Massachusetts Port Authority port officials and contractors planning the August resurfacing of a small Hanscom Field taxiway acknowledged Tuesday that the wheels of trucks departing the construction site will be washed first and measures will be included to control dust there.
That was a small victory to some residents who have expressed concern about potential air contamination resulting from the transport of project waste.
Other new details about the mill and overlay project that were announced at Tuesday’s virtual meeting of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission were:
- The resurfacing, originally scheduled to start on Aug. 3, will begin about two weeks later because of “supply chain issues.” The work, planned for weekdays during normal business hours, will still take 30 days to complete.
- The 400 total truck trips (half into the airport and half out) will most likely follow a haul route along Concord Road between Hartwell and Bedford Center. Most of the truck traffic is expected over the first few days of the project.
- Outbound trucks may be empty, as Massport is trying to determine if the milled asphalt from the taxiway can be stockpiled for use on other projects on the facility.
Two representatives of Massport’s project team were on the screen Tuesday to address specific questions submitted since the last HFAC meeting. Most of those were about the potential for lead contamination.
Susan Bator, a consulting engineer, said there are no plans to test the milled asphalt for lead, since it is like “any ordinary road project, and the material does not require testing for any contaminants.”
Resident Chris Boles pointed out that “this isn’t just any pavement. It has been sitting on a runway with a lot of piston-engine planes that burn fuel with lead.” Jennifer Boles added that the taxiway was part of Hanscom’s original runway network from the 1940s. She warned that not only pavement but surrounding soil could be contaminated, and dust will be raised and attach to the dump trucks.
Bator dismissed pavement as a source because any lead emissions would bind to organic matter, not to bituminous pavement. “We are anticipating only a limited amount of soil disturbance and don’t anticipate any removal,” she said, adding that any excess will be tested consistent with state Department of Environmental Protection policies.
Jennifer Boles persisted, stating that even if pavement and soil aren’t transported, dust will be raised at the site and will be mixed with millings and on truck surfaces. She asked, “Will you water down the site and wash the trucks?”
Massport Project Manager Dan Dragani replied that a “wheel wash” will be employed, and “there will be a dust control clause in the contract and water trucks on the site to keep dust to a minimum.” He also said loads will be covered in transport and will be monitored to ensure that the covers do their job.
“That’s the kind of reassurance the neighbors are looking for,” said Chris Eliot of Lincoln, commission chair.
Dragani, responding to a question raised at the June HFAC meeting, said that although there are still options being reviewed, it is likely that the transport route for delivery of asphalt will traverse Concord Road from Bedford Center, then along Hartwell Road to an access point across from The Edge sports complex. That route suggests that the trucks will be traveling to and from Billerica, and maybe beyond.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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