Status & Compliance
The Conservation Commission is pleased to present an update regarding the solid waste removal of the Farm Dump at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land. While the area remains closed off so that the grass and cover crops may grow, we are happy to update that the cleanup portion of the work is complete!
In conjunction with TRC, the Town’s environmental engineer and professionals for this project, and Strategic Environmental Services (SES), the contractor, we were able to fully comply with the Administrative Consent Order (ACO) issued by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and in compliance with all solid waste and asbestos regulations. In total, the contractor removed and recycled 11.57 tons of scrap metal, 3.69 tons of rubber tires, and disposed of over 8,000 tons of soil comingled with solid waste and asbestos containing materials (ACMs).
Please note that while remediation is complete, restoration work is ongoing.
Trails
The trail leading into the property from the Community Gardens remains closed until it is successfully restored and grass is fully grown in. This trail was planted with grass suitable for heavy foot traffic once established. Due to higher temperatures and minimal rainfall, the areas are still germinating and waiting for growth.
Please abide by all signage on the property regarding trail closures and stay out of fenced areas. Abiding by these signs will allow for a successful return of the trail system.
All other trails remain open. Visitors may enter through the main trailhead parking area near the Kiosk. The Community Garden and parking lot is open, along with the roadside trail that starts by the shed and leads to the Kiosk Lot Trailhead. The trail system is on the Art Map at the kiosk.
Take a walk up to the summit and enjoy the views, watch for birds in the grasslands, enjoy the buzz within the meadow, and take it all in! Check out the two new benches recently installed.
The Farm Dump Area
Given the removal of tons of waste and soil and associated regrading, the dump area is in a new phase of recovery. It will require careful management and time to become a future asset and habitat. It is now seeded with a cover crop to help manage invasive and other non-native plants. It will take multiple seasons for the plants to become established so take care to note closed off areas or updated information regarding access.
Beecology Research Meadow
Future work will be ongoing along the closed trail section to restore portions of the Beecology Research Meadow that were impacted by the installation of the access road. Even when the trail reopens, portions of this project may still be ongoing so be sure to pay attention to roped off areas and signage and follow the Conservation Commission newsflash to stay up to date on happenings around town and Conservation news. You can sign up here.
Other Information
With a total of over $4.3M approved at Town Meeting, the project will be coming in under budget. The largest cost was the disposal rate for the comingled soil and waste, but thankfully the contractor was able to secure disposal of the waste at a facility with a lower rate per ton.
A large thank you is extended to Stewardship Committee for their ongoing diligence in overseeing the property, Taylor Bevenour and his team from TRC for their oversight and management of the project, and Ryan Gadboury, Bob Maddock, and their crew from Strategic Environmental Services, Inc. for their excellent implementation and flexibility of a difficult project. And as always, thank you to the residents for supporting this project! The removal of the farm dump provides a great benefit to the property and complements our goals of providing habitat and natural resource protection.
Visiting Breakneck Hill Conservation Land? Let us know what you see! Snap a photo and log it on iNaturalist.
