contact Joyce Munro, Assistant Town Administrator, in the Office of the Board of Selectmen at 617-489-8213 or selectmen@town.belmont.ma.us with any questions or comments.
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