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Community Corner

ABB Completes Remediation of Day Hill Road Property

Environmental cleanup of the site is now all but done.

After 18 years, ABB has completed the environmental clean up of the property they own at 2000 Day Hill Road. Originally constructed in 1956 to create nuclear fuel for Naval submarines, the site has changed hands a few times over the years. 

"The result of the Navy operations and commercial operations left behind uranium residue and chemical contamination in a number of areas," said Senior Project Manager, John Conant.

As Conant went through his presentation to the Town Council, he shared photos of the meticulous work which has been completed over the years in order to bring the 600 acre site back to it's original form.  ABB has not only removed the buildings where the Naval work took place, they have removed uranium laced topsoil, drained, cleaned and reworked waterways and removed a vast piping system from the ground.

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Conant described how some projects took unpredictable turns and sometimes had to be adjusted, making their completion take even longer. One example is the remediation of  the Site Brook.  "We thought we would be able to use a giant vacuum to suck the sediment out," said Conant. "That turned out to not work very well."

A radiological remediation of the site was completed in November of this year after which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Conn.  Department of Energy and Environmental Protection verified their work.  A final verification will be done by these agencies in 2012.

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Groundwater remediation is to start in 2012.

And then, "Long term monitoring to make sure we did the job right,” said Conant. "The last shipment went out this morning," he said.  "We’re really thrilled to be here tonight and share that with you."

Mayor Donald Trinks had good things to say about Conant and his team. “We have never had to bang on their door," said Trinks. "I have always been kept right in the loop; ABB is a great example of a corporation in town,” he said.

Town Manager Peter Souza agreed.  “They have kept us informed every step of the way," he echoed. "This is a rebirth for the 600 plus acre site. As we move forward we would not be having that conversation unless we had the corporate stewardship like ABB offered," said Souza.

Conant said it will take about a year and a half to assemble and process all of the paperwork from the 18 year long project.

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