| Abstract |
The 250-acre South Municipal Water Supply Well site is near the Town of Peterborough, in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. Also on the site are the New Hampshire Ball Bearings Incorporated (NHBB) manufacturing facility, several commercial establishments, and several apartments. The town of Peterborough discontinued use of the South Well in May 1983 after the State discovered VOC contamination in water samples taken from the well. Subsequent investigations revealed that a plume of contaminated ground water extended from under the NHBB property to the vicinity of the South Well. VOC contamination was also detected in soil on the NHBB property, and wetlands sediment was found to be contaminated with PCBs, metals, and PAHs. Investigations attributed the contamination to in-house chemical releases that were subsequently washed out through floor drains or slop sinks to outfalls, or washed out through facility doors. Exterior releases contributed to contamination at the site through the draining of a truck-mounted waste solvent tank. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the soil and ground water are VOCs including PCE, TCE, and toluene; the primary contaminants of concern affecting the sediment are organics including PCBs and PAHs, and metals. |
