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County reports strong early results from permeable reactive barrier at former fire training site
Summary
GZA and county staff told commissioners that a colloidal activated carbon permeable reactive barrier (PRB) installed around the former Barnstable County fire training facility is performing as expected; monitoring shows large contaminant reductions and federal funding of $3 million was announced for continued work.
County and contracted consultants updated the Board of Regional Commissioners on remediation work at the former fire training facility, describing subsurface injection of colloidal activated carbon to form a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) and early monitoring results.
Paul Rosal, the county’s assets and infrastructure manager, and consultants from GZA said the full‑scale PRB was injected last year across roughly 600 feet along the eastern and southern site boundary. GZA reported injecting about 400,000 pounds of colloidal activated carbon through nearly 250 individual injection points drilled to depths between roughly 50 and 90 feet.
Monitoring wells sampled after winter weather showed sharp reductions in several targeted groundwater contaminants across shallow, mid and deep intervals. A GZA presenter said the PRB is “performing as expected” and that modeling to estimate groundwater travel times is ongoing. The consultants described the PRB as a passive, in‑situ stabilization approach that reduces contaminant loading to downgradient receptors (including the Mary Dun wells) and may require additional carbon augmentation in the future; current model estimates suggest effective life on the order of a decade or longer, though there is uncertainty.
GZA noted the county is coordinating with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP, referenced as "D" in the presentation) on required permitting and monitoring steps. Consultants also said the existing pump‑and‑treat system has been repaired following vandalism and freezing issues and that staff will evaluate whether continuing that active system is warranted given the PRB performance.
The county reported it has secured $3 million in federal funding (announced through a senator’s office) to support continued work, and staff invited the public to a more detailed public meeting scheduled for March 10 at 6 p.m. to discuss results, next steps and funding priorities.
Commissioners said the results were encouraging but cautioned that monitoring and modeling must continue to confirm long‑term performance and to inform cost, funding and potential source‑removal options.
