165 HARTWELL ROAD
The Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) is a 46-acre facility that is part of a larger industrial complex located immediately north of Hanscom Air Force Base, which is also on the NPL. NWIRP is operated by Raytheon Co. and was established in 1952 when a missile and radar development laboratory was built. Then known as the Naval Industrial Research Aircraft Plant (NIRAP), the laboratory's mission was to provide facilities for research and development of radar, missile guidance systems, and related equipment. Flight test facilities were added on the southern portion of the site in 1959. Between 1959 and 1977, the Navy obtained about 43 additional acres from the Air Force. Buildings constructed during the past 25 years include large facility storage and government buildings near the northern property boundary, an Antenna Range Building, air conditioning and incineration facilities, and the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile Development (AMRAD) Building. NWIRP currently is used for advanced technology research in weapons systems development. These activities include the design, fabrication, and testing of prototype equipment such as missile guidance and control systems. There are two primary operating areas at NWIRP: the Components Laboratory and the Flight Test Facility. Approximately 21 other buildings house various support activities related to the work at these two centers. Wastes generated at NWIRP include various volatile organic compounds (VOCs), photographic fixer, waste oil and coolants, lacquer thinner, unspecified solvents and thinners, Stoddard solvent, waste paint, and chromic, sulfuric, nitric, hydrochloric, and phosphoric acids. The Hartwell Road Well Field, part of the municipal water supply for the Town of Bedford, is located less than .5 miles from NWIRP. The three wells in this field were closed in 1984 after VOCs contamination was discovered. The Town of Bedford conducted an investigation that determined that NWIRP was a likely source of the well field contamination. Hanscom Air Base is also a potential contributor to the groundwater contamination in this area. Approximately 11,000 people rely on drinking water wells located within 4 miles of the site. The Shawsheen River, 7 miles downstream of NWIRP, is a source of drinking water for approximately 12,800 people. Nine residential areas and wetlands are located to the east and northeast of the site. There are extensive wetlands and several species of rare plants and wildlife along the Shawsheen River and the Elm Brook, both located downstream of NWIRP.
2,005 |
People living within a 1 mile radius |
$127,326 |
Average Income |
707 |
Occupied homes |
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