Pease Air Force Base

Pease Air Force Base (Pease AFB) occupies approximately 4,365 acres of land in southeastern New Hampshire. It is bordered on the east by the City of Portsmouth, on the north by the Town of Newington, and on the southeast by the Town of Greenland.

Pease AFB was developed in the early 1930's by the City of Portsmouth as a 300-acre municipal airport. The Navy leased the airport during World War II, and in 1946, exclusive rights to the field were transferred from the Navy to the Air Force. In 1951, the installation was selected for development as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base. Purchase of additional land needed for expansion of the base started in 1952 and was completed in 1956. Ground breaking for the new SAC facilities took place in 1954, and the first B-47 bombers arrived in 1956. During its history, Pease AFB has been the home of the 100th Bombardment Wing and the 509th Bombardment Wing, whose mission is to develop and maintain operational capacity to permit the conduct of strategic warfare in the event of war. The New Hampshire Air National Guard relocated the 157th Military Airlift Group (MAG) from Grenier Field at Manchester, NH to Pease AFB in 1966. The mission of this group was changed in 1975 when it was designated as the 157th Air Refueling Group.

In December 1988, Pease AFB was selected as one of the 86 military installations to be closed as part of the Secretary of Defense's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure. Pease AFB closed on March 31, 1991. Military personnel began leaving the base in June 1990. In 1989, 3,461 active-duty military and 741 civil service workers and 347 non-appropriated fund employees were employed at Pease AFB. Of the active duty personnel, 49 were with the Air National Guard (U.S. Air Force, Cost Branch Comptroller, Pease AFB, 1989). It is estimated that the base created a total of 2,466 secondary jobs within the local communities (U.S. Air Force, Cost Branch Comptroller, Pease AFB, 1988). As of April 1, 1991, the Air Force will maintain a Disposal Management Team of civilian personnel. The New Hampshire Air National Guard has a full time staff of three hundred military and civilian personnel with a part time potential of over one thousand.

Activities at Pease AFB in support of aircraft maintenance operations have generated listed and characteristic hazardous waste including spent degreasers, solvents, paint strippers and contaminated jet fuels. The total quantity of the above referenced hazardous waste generated per year has been estimated to be 1,500 to 2,000 gallons. In addition, approximately 14,000 gallons per year of waste petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) (mostly engine oils and some combined petroleum and solvent wastes such as hydraulic fluid, PD-680, MOGAS, diesel fuel, and JP-4) and 10,000 gallons per year of reclaimed JP-4 have been generated.

Recognized past industrial waste disposal practices at Pease AFB can be characterized as follows:

In addition, landfilling of various combinations of solid waste (primarily composed of municipal-type refuse from family housing, administration, and shop buildings) has occurred at six landfills and two construction rubble dumps (primarily receiving inert construction and demolition debris) within base boundaries. Since 1975 base refuse has been disposed of by contract collection. Since 1975 to 1982 refuse was disposed of off base; from 1982 to 1987 it was incinerated at the City of Portsmouth's refuse-to-energy plant located on base, along with off-base refuse from the greater Portsmouth Area: and since 1987 it has again been disposed of off-base by contract collection.

Investigations of past hazardous waste disposal practices to determine potential environmental impacts began at Pease AFB in 1983 under the Department of Defense's Installation Restoration Program (IRP). The Phase I, Installation Assessment/Records Search identified past disposal locations and recommended locations needing further consideration. The Records Search identified 18 sites as potential areas requiring some degree of further investigation. The 18 sites consisted of six landfills, three spill sites, two construction rubble dumps, two Fire Departments Training Areas, a solvent disposal site, a leaded fuel sludge disposal site, an industrial shop zone, an equipment cleaning site, and a munitions residue burial site.

Between 1984 and 1987, Phase 2 - Stage 1, field investigations were conducted to determine which locations need further study. In 1987, based upon the recommendations of Stage 1 report, Phase 2 - Stage 2 investigation work was initiated at various sites. The Stage 2 report, released to the general public in August 1990, revealed that contaminants were detected in groundwater at sixteen sites. Chlorinated VOCs occur more frequently than other types of contaminants in groundwater and at the highest concentrations of the VOCs detected in groundwater at Pease AFB. Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC) in surface waters were exceeded in all drainage basins sampled, with the exception of one. Background concentrations have been exceeded in sediment samples from all drainage basins. Analytes that may be attributable to historical site activities were detected in soils at all Stage 2 sites where soil samples were collected.

As the Stage 2 work effort evolved, five (5) sites were removed from the Stage 2 and placed into a new work effort, (i.e., Stage 3), to facilitate the implementation of Interim Remedial Measures (IRM's) at these sites. The IRP at Pease was to include four phases of investigation/cleanup. However, only two were implemented at the base before the IRP converted to EPA's "Superfund" terminology which follows the guidelines of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP).

On July 14, 1989, Pease AFB was proposed for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL) and, on February 21, 1990 (55 Fed. Reg. 6154), Pease AFB was listed on the NPL.

As such, Pease AFB became a Superfund Site and subject to the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), (collectively referred to as CERCLA or Superfund).

On February 24, 1991, the Pease Air Force Base Federal Facility Agreement Under CERCLA Section 120 (Pease FFA) was signed. The Pease FFA established the procedural framework for implementing the actions in accordance with CERCLA. Under the State's, and EPA-New England's oversight, the Air Force carried out the investigatory activities necessary to fully characterize 32 sites and conduct another basewide preliminary assessment/site inspection (PA/SI). The second PA/SI was to ensure all potential sources of contamination present at Pease AFB which were not known to exist, or were not adequately addressed during previous IRP efforts, were identified and evaluated. The second PA/SI, evaluated 21 additional locations to determine if remedial investigations under Superfund are warranted.

In 1992, the sites were grouped into eight zones, based on physical proximity and similar characteristics, in order to: 1) provide a more efficient and effective means to manage the sites at Pease AFB; 2) facilitate the selection of the most appropriate environmental response actions; and 3) expedite the swift implementation of the remedial actions.

An amendment to the Pease FFA was drafted to incorporate additional sites into the Pease FFA that the second PA/SI indicated warranted inclusion and formalize the revised schedule for remedial activities that were developed as a result of grouping the sites into zones. Modification #1 to the Pease AFB Federal Facility Agreement became effective on March 18, 1993.

NHDES has concurred with all of the eleven Superfund Records of Decisions (RODs) signed by EPA and the Air Force. The following Superfund remedial actions were taken:

In 1993, the Air Force completed the excavation of contaminated soils at the Jet Engine Test Cell site (Site 34), which removed a source of groundwater contamination and has resulted in an improvement in groundwater quality.

In 1994 and 1995, the Air Force excavated waste in contact with groundwater at Landfill 5 and consolidated solid waste from Landfills 2, 4 and 6 into Landfill 5. Including the quantities of petroleum contaminated soil, excavated under the Underground Storage Tank program and placed in Landfill 5 to prevent contact with groundwater and rainwater infiltration. At Landfill 6, a wetland was constructed where the landfill once existed to compensate for wetlands impacted by the closure of Landfill 5. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing.

In 1995, the Air Force constructed a Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) system and groundwater treatment plant at Fire Department Training Area 2 that has removed more than 25,000 kg of contaminants. The SVE system consists of 189 soil vapor extraction vents, 121 passive vents, a catalytic oxidation unit for the destruction of vapor-phase contaminants, six groundwater extraction wells, and a groundwater treatment plant with a metals removal system, an air stripper and carbon adsorption. Soil and groundwater treatment and monitoring is ongoing.

In 1995, the Air Force installed sheetpiling to the top of bedrock to form a physical barrier around the source of groundwater contamination at Building 113 and constructed a groundwater treatment plant to treat groundwater pumped from seven hydraulic containment extraction wells. At complex sites like Building 113 it is technically impracticable to extract the source of contamination (Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids) from the subsurface. Until remedial response technologies are developed that the can overcome the limitations of current technologies, the Air Force will be required to contain the source of contamination until the threat to groundwater quality is mitigated. Groundwater treatment and monitoring is ongoing.

In 1996, additional groundwater extraction wells were installed and the Jet Engine Test Cell (Site 34) pilot groundwater treatment plant was modified to treat contaminated groundwater emanating from an adjacent hangar. Groundwater treatment and monitoring is ongoing.

At the Old Engine Test Stand (Site 45) the SVE system has cleaned up contaminated soils to below regulatory standards and the system has been shut down. Low levels of groundwater contamination are being naturally attenuated and groundwater monitoring is ongoing.

In 1996, the excavation and disposal of sediments in Upper Newfields Ditch and Upper Grafton Ditch was completed.

In May 1997, an SVE/air sparging system became operational at Burn Area 1, which is located on the west side of the runway. Here, the removal of contaminants is enhanced by the injection of air below the groundwater table, which transfers contaminants from soil particles to the vapor phase (also known as air sparging). In 2005 the SVE/Air Sparging was determined to have met soil clean-up objectives and soil treatment was terminated. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing.

In 1997, the excavation and disposal of sediments in McIntyre Brook and Pauls Brook was completed.

In 1999 a subsurface Permeable Reactive Wall was installed at Site 73, Building 234, to treat contaminated groundwater as it flows through the wall.

As a result of an environmental site assessment conducted at a site where redevelopment activities were planned, chlorinated solvents were discovered in groundwater in the vicinity of Building 22. The Air Force has conducted a site investigation and a soil removal action. The site is now identified as Site 49. A PRW was installed in June and July of 2000 to treat groundwater contamination.

In 2003 the Zone 3 ROD was amended because the EPA and DES determined the Site 39 remedy was not operating properly and successfully. The amended ROD required construction of a contingency wellhead treatment system for the Haven well, optimization of the groundwater extraction system at Site 39, termination of groundwater extraction at Site 34 and modification of the long-term monitoring plan. In the summer of 2005 the wellhead treatment plant was completed and the Site 39 groundwater extraction system was determined to be operating properly and successfully.

Current environmental site conditions: At sites under Superfund's jurisdiction where the source of contamination has been removed but the concentration of contaminants in groundwater exceed the groundwater quality standards, natural processes associated with natural attenuation should restore groundwater quality to acceptable levels in a reasonable time frame. At those Superfund sites where either the source of contamination is undergoing treatment or further migration of the contaminant plume represents a potential threat to human health and the environment, active treatment of contaminated groundwater in a treatment plant is on going.

Current phase of remediation: The Department has concurred with all of the eleven Superfund Record of Decisions (RODs) signed by EPA and the Air Force. All remedial actions required by Superfund were implemented by 1997 and determined to be operating properly and successfully (OPS) by the summer of 2005. The OPS determination at all sites allowed the Air Force to transfer by deed the Air Base property. By the Fall of 2005 the Pease Development Authority was deeded all portions of the former Air Base located on Pease Tradeport.

The following list of IRP sites indicates their current status. Additional sites are either being addressed through, or in coordination with the Underground Storage Tank Program.

Underground Storage Tanks at Pease consisted of UST's associated with various buildings and operations and stored various petroleum products such as solvents, motor oil, used oil, diesel, gasoline, MOGAS (gasoline) and heating oils. Historically, daily inventory records of the amount of Petroleum product stored in any UST were sketchy. Maintenance records for most of the USTs were not maintained or have been lost. Without good inventory records, any UST is suspect to loss of product to the soil or groundwater. The largest operation was the flight line fuel distribution system (FLRS) and was comprised of 66 underground storage tanks and 11 miles of related piping. This system along with most other UST's was installed in the late 50's early 60's and was closed-out by the Air Force as part of the environmental restoration program to convert the former military base to civilian use. The FLRS overlies a major aquifer, which currently supplies drinking water to the City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Removal of the system was required to protect the aquifer. Based on the findings of the fuel distribution closure activities, over 35,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil have been removed and groundwater contamination has been documented.

The focus of the LUST/UST program at Pease AFB is to remove the majority of the USTs due to redevelopment of the base and to maintain compliance with NHDES UST rules for the remaining tanks. There were 161 listed UST locations, of these only 18 are currently in use, the remaining tanks were removed or closed in-place.

The types of contaminants that have been identified in soil and groundwater from UST releases include typical hydrocarbons, such as: benzene; ethylbenzene; toluene; xylene; and total petroleum (heavier than molecular weight hydrocarbons). At several UST locations contamination in ground water has mixed with releases form a hazardous waste IRP site. Remedial actions taken will have to be coordinated to ensure environmental conditions are restored at both sites.

In order to assist DOD in its efforts under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP), the State signed the Defense/State Memorandum of Agreement (DSMOA) January of 1993. Through a DSMOA cooperative agreement, the state receives funds to provide support services to DoD's components in their environmental assessment and restoration efforts.

In order to optimize the response actions and ensure that all remedial objectives are achieved in a cost-effective manner, the Air Force, EPA, and NHDES will continue to evaluate long-term monitoring results.

NEW BOSTON AIR FORCE SATELLITE TRACKING STATION
(NBAFSTS)

The New Boston Air Force Station (FFID - NBAFSTS) (NH157112402300) is situated in southeast New Hampshire, in Hillsborough County, approximately 12 miles west of the city of Manchester. The station occupies 2826 acres (plus easements of 49.43 acres), of which approximately 125 acres are developed with the remaining area consisting of forest, ponds, and wetlands. The undeveloped areas are designated as wildlife forage areas, and limited recreational use (camping and fishing) is allowed.

The land occupied by the NBAFSTS has undergone several organizational and functional changes since its first military use in 1942.

There are no environmental restoration activities planned at the NBAFSTS until FY 2002.

U.S. ARMY COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORY
(CRREL)

The Cold Regions Research and Environmental Laboratory (CRREL) (FFID - NH157002484700) is located at 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, New Hampshire 03775. The property is approximately 2 miles north from the town of Hanover, New Hampshire, and is bordered on the west by the Connecticut River. CRREL is located on a 30 acre lot in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth College purchased the land from Walter Record of Hanover, New Hampshire in 1932. In 1960, CRREL leased 19.2 acres of land from Dartmouth College for the purpose of constructing a research facility. Prior to 1960, the land was used for agricultural purposes. Gravel was also mined on the western edge bordering the Connecticut River. In 1982, CRREL expanded, and purchased an 11 acre lot. This additional land lies on the western border of the original leased property.

The current operator of the land is CRREL, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, Telephone (603)646-4100. The daily work population consists of approximately seven military and 303 civilian personnel. No one lives on the installation. As the Army's center of expertise in cold regions science and engineering, CRREL focuses on the technology base needed for the Army and other Department of Defense (DoD) agencies to operate effectively in winter and cold regions conditions. Functional areas are Cold Regions Technology, Military Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Construction and Facilities Support, and Civil Works.

Environmental Issues:

In late October 1990, the Air Force notified the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) that experiments conducted at the Laboratory in 1984-85 could have caused potential ground water contamination with tetrachloroethylene (PCE). As a result, the Laboratory's in-house chemistry capabilities were used to analyze the water from four industrial cooling wells and a nearby municipal water supply. Although the tests proved negative for PCE, they revealed elevated levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) in three of the four industrial wells. Additional sites on CRREL property were tested for TCE contamination, and elevated TCE levels were also at the site of the previously buried TCE tank.

TCE was the secondary refrigerant of CRREL's main laboratory between 1960-87. During this period, TCE was not known as a suspected carcinogen, and so the chemical was not handled as a hazardous waste. Quantities lost in day-to-day leaks in the machinery were never recorded. Also during this time, it was not uncommon for used TCE to be discarded directly into the ground.

Several significant events may have also contributed to elevated TCE levels in the ground. A gasket blow-out of an evaporator caused over 6000 gallons of TCE to spill onto the floor of the machine room in May 1970. Although most of the liquid was evacuated to a storage tank, much of it went down the floor drains, which lead to the sewer system.

In July 1970, an above-ground TCE tank exploded, and approximately 3000 gallons of TCE was flushed into the storm system by the fire department (this was the accepted practice at that time).

Finally, in 1978, the experimental ice well was shut down for repairs to the heat exchanger. The water in the well, which was noted to be contaminated with TCE, was pumped, and was eventually pored into the storm drain or into the ground with the rest of the CRREL's discard TCE.

Presently, there is virtually no TCE being used or stored on CRREL property. Almost all of the TCE was removed from CRREL in 1987, when the refrigeration system was modified to use Freon. The TCE contaminated water from the industrial wells, however, is circulated for cooling. Once circulated, the water enters the storm drains, and is eventually fed into the Connecticut River (CRREL has been granted an emergency exclusion by EPA, from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services discharge permit requirements due to the elevated levels of TCE in its groundwater). Although the TCE levels are elevated at the outfall, they are non-detectable 50 feet from the point discharge. In attempt to find the TCE plume, nearby wells are also being monitored for TCE contamination. To this date, there has been no conclusive evidence linking the TCE in CRREL's groundwater to the contamination of other water wells.

Site Status:

On-going monitoring is being conducted for five industrial wells, a two-hundred foot deep well used for experiments, and at the site of a previously buried TCE tank. CRREL is working with the United States Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency (USATHAMA) and the Corps of Engineers New England Division (NED) and has installed a treatment system for CRREL's outflow of TCE-contaminated water into the Connecticut River. Two Remedial Investigations have been completed. Subsequent remedial activities for all sites include the submission of a Remedial Action Plan (RAP), remediation of the source areas and long-term monitoring under a groundwater management permit.

FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES
(FUDS)

Five Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) have been identified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) where the State's oversight of environmental response actions are eligible for reimbursement under a Cooperative Agreement with ACoE. These five sites are: Grenier Field, Manchester; Camp Langdon, Rye; Concord Point, Rye; Fort Constitution, New Castle; and, Massabesic National Guard Firing Range in Auburn.

A total of thirty-four FUDS have been identified in New Hampshire. The Department has applied for a grant from EPA to enable the Department to confirm that no human health or environmental threat exist at these sites.

DEFENSE FUEL SUPPORT POINT - Newington
(DFSP)

The Defense Fuel Support Point - Newington (DFSP) (FFID - NH197152484700) is located approximately 4 miles northwest of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and 2 miles northeast of Newington. The terminal is 14.9 acres and lies on the Piscataqua River, which is a major waterway used for the shipping of manufactured products. The DFSP mission was to receive, store, and deliver jet propulsion fuel (JP-4) and employed 1 military and 11 civilians before closing in February 1990. The U.S. Air Force currently owns the property.

The DFSP has a docking pier for unloading fuel from barges and tankers, and a truck loading rack. Aviation Gas and then jet propulsion fuel were stored in two 80,000 barrel and four 50,000 barrel underground storage tanks at this facility. All of the tanks, which are below ground, are constructed of steel and have a 12-inch concrete and 4-foot soil cap. During cleaning operations in April 1981, an explosion at Tank 3 destroyed the top of the tank, which remains out-of-service. Prior to the closure of Pease Air Force Base, the terminal pumped JP-4 to Pease Air Force Base through 8- and 10-inch pipelines that are approximately 1-1/4 miles in length. The DFSP supplied fuel to New Hampshire State Military Reservation, Concord, and Fort Devens, Massachusetts by tank truck. All of the tanks and the pipeline have been drained and cleaned and are currently inactive.

Since 1983, twelve site assessment subsurface studies were conducted at the site and off-site. Five major contaminated areas were identified at the site. Remedial efforts began in 1984 with free-phase floating product recovery, and has progressed to an integrated effort combining soil vapor extraction treatment, groundwater extraction and soil removal.

The groundwater contamination problems at DFSP have occurred at the manifold (the piping and valve system to route the fuel between the delivery pier, storage tanks, Pease Air Force Base and the truck filling station), the stormwater lagoon, two underground oil/water separator tanks and the truck filling station, commonly called the truck rack. Some valves and comparison flanges at the manifold had leaked directly onto the ground for an undetermined period of time. Fuels that did not evaporate infiltrated into the upper soil horizon and percolated to the shallow aquifer. A concrete pad for containing leaking fuel and runoff was installed in the fall of 1982 and was removed in 1996 to facilitate the removal of soils in the manifold area.

One of the underground oil/water separator tanks (OWS2) was located directly adjacent to the manifold area and was designed to receive runoff from the manifold area concrete pad. This tank over-flowed on February 3, 1983. The investigation of this overflow included excavating around OWS2 which revealed a broken 4-inch cast iron inlet pipe and an appreciable quantity of fuel in the ground near the top of the tank. Approximately 2,500 gallons of fuel were recovered from the excavation. The tank and all lines feeding it were removed in 1991. Investigations at the monitoring wells in the area of the manifold and OWS2 (manifold area) indicated that a recoverable quantity of fuel existed in the subsurface. There was no evidence to show that fuel found in the subsurface migrated from the area to the Piscataqua River.

From April of 1984 to June of 1986 a total of 1,154 gallons of product were recovered from the manifold area with a fuel recovery trench and well. Additional active remediation was conducted at the manifold area, starting in January of 1992, where approximately 4,300 pounds of petroleum hydrocarbons were removed from the subsurface soil by multi-point dewatering/treatment and SVE. All identified free-phase floating product was recovered. Subsequent routine monitoring showed that there was another occurrence of floating fuel products in the subsurface. As a result the Remedial Action Plan was revised to provide for removing contaminated soils from all contaminated areas on the site, including the truck rack, OWS1 and the manifold area.

In October of 1996 approximately 500 tons of soil was removed from the site and transported for thermal treatment. Subsequent analyses showed that the removal successfully lowered contaminants in the truck rack and the OWS1 areas. The manifold area still showed some contamination, including increased levels of benzene, ethylbenzene and naphthalene in some monitoring wells downgradient of the soil excavation. Subsequent analyses showed that ethylbenzene decreased below the AGQS levels, while benzene and naphthalene have been typically decreasing. Accordingly, the Department issued a Certificate of Completion in October of 1997 stating that the active remediation is complete.

The groundwater quality at the site has been managed via groundwater monitoring networks consisting of up to 19 monitoring wells. A Groundwater Management Permit (GMP) was issued in 1995, and reissued in 2000. This GMP currently requires monitoring of the groundwater at seven monitoring wells.