Contamination Study to Take Place on Town Property

Selectmen granted conditional approval Monday for a monitoring well at Hedgehog Park.

The well will be installed by Weston Solutions, Inc. contingent upon a review of the agreement by town council.

The company was hired by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to do an environmental study of the area. A total of 10 other wells will also be put in on surrounding properties.

According to Weston Solutions consultants Betty Nowack and Andrew Klappholz, Salem was the last access agreement needed.

The study was initiated by the presence of Methyl t-Butyl Ether (MtBE) in the Salem's former Turner Well. Selectmen approved dissolving the town's 10-year-old agreement with the Turner Homestead group in December.

The following fact sheet excerpt from the NHDES details MtBE:

Methyl tertiary-Butyl Ether (MtBE) is a colorless, synthetically produced liquid. Most people can smell MtBE in water at relatively low concentrations. Depending on the level in water, the odor has been described as “sweet, solvent-like, alcohol, or turpentine.” MtBE is produced primarily for the petroleum industry and is blended into gasoline to increase the octane rating. A small quantity of MtBE is used by the petroleum industry in the synthesis of other organic chemicals. MtBE has also been used by the medical profession experimentally to treat gallstones by dissolving them.

"We'd like to collect a sample from Hedgehog Park to see if that has contamination.

Nowack said that initial studies looking at bedrock walls found contamination at a relatively low level.

"It's not something where we're looking to find a source of contamination on the town property," said Nowack. "But we're looking to put one well, on the north, along the road, to look for contamination moving from the north, south."

Nowack said that historically, the property across the street from the park has documented MtBE.

Selectman Pat Hargreaves asked if the well installation will interfere with phase 3 and 4 upgrades to the park, which Recreation Director Chris Dillon said it would not.

Klappholz said that they can make the well flush through the ground service so that it's not a tripping hazard.

The board, at the suggestion of Town Manager Keith Hickey, also requested that the well be filled in once the study is completed.

Hargreaves also requested a sample of the water from the pond be taken, which wasn't on the firm's testing list, but the two consultants said it could be added.

Town council will be consulted on the agreement at the suggestion of Selectman Stephen Campbell to make sure the town isn't liable in the event that the well causes an injury.

As for disturbing the area, Klappholz said that they will be accessing through a swing gate, and the most that can be disturbed is the grass.

"We can mitigate that with the use of plywood if need be," he said.

Nowack said the funding will come from the N.H. Ether Fund, meaning no cost to any of the properties that were discussed, including the town.

"The end result of what we're trying to do is deliniate where (the MtBE) is and where it's going," said Nowack. "If the state decides to invest money in cleaning it up we know where to install wells."

The study is expected to run through until the end of summer.