PHOTO 1
TCE: The AFCEE/CH2M HILL team studies its plume models to evaluate and predict plume migration and evaluate options for optimizing pumping strategies to reduce cleanup timeframes and minimize operational costs. This model depicts TCE plume migration.

PHOTO 2
MMR Cranberry/Wet Sampling: Owners of commercial cranberry bogs in the area of three plumes were concerned about detectable levels of the VOCs in surface water samples from cranberry bog ditches. Testing conducted in 2006 using a unique protocol previously developed in coordination with regulatory stakeholders demonstrated that the crops are not impacted and continue to be suitable for market.

---

Overview

At the 22,000-acre Massachusetts Military Reservation, the AFCEE/CH2M HILL team operates and manages 8 major groundwater extraction, treatment and re-injection/infiltration/discharge systems, treating 16 million gallons of contaminated water daily. In addition to its overarching environmental restoration objectives, the team stresses continuous, program-wide optimization, minimizing taxpayer costs while enhancing cleanup efficiency.

Integrated Approach

Pumping/Monitoring

A state-of-the-art system performance monitoring program enables optimized pumping strategies for better plume capture, reduced cleanup timeframes, and/or reduced long-term costs. Monitoring of nearby wetlands and water bodies assesses potential longer-term impacts. Additionally, optimized pumping rates, packering of well screens and proper pump motor sizing reduce electricity use and improve system performance.

Air and Land Protection

The team uses direct push technology for drilling wherever possible, reducing costs and minimizing impacts associated with tree clearing. We implemented reactivated carbon use in treatment systems, replacing virgin carbon and minimizing environmental footprint associated with carbon production.

Energy Conservation

The team reduced energy consumption aggressively by installing variable frequency drives, eliminating booster pumps and downsizing pump motors. Additionally, CH2M HILL worked with AFCEE to design a wind turbine, which will reduce the remediation systems’ energy consumption by up to 25 percent, eliminating 6.7 million pounds of CO2 annually and significareducing other air emissions (NOx, SO2, etc.).

Cranberry Testing

Alleviating owners’ concerns about detectable levels of chlorinated solvents in surface water at cranberry bogs, AFCEE’s team worked closely with regulators and CH2M HILL’s subcontractor laboratory to test the fruit. Annual testing has shown that the cranberry crop remains suitable for market.

Quality

AFCEE Parcel and Easement Management System (APEMS)

To manage and catalogue land use controls efforts, CH2M HILL leveraged the team’s previous efforts to convert paper records into a GIS-based property management system. This application organizes data on up to 200 private parcels containing MMR assets into a searchable, geospatially-referenced database, including extensive records of agreements, wells, pipelines, and treatment plants, improving controls designed to limit contaminant exposures through private wells.

Partnerships

The entire AFCEE/CH2M HILL team embraces teamwork and seeks consensus in decision making. Technical staff consults with O&M crews in developing operational strategies, enhancing efficiency and quality. The team reaches out to regulators and other stakeholders early and often, minimizing conflict and improving effectiveness.

Continuous Improvement/Optimization

The AFCEE/CH2M HILL team routinely seeks ways to streamline processes, improve quality, and reduce costs, in every aspect of the program. Optimization initiatives over the last two years have saved AFCEE approximately $1 million and over $4 million to date. The team takes an aggressive approach to LTM optimization, negotiating reduced sampling and hydraulic frequency monitoring and increasing on-site lab capabilities for drinking water methods.

In 2006, the Air National Guard recently recognized these efforts with an Environmental Restoration Award for Individual/Team Excellence.

Originality/Innovation

Innovation

Addressing the impacts of historic phosphorus discharge on the trophic health of Ashumet Pond, the AFCEE team continued to monitor an innovative, 1200 ft2, zero-valent iron geochemical barrier that passively removes approximately 67% of the phosphorus discharging to the pond. Between 2006 and 2008 performance monitoring indicated that the system is continuing to successfully improve pond water quality and health.The team implemented innovative, complex data tools to improve communications and strengthen quality, including developing a web-based Comprehensive Long Term Monitoring Plan (CLTMP). The CLTMP contains HTML links to other documents in the MMR.org electronic library, reducing document redundancy, broadening access to the LTM program, and significantly reducing paper use. We also developed and optimization web site to aid in technology transfer.

Optimization

Continuous optimization efforts focus on energy consumption, remedial processes, plume capture, monitoring networks, staffing levels, and sampling frequency, along with well maintenance selfperformance and direct-push investigation. Optimization is a continuous and ongoing effort. The team recently began pilot testing in-situ chemical oxidation to supplement the existing pump and treat systems and reduce cleanup timeframes.

Complexity

3-D Visualization of Plumes

Team geologists and hydrologists use complex geotechnical and hydrology data from USGS, site monitoring wells, and other sources to produce GIS-linked 3-D models depicting plume migration, enhancing data analysis stakeholder meetings.

Reporting to Regulatory Agencies

The AFCEE/CH2M HILL team collaborated with regulators and other stakeholders to streamline reporting, replacing the old date-driven system with focused reports on an as-needed basis, allowing project stakeholders to identify and concentrate resources on important issues as they arise, minimizing waste and improving efficiency.

Data Management

The AFCEE/CH2M HILL team collects on average 5,000 groundwater and surface water samples per year. The project’s Oracle database contains over 4 million records and grows by roughly 500,000 records annually. In 2007 the team developed a beta-version of a new web-based-interface for the data warehouse and a QC tool/automated QC check for entering boring log information into the data warehouse, enhanced automatic QC records checking, and is integrating a modeling database into the Data Warehouse

Social/Economic Advancement

Addressing Community Concerns

The team closely monitors residential wells, recreational beaches, three major local ponds and three river/commercial cranberry bog systems to assure safety and avoid economic impact from historical contamination. Visual impact studies of wind turbine plans assessed potential visual impacts from the VA cemetery and other historical sites.

Local Impact

The team continually seeks out qualified, local Cape Cod subcontractors and hires summer interns from local academic institutions, creating opportunities for local economic gain.

Workforce Safety

The project logged over 300,000 work hours with no lost injury time.

Click here to return to the full list of this year's winning entries.
Click here to return to the E3 Competition home page.