On January 11, 2021, IQHQ, the current owners of the former W.R. Grace site, have released their proposed plans for the site, which they are calling Alewife Park
Public Involvement Plan and Activity and Use Limitations
State watch ends although asbestos contamination
will remain in soil
The Massachusetts clean-up process has been privatized, so consultants
hired by W. R. Grace represent the state. The hundreds of thousands of
pounds of asbestos fibers buried in the soil are not a current health risk,
but would be if the site is developed. The consultants were allowed to
end the state watch by writing instructions supposed to be followed by the
heavy construction machine operators and by limiting uses of the site.
The Public Involvement Plan for the site describes the process for informing the public
in advance about site clean-up activities and to allow an opportunity for comment on the plans.
Usually the PIP ends when the clean-up activities have completed, but the neighbors were able
to extend the PIP to apply to future clean-up activities.
The Activity and Use Limitations (AUL) are a set of a deed restriction on site activities and uses that take into
consideration contamination on site that could pose a significant risk to health,
safety and/or welfare, but that is not planned to be cleaned up because it does
not pose a risk under the current site usage.
The W. R. Grace Site has been found to be highly contaminated with asbestos
and hydrocarbons. Alewife Neighbors has secured three consecutive one-year
Technical Assistance Grants from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) to follow the progress of the clean-up and provide information
to the neighbors.
Through this funding, Alewife Neighbors hired a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to oversee collection of the soil and air samples and to perform independent analyses of samples shared with the consultants hired by W.R. Grace and the City of Cambridge. Additionally, the Licensed Site Professional reviewed the documentation provided by the consultants hired by W.R. Grace.
Below are some of the milestones during the remediation process and associated correspondence.
Additional information is available at the
Alewife Study Group website. The
site has historical information as well as updates on the Utility
Trench Excavation.
Also see the Reports section of this site for
archived reports from federal government agencies (EPA and ATSDR) related to the Grace Site.
The documents for the site filed with the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection are now available online at MassDEP files for RTN 3-0000277 Newer files were electronically submitted. Older files were scanned. Select the appropriate tab in the DEP File Viewer
Map of Asbestos Contamination at W.R. Grace Site, 62 Whittemore Ave., Cambridge, MA
Locations marked in red had detectable asbestos by PLM, Polarized Light Microscopy, at the percentage indicated
TR = trace, less than 1% ; TEM is detection by Transmission Electron Microscopy
Larger version of the map download to see detail
27 December 1995 "Public Involvement Plan" by Haley & Aldrich - specifies public involvement opportunities during the clean-up
April 2001 "Airborne Asbestos Management and Monitoring Plan for Soil Disturbing Activities" released as an appendix of the following document.
3 May 2001 "Final Utility Trench Excavation Release Abatement Measure (RAM) Plan/Asbestos Soil Management Plan (ASMP)" released by Haley & Aldrich
August 2, 2001 "Draft Decision Regarding Utility Trench Excavation" by Cambridge Public Health Department
13 August 2001 "Addendum to Final Utility Trench Excavation, Release Abatement Measure (RAM) Plan/Asbestos Soil Management Plan" Public Comment Draft released by Haley & Aldrich.
3 September 2001 "Comments: Addendum to Utility Trench Excavation Release Abatement Measure (RAM) Plan/Asbestos Soil Management Plan" submitted by Alewife Neighbors
7 September 2001 "Review of Haley & Aldrich, Inc. Responses to Public Comments Contained in April 2001 Final Airborne Asbestos Management and Monitoring Plan" by GeoInsight, commissioned by Alewife Neighbors.
4 December 2001 "Tier I Permit Extension Application" request by Alewife Neighbors to DEP for a public comment period.
15 January 2002 "Public Comment Period (PC-1) for Tier I Permit Extension Application" by Alewife Neighbors.
19 January 2005 Revised Form 1075 AUL for Alewife Land Corp. updated draft version of legal format of AUL (deed restriction), by Haley & Aldrich, for WR Grace property not planned for use by WR Grace operations, possibly for future development.
