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Select Board receives brownfield update on donated lot; EPA review, sampling timelines outlined
Summary
Town staff said a Phase 1 draft and site-specific work plan are going to the EPA for review. The town was reminded it cannot use the donated property until EPA-reviewed subsurface and groundwater sampling are complete; sampling and a draft report are expected to extend into spring.
Town staff updated the Select Board on the brownfield review for a donated parcel (Lot 35) and outlined next steps for environmental sampling and potential cleanup funding.
Staff said the property’s Phase 1 historic-resources review and a site-specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) addendum were completed while the prior owner pursued remediation, and those draft materials are being submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for review. Staff described an EPA review period of roughly 30 days, after which the Phase 1 materials will be made public and the town will proceed to a Phase 2 subsurface investigation.
According to the staff update, the subsurface soil sampling is expected to be carried out by early to mid‑March, followed by groundwater sampling. Staff expects data compilation by the end of April and a first draft of the Phase 2 report in May. Novus, the consultant working on the site, is pacing sampling and reporting to align with state and federal cleanup-funding application deadlines in November should remediation be required.
Staff emphasized the town cannot disturb the property while the brownfields process proceeds: “We cannot use the land at all until this process is done,” the staff update said. Activities such as parking equipment on the parcel, burning brush, removing drums or removing building materials would risk triggering owner liability and could disqualify the town from federal or state cleanup funding.
Board members asked whether draft Phase 1 materials were previously shown to local boards. Staff said summary findings had been shared with the planning and conservation commissions but that the full draft report remained nonpublic while it awaited EPA review; the town’s attorney had advised respecting the prior owner’s confidentiality while the property was privately held.
Why it matters: The brownfields process protects the town from post-acquisition liability, establishes a path to public access of environmental documents, and is a prerequisite to applying for state and federal cleanup funds.
Next steps: Staff will confirm EPA receipt of the draft QAPP, announce the public posting when the documents are cleared by EPA, and schedule Phase 2 sampling consistent with the consultant’s timeline.
