Contaminated Portion Of Hop Brook Site Will Be Cleaned By State

SHREWSBURY, MA — State and local officials will host a public meeting in Northborough this month to review plans to clean up a contaminated 9-acre section of the Hop Brook Flood Control Site at the Northborough and Shrewsbury border near Route 20.

The contaminated portion of the site, located in Northborough off Route 20 south of Davis Street, was previously used as an automotive salvage yard.

"The project proposes to remove debris and contaminated soil/sediment between 0-5 feet below the surface within six (6) areas identified in the 9± acre site. Contaminated soil/sediment removal will occur within forested uplands (41,500± square feet) and wetlands (33,000± square feet), temporarily stockpiled on-site, and disposed of offsite. Following removal of contaminated soil/sediment, upland and wetland remediation areas will be lined with permeable geotextile, backfilled with clean soil, replanted, seeded, and restored," a fact sheet on the project says.

The Hop Brook site contains a dam near Route 20 that can contain more than 400 million gallons of water across a 191-acre piece of floodplain containing forests and wetlands. The dam protects homes and businesses farther downstream in Shrewsbury, Northborough and Westborough.

The public meeting about the contamination clean up project will take place July 11 at 4 p.m. at the Northborough Free Library conference room, 34 Main St.