|
Eastland Woolen Mills
Superfund Site Remediation (1999 – 2004)
MACTEC's site/remedial investigations, feasibility
studies and design services for this U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) Superfund site cleanup
literally paved the way for Corinna's downtown redevelopment
and resulted in two Engineering Excellence Awards,
at state and national levels, for MACTEC.
Soils and sediments underlying Corinna's Main
Street road and bridge, downtown buildings, and
the Sebasticook River had been contaminated by
the Eastland Woolen Mill's discharge of chlorobenzene
compounds in its process wastewater. Working closely
with the client (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
New England District) and the owner (USEPA Region
1) and many other stakeholders, MACTEC fast-tracked
the investigation and design to enable the cleanup
and restoration of Corinna's downtown hub one
year ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget.
The project required relocation of the downtown
hub's roadway, bridge, river, and a historic building,
so that underlying contamination could be excavated
and treated. Abandoned mill buildings contaminated
with asbestos were demolished and removed. An
indirect-fired, low-temperature thermal treatment
batch system was selected to treat 100,000 tons
of chlorinated, benzene-contaminated soil and
sediment. This system was more cost-effective
than other treatment options and well-suited to
the phased approach required to allow for relocation
of the road and bridge infrastructure.
To access contaminated soil and sediment, it
was necessary to remove a dam and divert the Sebasticook
River. To meet State of Maine fishery management
objectives for the river, the dam was permanently
removed, and the Mill Pond was converted back
to a free-flowing river. The river diversion design
called for temporary bypass using pumping, piping
and box culverts in the existing stream channel
to handle river flows during contaminated sediment
excavation. Then, a new roadway and river channel
had to be constructed. The river restoration design
included the creation of a new free-running river
with low-flow channel for fish passage, channel
blocks, and riffels, runs and pools. Riverbank
wetlands were allowed to naturally re-vegetate,
avoiding costly planting and seeding.
MACTEC also designed a new highway alignment
for the project. Through coordination with the
Maine Department of Transportation and the Town
of Corinna, which had been planning highway and
bridge improvements prior to this project, duplication
of effort and cost was avoided, and the Town was
provided with a completed road, bridge, infrastructure,
and restored site for its planned revitalization.
Severe site constraints that complicated the design
included:
- Proximity of road, bridge
and river to contaminated area, requiring
road detours, road relocation, and river diversion
- Location in downtown area,
requiring relocation of water lines, sewer
lines and a historic building, as well as
removal of businesses and homes
- Access issue with railroad
property, requiring design to avoid impact
to old railroad line running through site
For our work on this project, MACTEC received
an Engineering Excellence Honor Award from the
National American Council of Engineering Companies
(ACEC) and the Maine chapter of ACEC. Says MACTEC's
Project Manager, Peter Baker, "I'm so pleased
with the successful outcome of this project and
the excellent teamwork we had throughout the process.
We're honored to receive ACEC's awards, and we're
grateful for the opportunity to make a positive,
widespread impact on the quality of life for so
many people."
|
