FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITE INSTALLATION ID: MA19799FA10500
QUABBIN BOMB RNG
Worcester County, Massachusetts
Cost So Far
$302K
Money already spent on the evaluation and cleanup of hazardous sites.
Expected Additional Cost
$18.8M
The estimated amount of money needed for evaluation and cleanup of hazardous sites at this installation.
Expected Completion Date
2032
The date by which the DOD estimates cleanup of all sites will be complete. Long term monitoring may continue after this date.
The former Quabbin Reservoir Precision Bombing Range was located in New Salem, Massachusetts. By Permit dated 12 March 1941 the Massachusetts Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission (MDWSC) granted the Government use of approximately 680... see more » The former Quabbin Reservoir Precision Bombing Range was located in New Salem, Massachusetts. By Permit dated 12 March 1941 the Massachusetts Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission (MDWSC) granted the Government use of approximately 680 acres of land at the Quabbin Reservoir for use as practice bombing and ground gunnery range, including the right to build structures to assist in the permitted use. Between May 1941 and June 1942 amendments to the permit were issued adding an additional five parcels of uncertain acreage for practice bombing use. By letter amendment dated 11 June 1943 the MDWSC deleted the original 680 acre parcel from the permit and substituted another parcel consisting of 255 acres. By separate Permit dated 15 April 1943 the MDWSC granted use of an additional parcel of land for erection of boathouse and workshops for the housing and repairing of service boats. There were several known targets established on islands within the reservoir reservation that were relatively inaccessible. The War Department built towers and other structures for observation and scoring of range activities. Other than the MDWSC and Department of Defense (DoD) no other entity had control of the site during the period of DoD use. By letter dated 16 March 1948 the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), successor to the MDWSC, informed the Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) that it had revoked the permits for the bombing ranges at Quabbin Reservoir effective 11 March 1948 and requested removal of Government equipment and buildings within thirty days. By letter dated 22 April 1948 SAC acknowledged the MDCs letter of revocation and indicated it was taking action to remove the Government owned improvements. Supplemental Agreement No. 1 (SA1), dated June 1949, to the permit dated 24 July 1941 more formally terminated the Government's use of the Quabbin lands. The SA1 tr (Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) « see less
2 Hazardous Sites
Below are the locations of hazardous sites associated with this military installation, according to the DOD. A site’s contamination may affect a much larger area, including public and private lands and the water supplies beneath them.
High Risk
Medium Risk
Low Risk
Risk Not Evaluated or Not Required
Response Complete
We haven't independently confirmed the location of every site. If you notice a site placed at the incorrect location, please contact us.
Not all sites in the DOD data include location information, so there may be sites listed below that are missing from the map. The risk level of a site refers to a relative risk assessment made by the DOD to prioritize the cleanup of sites.
2 Active Sites
Sites where military cleanup actions are still ongoing. The risk level of a site refers to a relative risk assessment made by the DOD, which prioritizes the cleanup of sites that pose greatest threat to safety, human health, and the environment.
Site ID: 03OEW
BOMB, ROCKET, AND STRAFING RANGES
Air to Land
Cost
$12.7M
Cost in 2015 plus expected future cost of cleanup
Final Cleanup Action
Sep 2030
This site is under ongoing monitoring until Sep 2063
Contaminated Areas
Soil: Low Risk
Contaminants: Iron 14900.0 mg/kg
Site ID: 01OEW
BOMBING AND STRAFING RANGES
Air to Land
Cost
$6.04M
Cost in 2015 plus expected future cost of cleanup
Final Cleanup Action
Sep 2032
This site is under ongoing monitoring until Sep 2065
Contaminated Areas
Sediment (Human): Low Risk
Contaminants: Antimony 0.31 mg/kg Lead 13.8 mg/kg Copper 18.7 mg/kg Zinc 28.3 mg/kg Iron 18100.0 mg/kg
Soil: Low Risk
Contaminants: Copper 22.5 mg/kg Iron 19300.0 mg/kg
Update (Dec. 5, 2017): We have changed the source of the installation cost data after being notified by the Department of Defense that they erroneously reported their own cost figures on the DERP website. We are now displaying the costs the department says are the most accurate available, from the Pentagon’s DERP database that we received in a FOIA request.
Note: The risk level of a site refers to a relative risk assessment made by the DOD to prioritize the cleanup of sites.
Data: All data comes from the Defense Environmental Restoration Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and will be released soon at the ProPublica Data Store. Read our methodology »