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Contaminated Ponds at Airport
At the Barnstable Municipal Airport in Yarmouth there are two ponds that have contaminants in them. However, the contaminants are apparently buried under several layers of dirt. The decision is now whether or not to clean the area and move chemicals near water supplies or just leave the chemicals buried where they are currently.
The final decision on what needs to be done will be determined by the state's Department of Environment Protection or DEP. Once the DEP finishes their analysis of the contaminants and the potential pathways then a decision will be made.
The sediment layers around the ponds contain lead as well as the water itself although the levels are not considered dangerous. A monitor of the nearby water supply has shown no impact from the contaminants so far. Remove of the contaminants has raised concern since it would require mobilizing the chemicals which could pose and increased risk to the drinking water.
Officials were concerned that the study of how to manage the contaminants would be complicated by plans to use the airport as a secondary sight for wastewater. However, the airport is only one of eight sites considered for wastewater needs in the future and it is not considered a top choice for the city.
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