Manresa Wilds is being transformed into a safe, welcoming park for all. The draft remediation plan below outlines potential strategies to guide the revival of its coastal ecologies. When complete, Manresa Wilds will stand as a powerful example of regenerative, post-industrial renewal for similar sites across the country.
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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.
DRAFT REMEDIATION CONCEPT
The draft 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 draft 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.
DRAFT REMEDIATION CONCEPT
The draft 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.
DRAFT REMEDIATION CONCEPT
The draft 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.
The Landscape Volume of the Masterplan provides a proposed roadmap for remediating Manresa Wilds into safe, publicly accessible park. It outlines targeted strategies like soil capping, shoreline excavation, and forest restoration, with long-term monitoring to ensure ongoing safety and ecological health.
