120 MAIN STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT

What is a brownfield?

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a brownfield as “a property on which expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence, or perceived presence, of contamination.” Some examples of brownfield sites include former industrial or manufacturing sites, gas stations, dry cleaners, factories, warehouses, parking lots, abandoned railroads or switching yards, air strips, bus facilities, and landfills.

Background on the Medway Block Property and Site Contamination

Medway Block is a former concrete block manufacturing company that operated for over 70 years at 120 Main Street, Medway. The 8.3 acre site consists of four buildings: the Main Office & Retail Building, the Manufacturing Building, the Water Treatment Shed,  and the Storage Building with attached maintenance and storage bays. The remainder of the property is covered with asphalt and gravel. 

There have been two known releases of contamination at the Site.

In the early 1990s, four underground storage tanks containing petroleum based products were removed after contamination in the groundwater was detected. Approximately 1,400 cubic yards of contaminated soil was removed and disposed of at a recycling facility. The contamination issue was determined to be abated with no further action needed.

The second release occurred within the Manufacturing Building. The block manufacturing equipment within the former machine pit released hydraulic oil, which penetrated to the surrounding soils. The hydraulic oil migrated via groundwater flow in a southwesterly direction from the former machine pit towards the property line. Monitoring wells were installed, and a reportable detection limit occurred in April 1999. In accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Medway Block installed additional monitoring wells, a product recovery trench, two recovery wells, an oil/water separated and waste water treatment system to help remediate the site. The remedial system operated from 2002 until 2018.

On August 3, 2018 operations of the active remedial system were temporarily discontinued in accordance with the 310 CMR 40.0893(6)(d) in order to assess whether the remedial goals had been achieved and conditions remained stable. Following this assessment, the remedial system has remained off, and remedial activities have been limited to manual methods (periodic pumping, bailer recovery and sorbents) because the contamination area appears to be stable and not migrating.

The Town of Medway purchased the Medway Block property on December 16, 2022, and has continued the remedial activities described above.

Why is the Town interested in cleaning up this site?

During the Fall 2022 Town Meeting, residents voted to approve the purchase of Medway Block for several reasons including its strategic location in the Main Street Business District. By investing in this property, residents secured their voice the future development of the Site and the ability to create a downtown with new public service facilities they envision (Medway Master Plan 2022).

In order for the town to proceed, the site needs to be cleaned of its historic contamination. Activities will include a Hazardous Building Material Assessment, installation of additional monitoring wells to better define the contamination area, abatement of all identified contaminants, demolition and disposal of the existing buildings, and excavation and disposal of the contaminated soils.

How will this be funded?

The Department of Public Works was successfully awarded an EPA Targeted Brownfield Assessment Grant in the amount of $170,000 to complete the pre-demolition Hazardous Building Material Assessment and install additional monitoring wells. These activities must be completed prior to demolition or soil excavation. Once the Site is fully assessed and all contamination issues are identified, the town can proceed with abatement measures, demolition, and excavation.

The Town is applying to the EPA’s Brownfield Cleanup Grant in the amount of $1,986,000 to complete the abatement measures, demolition, and excavation. In thanks to funding provided by the Bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, the typical cash match contribution is waived. Securing this grant funding will allow the Town to remediate this site at nearly no cost to the Town.

What are the next steps and how can I be involved?

The application to the EPA’s Brownfield Cleanup Grant and the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) will be available from October 27, 2023 at noon through November 10, 2023 at noon for review and comment. The documents are included below. A hard copy of the application and ABCA is available at the Town Clerk Office (155 Village Street).

A public hearing will be held during the November 6, 2023 Select Board meeting at 7pm in Sanford Hall (Town Hall, 155 Village Street), where residents can ask questions and provide comments.

Please send comments to the DPW email address: DPW@townofmedway.org, leave comments with the Town Clerk, or provide comments at the Select Board meeting mention above.

The Town will submit the application and ABCA no later than November 13, 2023 and will await response from the EPA.