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Pilgrim project will require roughly $7 million in soil remediation; schedule, neighborhood outreach under way
Summary
Project managers told the committee that testing found polyaromatic hydrocarbons in Pilgrim soils, prompting a remediation effort estimated at about $7 million that will delay construction and require health-and-safety controls, monitoring and neighborhood outreach.
Project managers told the Capital Construction Committee on Wednesday that soil testing at Pilgrim High School found polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that require remediation under state environmental rules, producing an early estimate of roughly $7 million in related costs and schedule impacts.
"It's $7 million, roughly," Mr. Bates said when summarizing the current cost estimate, which covers excavation, trucking, disposal and required health-and-safety plans. He told the committee the figure includes both known costs and allowances for work still to be defined and that staff aims to present a finalized change order package at the June meeting.
The team said crews have already exported a substantial volume of contaminated material to an approved facility — approximately 30,000–35,000 cubic yards — and that some costs are already accounted for in the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and owner contingency. "We have money in the GMP specifically designated to offset this cost," Bates said, but he added the full impact will not be known until the change-order reconciliation is completed.
Officials also reported a trace detection of vinyl chloride in groundwater in one area. The April sampling returned a non-detect, but state regulators require seasonal monitoring across spring, summer, fall and winter before they will consider lifting restrictions, the project team said. The presence of groundwater contamination will require additional engineering for dewatering and vapor control during construction.
Staff described the preferred approach as selective off-site disposal for the bulk of material, with the option to cap or re-use small, well‑defined pockets on site beneath a geotextile cap where appropriate. "Everything above that layer will be imported clean material," a project manager explained when outlining the proposed capping strategy for landscaped areas.
Beyond cost, the contamination drives schedule impacts. Mr. Bates said the team now expects roughly a year of delay tied to remediation sequencing, third-party testing and permitting work; that delay will affect subcontractors and consultant staffing. Committee members asked for an executive summary of the proposed change order with the full breakdown of assumptions; staff pledged to provide a detailed PCO-style package at the June meeting.
Committee members also raised neighborhood concerns. Large concrete placements, saw-cutting and finishing work are scheduled in the coming weeks and will create intermittent nighttime noise; project staff asked the committee to coordinate community outreach and to discuss possible after-hours permits with the city. "We should notify neighbors and coordinate with the councilor and the police so people understand the necessity and timing," Mr. Lucy said.
Next steps: staff will finalize change-order exhibits, provide an executive summary and line-item backup for the remediation allowance, continue DEM-mandated monitoring, and schedule public briefings to explain construction timing and mitigation steps to neighbors. The committee will take any formal cost-change approvals at its next meeting.
