Board member David Ropeak reports holding-basin delay; 1,4‑dioxane detected near skating rink
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Summary
Board member David Ropeak said the holding‑basin phase of a local cleanup is likely delayed until 2027 and that monitoring wells show 1,4‑dioxane above health‑concern levels flowing toward the skating rink; traces of depleted uranium were also reported but both signals are reportedly tapering off.
Board member David Ropeak said the holding‑basin portion of a local cleanup project has likely been postponed to 2027 because of difficulties sourcing a specific bentonite slurry used for constructing containment walls. Chair Jim Jim Whalen opened the meeting and recognized board member reports before Ropeak summarized recent site testing.
Ropeak told the board that monitoring wells ("six or seven," he said) located on the site’s side near Room 62 show the presence of 1,4‑dioxane in groundwater. "What's coming out of the site down in the groundwater is 1 4 dioxane," he said, and added that the plume is moving in the direction of the skating rink across the street. The data he cited indicate that concentrations "are tapering off," he said.
Ropeak also said limited traces of depleted uranium were found in effluent samples. He explained that analysts can distinguish the anthropogenic (plant‑related) isotope from naturally occurring uranium in the bedrock and that both the anthropogenic signal and the natural signal are abating in recent tests. "When you see a map of the place, it's like a pincushion," Ropeak said, describing the many discrete sampling locations.
No formal action or vote on cleanup strategy was recorded in the transcript; the item was reported as an informational board update. The board did not record a public comment on the matter during this meeting. The town’s monitoring-well network, the reported plume direction toward local recreational areas, and the timing of the holding‑basin work are issues the board identified for continued attention.
