POLLUTION PROFILE OF THE HOLLISTON WASTE TRANSFER STATION: ARE POLLUTANTS FROM THE FACILITY CONTAMINATING LOCAL GROUNDWATER?
Abstract
Like many towns in Massachusetts, Holliston receives their drinking water through groundwater fed wells throughout the town. A challenge for maintaining safe drinking water is that Holliston, has a weak hydrogeological layer. This vulnerability in surface geology can allow contaminants to leak into the groundwater. One such facility, the Holliston Waste Transfer Station has had a long history of accidental hazardous releases of chemical contaminants. A deeper investigation into the regulatory history of the facility, the total number of hazardous contaminants detected at the site, and the geophysical characteristics of the site revealed that while the facility had been maintaining their correct permits over time, a number of hazardous contaminants had been detected within the soil, groundwater, and surface water all above the benchmark concentrations set by either the state or the town. In groundwater specifically, elevated levels of BTEX, chromium, manganese, benzo(a)pyrene, and 2-methylnapthalene have all been detected.