2229 Main Street Advisory Task Force

2229 MSATF Report Cover - Dec. 2024

Past Public Meetings

June 4, 2024

A second hybrid public meeting was held on June 4, 2024 at which the Task Force brought the community up to date on the committee's activities since last fall. Progress has been made on investigating issues including:

  • health and safety
  • possible re-uses
  • legal and liability issues
  • the economics and control of the land depending on who ends up owning it

The Task Force shared that progress and received feedback and suggestions as it moves toward finalizing recommendations in the coming months. 

The PowerPoint Presentation from the meeting can be viewed here.

The recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

November 9, 2023

The 2229 Main Street Advisory Task Force hosted a hybrid public forum on November 9, 2023 at which the Task Force reviewed the charge and work of the Task Force, outlined considerations for possible reuse, answered questions and solicited ideas regarding the NMI/Starmet superfund site.  

The PowerPoint Presentation from the meeting can be viewed here.

The recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

October 25, 2025 - EPA Public Meeting

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency held a hybrid informational public meeting on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

The PowerPoint Presentation from the meeting can be viewed here.

The recording of the public meeting can be viewed here.

Meeting Recordings

Recordings of meetings are available online via the Minuteman Media Network YouTube Channel. A full playlist of the 2229 Main Street Advisory Task Force meetings can be viewed here.

Agendas and Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval. The most recent agendas and minutes can be viewed here.

Committee Charge

2229 Main Street Advisory Task Force Charge

Meeting Packets

2025 Meetings

2024 Meetings

2023 Meetings

Members

  • Paul Boehm, Chair
  • Court Booth
  • Frank "Rich" Feeley
  • Kurt Herman
  • Pamela Hill
  • Gary Kleiman
  • Pamela Rockwell
  • David Ropeik
  • Karl Seidman

All member terms are to expire at the completion of the work of the Task Force or on May 31, 2026.

Background

The property at 2229 Main Street is a 46-acre site once operated by the defense contractor Starmet, formerly Nuclear Metals, Inc. (NMI). The company made depleted uranium products for the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as other specialty metal products. Manufacturing operations resulted in soil and water contamination on the property.  The site was placed on the U.S. EPA’s national priorities list in 2001 and is now a Superfund site. 

In 2015, Concord Town Meeting voted to authorize the Select Board to acquire the property at a future time when cleanup “to a residential standard” has been accomplished.  Since then, significant progress has been made toward clean-up of the site, including partial removal of contaminated soil from the site, isolation of the holding basin, deconstruction of the buildings and removal of the radioactive drums contained on the site. The EPA has set up a website on this superfund site and has been providing project updates on the progress made by their site contractor, de Maximus.  

The 2229 Main Street Oversight Committee has been monitoring these cleanup efforts and advising the Select Board and other town officials.  It is anticipated that this committee will continue to work with the cleanup contractors and the EPA, and that if the Town acquires the property, the committee will oversee and monitor institutional controls.

The Nuclear Metals/Starmet Property Re-use Planning Committee was formed to assist the town with identifying possible ways to reuse the property at 2229 Main Street for maximum public benefit.  Their final report from 2021 can be found here.

The purpose of the 2229 Main Street Advisory Task Force is to recommend to the Select Board whether the Town should acquire the property at 2229 Main Street.   Would this be a sensible business decision, and if so, how, when, and under what conditions should the Town acquire it?

As stated above, the 2015 Town Meeting authorized this acquisition for a future time, if and when the Select Board votes to do so.  In making this decision, the Task Force and the Select Board will need to consider potential uses for the site as well as potential risk, liability, timing, costs, institutional controls, liens and other legal matters.  The job of the Task Force is to thoroughly research these matters, seek public input, and then make recommendations to the Select Board.

Related Documents and Resources

Independent Consultant Final Report - Human Health Risk Assessment Aug.16, 2024

EPA-Prepared Workbook-Process for Risk Evaluation, Property Analysis and Reuse Decisions

NMI-Starmet Re-use Planning Committee Final Report - April 2021

Annex A - Re-use Assessment

Annex B - Committee Comment Matrix

Annex B2 - Public Comments on Report

Annex B3 - Public Survey Responses on Potential Uses at Site

Annex C - Case Studies of Superfund Sites

Annex D - Consent Decree

Annex E - EPA Information

Annex F - Special Town Meeting Warrant 2015