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EPA BEGINS STUDY AT NUCLEAR METALS SITE IN CONCORD, MA

Release Date: 01/31/2001
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Community Affairs Office, (617) 918-1064

Boston -- EPA New England announced today that it will undertake a limited study(called a Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation or PA/SI) of two areas suspected of having buried drums at the Nuclear Metals Inc. site in Concord, MA. Since 1972 the site has been owned and operated by Starmet (formerly known as Nuclear Metals, Inc.).

EPA New England, through its contractor Roy F. Weston, Assoc., will conduct an investigation of two areas on the Starmet property where Starmet had indicated barrels may have been buried decades earlier. One area abuts the holding basin and the other area is the site of a former landfill adjacent to the sphagnum bog. In November 2000, Starmet performed a magnetometer study to detect metal objects below the surface of the soil in the holding basin area. EPA will conduct a more complete geophysical study of both areas and will also use ground penetrating radar technology to locate buried drums. Soil in both areas will be sampled for metals and radionuclides, including beryllium, uranium, and plutonium. This data will ensure that the soil will be handled properly while ensuring the safety of work crews, Starmet employees, and neighbors. If barrels are located, EPA will then sample soils in the areas being unearthed and sample the contents of the barrels. Based on what is found, EPA will determine next steps to be taken.

"A radiation survey was conducted and there were no unsafe levels of radiation coming from the areas where we may be digging, " said Tom Hatzopolous, EPA's on-scene coordinator. "We plan on conducting continuous radiation surveys as we work and will be taking every precaution since Starmet is an operating facility and we do not want to expose anyone to radiation."

"A lot of work has already been conducted - particularly in the holding basin -- at the site," said Ira Leighton, EPA New England acting regional administrator. "The Massachusetts departments of Environmental Protection and Public Health have been working with the company to identify and remove significant amounts of contaminated soil in this known area of contamination. We plan on keeping progress moving and will identify other potential areas where immediate cleanup work should be performed."

Work is expected to begin by early February.

The Nuclear Metals Inc. Site was proposed for listing on the National Priority List (NPL) in July 2000. It was followed by a 60 day comment period that ended in late September. EPA is reviewing and responding to the comments received. EPA's decision on whether to list the site is expected this spring.

Nuclear Metals Inc located on 46.5 acres in West Concord, MA, was a research and manufacturing facility contracted by the U.S. Army to produce penetrators, or bullets, using depleted uranium. It ceased manufacturing penetrators for the military in 1999.