For decades, this 125-acre site bore the burden of industrial power generation—which left behind behind contaminated soil, coal ash, and a fragile ecology cut off from the public. Now, Manresa Island Corp. is taking full responsibility for one of the most ambitious environmental cleanups in the region.
Working in close partnership with Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the project is remediating decades of pollution while restoring the coastal habitats that make this landscape so vital.
To create a safe, accessible park, the project will undertake significant ground and inland water remediation. The remediation approach will be developed in close coordination with CT DEEP and in accordance with state and federal cleanup requirements. Current strategies propose to contain and in some cases remove existing contaminants. Containment is expected to serve as the primary strategy, minimizing the need for transporting materials off site by barge or truck. This approach has the potential to reduce waste transportation and disposal to offsite landfills allowing for a more sustainable remedial process.
To create a safe, accessible park, the project will undertake significant ground and inland water remediation. The remediation approach will be developed in close coordination with CT DEEP and in accordance with state and federal cleanup requirements. Current strategies propose to contain and in some cases remove existing contaminants. Containment is expected to serve as the primary strategy, minimizing the need for transporting materials off site by barge or truck. This approach has the potential to reduce waste transportation and disposal to offsite landfills allowing for a more sustainable remedial process.
REMEDIATION CONCEPT
The remediation concept proposes elevating the site along the southern shoreline. This approach is intended to work with the remedial soil and hardscape capping strategy by lifting the site to accomplish both goals of resilience and remediation. The building and at-grade parking will act as a cap. At the beach, the remediation concept proposes a permeable reactive barrier combined with a thick layer of gravel and sand will act together to contain contaminants below the site’s surface.
REMEDIATION CONCEPT
The remediation concept proposes that within the forest multiple strategies be deployed based on level of use. The multimodal path encircling the forest will be elevated and capped with hardscape. The meadow pockets, where people can gather at ground level, will be capped with clean soil to prevent contact with residual contaminants. The remainder of the forest, permeated by elevated boardwalks, will use an incremental soil capping strategy working with the existing birch forest. Until this area reaches a cap depth acceptable for human access it will remain fenced and inaccessible.
REMEDIATION CONCEPT
The remediation concept proposes multiple capping strategies to be deployed across the southern area of the forest as shown below. Additionally, the newly established Atlantic white cedar swamp will include measures to isolate contaminants beneath each of the swamp features.
