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Danvers committee hears update on dredging testing; member raises contamination questions
Summary
Town staff said sediment-testing planning for the dredging project is under way and test results remain valid for three years; a committee member asked whether EPA sampling will occur and raised concerns about potential PTE and PCE contamination linked to historical tannery runoff.
Christopher Sanborn told the Danvers River Committee that planning for sediment testing in the planned dredging project is progressing and that laboratory test results remain valid for three years; the Town can request an extension if needed.
Member Michael McCarthy asked whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct core sampling in the river before dredging and said he would consider privately funding additional sampling if the EPA would not. McCarthy cited concerns about potential contaminants, including potentially toxic elements (PTE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), that might be present because of historical runoff from a former tannery in the area. He also referenced the EPA Superfund process and asked whether it might apply.
Sanborn clarified that the Town’s testing focuses on identifying materials that would prevent deep-ocean disposal and that the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers would each conduct testing for different purposes. He said privately funded testing would need to be coordinated with the Town project and that the Town’s scope is oriented to disposal criteria rather than a broader contamination investigation.
No formal decision was made during the meeting; McCarthy’s request for additional sampling was noted and may inform follow-up discussions with state and federal agencies.
