Devens’
Influence on the Environmental Quality of the Nashua River
by Aisling Eglington and Liz Kotowski
Devens is situated north and south of Route 2 along
the main stem of the Nashua River. It encompasses 9,280 acres in
four communities: Ayer, Shirley, Harvard, and Lancaster. Once part
of New England’s largest Army base, the 4,400 acres of the
North and Main Posts were officially closed in 1995. They are now
under development as a planned residential community and industrial
park. The remaining 4,880 acres are located in the South Post, which
is still used for military training.
Prior to the closure of Fort Devens, a public planning
process began to establish a blueprint for the economic development
of the property and the region. Plans to address site contamination
and natural resource management were also developed. The Massachusetts
Legislature created the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone by passing
Chapter 498 of the Acts of 1993. This legislation established the
legal parameters for governance of the property over the next 40
years.
The Devens Reuse Plan was completed in 1994 as a joint
effort between the Massachusetts Government Land Bank (now MassDevelopment)
and the Joint Boards of Selectmen of the towns of Ayer, Harvard,
Lancaster and Shirley. It became effective when the Army closed
the base the following year. Responsibility for implementing the
Devens Reuse Plan is shared by two public agencies: MassDevelopment
and the Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC) (see section on Local
Services below for more information on roles of these agencies).
A major goal of the Reuse Plan was sustainable development,
defined as “achieving a balance of economic, social, and environmental
needs, while maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base.”
Although implementation is not yet complete, many positive steps
have already been taken to enhance the environmental quality of
this impacted portion of the Nashua River Watershed.
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Restoring the
Environment
Devens is a Superfund site, meaning that under
the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (CERCLA) it is required to clean up contaminated
sites that pose threats to human health and the environment. CERCLA
remediation efforts are managed by a team that includes representatives
of the Army, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and
the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
MassDevelopment also works closely with the team. Additional sites
containing petroleum-contaminated soils are being cleaned up by
MassDevelopment under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP),
also known as DEP’s 21E Program.
Many of the clean-up goals have been achieved. Remediation
efforts are still ongoing at several sites, including the former
Moore Army Airfield, Shepley’s Hill Landfill, Barnum Road,
and at sites containing pesticide-contaminated soils. Investigations
were recently completed at Grove Pond, and plans are being developed
for investigations in the vicinity of Plow Shop Pond.
The Consolidation Landfill was completed in December
2002. More than 340,000 tons of construction and demolition debris
from six unpermitted historical Devens landfills were excavated
and removed to this site. The landfill was constructed as a CERCLA
remedy for Devens' historical solid waste but was sited and permitted
using DEP solid waste regulations. The cost of the remedy was in
excess of $24 million.
Long-term monitoring plans (LTMPs) for groundwater
are in effect or are under development for the following sites:
Shepley’s Hill Landfill; West Rail Area; South Post Impact
Area; Army Enclave property; Parker Charter School site; Barnum
Road; and the former Airfield-North Post. An LTMP has not yet been
developed for the Airfield but will be prepared at a later stage
in the remediation process. A monitoring plan also will be developed
for the Consolidation Landfill.
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Redevelopment
Highlights
Approximately 64 percent of the proposed build-out
has been achieved at Devens. More than 75 businesses and other organizations
are now operating at Devens, representing business and industry,
government, educational institutions, recreational developments,
and residential communities. Much of the industrial redevelopment
has occurred in the West Rail Industrial Area and parts of Jackson
Technology Park. MassDevelopment plans to attract more biotech companies
to the Jackson Technology Park and will continue with redevelopment
of residential areas and the Downtown Devens area in the near future.
The Reuse Plan for Devens also includes 282 residential
units. Of that number 102 existing units were made available under
Phase One of the housing development plan and some new residents
have already moved in. Phase Two of the housing development, expected
to begin in 2003, includes construction of 180 new homes.
Special environmental projects related to Devens’
redevelopment include the Devens Ecostar program for businesses,
the Devens Solid Waste Management Planning project, and the Regional
Wastewater Treatment Facility, and the Devens Open Space and Recreation
Plan. A total of 2,100 acres of open space have been preserved and
1,400 of those acres are available for public use and recreation.
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Devens’ Water
Resources
Eight miles of rivers and streams flow through
Devens, including the main stem of the Nashua River. Other water
resources include abundant aquifers, wetlands, and approximately
100 acres of open waters, including Mirror Lake, Little Mirror Lake,
and Robbins Pond. In addition to its location in the Main Stem subbasin
of the Nashua, Devens also lies in the North Nashua River, Mulpus
Brook, Catacoonamug Brook, and Bowers Brook subbasins.
Studies conducted for the Devens Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) and Reuse Plan estimated the safe yield from the aquifer
underlying Devens at approximately 5 million gallons per day (mgd).
Water resources required for full build-out were estimated at approximately
3 mgd. Average current use is estimated at 0.7 mgd. Four public
water supply wells are currently permitted at Devens in addition
to an irrigation well for the Red Tail Golf Course. The total permitted
withdrawal amount (for all wells combined) is 4.2 mgd (1999-2004).
That amount will increase to 4.6 mgd for 2004-2009 and 4.8 mgd for
2009-2014.
Wastewater is handled by the Devens Regional Wastewater
Treatment Facility (WWTF), which was originally built in early 1940s
and provided primary treatment to the wastewater collected from
the former Fort Devens Army base. Under an Administrative Consent
Order entered into in 1995 between the DEP and the Mass Land Bank
(now Mass Development), the treatment plant has been upgraded to
provide advanced treatment (secondary treatment, nitrogen removal,
and disinfections) though sequence batch reactors and ultraviolet
disinfections. The WWTF is designed to treat 3 mgd of wastewater
and is operated under a DEP groundwater discharge permit.
The upgraded WWTF has been in operation since September
2001 and treats less than 1 mgd of wastewater from Devens and the
Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Shirley. Additional flows
may be expected from the towns of Shirley and Ayer in near future.
The treated effluent is discharged to the groundwater via rapid
infiltration beds (not directly to the Nashua River). The groundwater
is tested through monitoring wells placed up and down gradient of
the discharge. The Nashua River is also monitored six times per
year upstream and downstream of the discharge, and no noticeable
impact to the river has been reported.
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Natural Resource
Management
Main and North Posts
The framework for managing and conserving the natural resources
at Devens’ Main and North Posts includes the Devens bylaws
and regulations; a water resources protection plan; a stormwater
management plan; an open space and recreation plan; a trails plan,
spill prevention, control, and countermeasures plans; zone II delineations
and protection measures; wetland protection measures; and conservation
restrictions.
Current priorities relevant to natural resource management
include design and development of a Devens trails system that will
link surrounding communities; enhancement of Mirror Lake to prevent
run-off and to improve opportunities for public access; review and
updating of the Devens Open Space and Recreation Plan; design and
implementation of the Devens Stormwater Management Plan; and a stream
daylighting project to uncover portions of the streams that are
currently culverted underground.
The open space and environmental network was a key
element of the Devens reuse planning process. Critical natural features,
including wetlands, rivers, aquifers, were identified in the site
analysis and designated for protection and enhancement by inclusion
in the open space network. In 1999, approximately 830 acres of land
were turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expanding
the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge. Land around Mirror Lake, Robbins
Pond, the Eskers region, and Cold Spring Brook will be conveyed
to the Trustees of Reservations.
The new Squannassit Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC) extends from Groton westward to Ashby and from Ayer
northward to New Hampshire. It encompasses 36,480 acres and includes
portions of Devens, in particular the North Post area. The central
themes for the Squannassit are the protection of its basic ecological
system and the creation of wildlife corridors to link fragmented
habitats. The inclusion of U.S. Fish and Wildlife property (to the
west of Devens’ Main Post) will provide an important link
between the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge and the habitat included
in the ACEC.
South Post
(Source: Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan 1998-2002,
Devens RFTA, Massachusetts. Gene Stout and Associates/Stone &
Webster, April 1999)
Still managed by the U.S. Army, the 4,880 acres of
the South Post are largely undeveloped. The habitats found in this
area include 3,000 acres of forest (1,630 acres of hardwood, 920
mixed, and 450 softwood), 800 acres of wetland such as marsh and
wooded swamp, 300 acres of grassland and open area, and 30 acres
of vernal pools and riparian habitat.
A total of 756 plant species have been identified
on the South Post, including 22 species designated as endangered,
threatened, of special concern, or on the watch list for Massachusetts.
No federally listed plant species have been identified. Also found
on the South Post are a wide variety of animals: 41 species of mammals,
152 species of birds; 15 amphibians, 17 reptiles, and 546 invertebrates.
Forty-four species of fauna have been designated as endangered,
threatened, of special concern, or watch-listed by the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts.
The South Post still contains areas contaminated by
metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), petroleum hydrocarbons,
and explosive chemicals detected in soils, sediments, groundwater,
and/or surface water. However, there have been no unacceptable human
health or environmental risks associated with monitored-area groundwater.
The natural resource management plan for the South
Post includes the following objectives:
- Sustainable forest management to support military
training and enhance ecosystem integrity
- Rehabilitation of damaged areas
- Protection of water and soil quality
- "No net loss" wetland management policy
- Improve habitat quality for wildlife
- Protection of land from wildfires
- Protection for areas of special ecological interest
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Local Services and
Redevelopment at Devens: Roles of MassDevelopment and DEC
When Fort Devens was closed, MassDevelopment
was designated to oversee Devens’ redevelopment, establish
a department of public works, contract for fire and police services,
and serve other functions of a town government. The agency plays
a key role in attracting new businesses to Devens and various community
development initiatives. The Devens Enterprise Commission was authorized
to serve as the board of health, conservation commission, zoning
board of appeals, planning board, and historic district commission.
The DEC is responsible for issuing development permits and for administering
and enforcing Devens’ bylaws and regulations. The DEC also
plays a key role in ensuring that the sustainable development goals
of the Reuse Plan are achieved through the planning process.
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Five Year Review
of Devens Reuse Plan
During 2000 and 2001, MassDevelopment, the DEC,
and the local Devens communities of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley participated
in a five-year review of the Reuse Plan. Some of the concerns identified
by the Tri-Town review were the need for effective remediation of
contaminated sites with clear timetables, the potential for discovery
of new contamination without clear assignment of clean-up responsibility,
and the need for effective protection of aquifers and all other
water resources. The Tri-town review also recommended a more integral
role for the towns in decision-making on Devens redevelopment, and
the establishment of subcommittees on open space, transportation,
housing and Devens disposition.
The MassDevelopment review highlighted achievements
in meeting the goals and guidelines of the 1994 Water Resource Protection
Plan for Devens; expanding and upgrading the Devens wastewater treatment
facility; and on-going efforts to design and implement the Devens
Stormwater Management Plan. DEC recommendations included preparation
of a Master Plan, including a detailed analysis of environmental
resources and constraints for the North Post, consideration of more
housing on Devens, greater emphasis on sustainability, and a prototype
Integrated Pest Management Program. The second phase of the five-year
review is now underway.
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Public Involvement
The public has many opportunities to participate
in the Devens remediation and redevelopment efforts. Those opportunities
include attending meetings and hearings, reviewing documents, and
participating on committees related to open space and recreation,
transportation, and water resource management.
Local communities continue to participate in Devens’
redevelopment through the Joint Boards of Selectmen (JBoS), which
meets monthly and DEC public hearings. In addition, citizens and
organizations such as the Nashua River Watershed Association and
PACE (People of Ayer Concerned for the Environment) have contributed
to the planning process through public meetings, committees, and
forums. The Army holds monthly Restoration Advisory Board (RAB)
meetings for public participation in CERCLA clean-up activities
and MassDevelopment holds bi-annual public meetings to discuss MCP
clean-up activities.
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References/Contacts
For more information, please contact one or more of
the following organizations:
MassDevelopment: (978) 772-6340
Meg Delorier, Vice President Community Affairs
Ron Ostrowski, Environmental Coordinator.
Devens Enterprise Commission: (978) 772-8831
Peter Lowitt, Director/Land Use Administrator
Massachusetts DEP, Central Regional Office (Worcester):
(508) 792-7650
Aisling Eglington, Regional Planner-Devens Redevelopment
John Regan, Section Chief Solid Waste Branch/Devens Remediation
US Environmental Protection Agency
Carol Keating (617) 918-1393
Army Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Environmental
Office
Ben Goff, (978) 796-2205
Town Administrators/JBoS Contacts for Devens Communities
Ayer: Anita Hegarty, (978) 772-8210
Harvard: Paul Cohen, (978) 456-4100
Shirley: Kyle Keady, (978) 425-2610
Nashua River Watershed Association: (978) 448-0299
Elizabeth Ainsley Campbell, Executive Director
Web Resources
Devens Enterprise Commission: www.devensec.com
MassDevelopment: www.massdevelopment.com
Devens Community: www.devenscommunity.com
Devens Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Environmental Office: www.devens.army.mil/staff/brac
Devens Reserve Forces Training Area: www.devens.army.mil
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