Community Corner

Latest Soil Tests at Mary Dennison Park Found Arsenic

Avery Dennison has agreed in concept to covering a portion of the cost of the work done to date by the Town and additional testing.

Latest test results from soil sampling at Mary Dennison Park indicated a level of arsenic, above the acceptable limit set by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

A report on the latest soil tests is due to the Town of Framingham in 1-2 weeks, said Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin.

“We did receive notification from Avery Dennison’s LSP of an Imminent Hazard Notification made to the DEP from one soil sample in the North/Central area of the park. Specifically the notification was for a level of Arsenic at 42mg/kg (parts per million, ppm), just slightly above the standard of 40 parts per million, ppm,” said Halpin to Selectmen at their last meeting on Tuesday. “We will continue to monitor the results of the additional testing as we receive them and will provide the Board with a full update as soon as all of the information is received.”

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Halpin told Selectmen once the results from the latest tests are available, he would ”bring a small group of community stakeholders together to update them on the progress to date.”

Arsenic is a poisonous substance, which is can be naturally from the Earth’s crust. Arsenic can cause cancer if eaten or drunk, but studies are unclear on the dangers of elevated levels of arsenic in soil. Young children could ingest arsenic by getting their hands dirty and then putting them in their mouths.

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Framingham Patch was the first media outlet to report on the closure of the playground at the park.

Since that time the Town of Framingham has completed additional soil sampling and testing and ground water sampling testing.

Avery Dennison also have agreed in concept to covering a portion of the cost of the work done to date by the Town.

In December, after significant discussions between the Avery Dennison Corporation, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Town of Framingham, the Avery Dennison Corp. agreed to begin additional testing at Mary Dennison Park. Tests were conducted on Dec. 18.

The approved sampling and testing program approved by MassDEP will include tests for a wide range of chemicals and compounds of concern reflecting the nature of material that exists in the former dump that exists under the park.

Avery Dennison merged with Dennison Manufacturing Company, who gave the Mary Dennison Park property to the Town between 1956 and 1964.

The property was used as a dump from the mid-1920s to the late 1940s or early 1950’s.

In early 2014, the Town notified the state and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) it discovered toxins in the soil of the playground, located off Beaver Street.

In March, the Town hired an environmental consultant to drill in 15 locations to get soil samples between 6 inches and 6 feet in the 17-acre park and uncovered high levels of lead and other metals.

The soil samples from the top 12 inches, except for one, had low levels of contaminates. Several of the deeper soil samples had higher levels of metals, lead and arsenic, but people using the park would not come into contact with them, said the consultant.


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