Charles River Ecosystem
Campus Buildings
Discarded materials which are poured down a sink or floor drain into the sewer system
end up at Deer Island treatment plant. The treatment plant can only remove certain types
of contaminants. Anything else ends up in the Boston Harbor.
pH Treatment
Some buildings at MIT have pH treatment systems that adjust the pH levels of
wastewater before discharging it to the sanitary sewer system. Most chemicals are
prohibited from being released into the sanitary sewer system.
Sanitary Sewer
Waste discarded from the MIT campus through floor drains, sink drains, or toilets flows
through the sanitary sewer system to the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Storm Drain(s)
Discarded materials from the MIT campus that go down storm drains end up directly in
the Charles River. Stormwater pollution continues to be a major impediment to restoring
the river. Stormwater is defined as storm runoff, snow melt runoff, or surface runoff and
drainage that can transport a variety of chemicals (for example, fertilizers and pesticides),
biological contaminants, and litter to the storm system. Storm drains on the MIT
campus must be protected from any contaminants that may harm the environment.
Charles River Ecosystem (continued)
Charles River
The Charles River is one of the busiest recreational rivers in the world. The lower
Charles is lined with boat houses, jogging paths, sports fields, and performance facilities
that are used by hundreds of thousands of city dwellers each year. The river suffers from
pollution problems, particularly after heavy rains which wash bacterial contaminants into
the river from sewer overflows, illegal sewer connections, and stormwater runoff. In
2001, the river was clean enough for boating 82 percent of the time, up from 39 percent
in 1995, and met swimming standards 54 percent of the time, compared to 19 percent in
1995 according to the EPA.
(See full article at http://www.epa.gov/region01/pr/2002/may/020510.html)
Deer Island
Wastewater
Treatment Plant
The Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority (MWRA) treats residential, commercial and industrial
wastewater that originates in homes and businesses in 43 greater Boston communities
before it can be released to the marine environment (for example, Boston Harbor) in
accordance with all federal and state environmental standards.
Link to http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/sewer/html/sewditp.htm
Link to http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/water/html/wat.htm
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor, one of the oldest working harbors in the U.S., no longer supports the vital
fishing industry that was part of its past. MWRA has been actively involved in cleaning
up the harbor. However, the Deer Island treatment facility can only remove certain
contaminants. Other toxins or contaminants may be released into the Boston Harbor
environment despite treatment.
SPCC Checklist
Prevent: Actions to prevent an oil spill from
occurring.
Storage Area
∙ Maintain lighting sufficient to detect a leak.
∙ Check that area is free of spills or leaks.
∙ Secure critical storage areas/master flow valves
from unauthorized access.
Storage Equipment
∙ Verify that containers are in good condition and
labeled correctly.
∙ Ensure pumps and piping are free of leakage and in
good working order.
∙ Keep containers closed.
Prepare: Actions to take to be prepared for an oil
spill.
Secondary Containment
∙ Keep containers within secondary containment
area.
∙ Ensure that secondary containment blocks access to
drains.
∙ Verify that secondary containment is intact.
∙ Plug floor drains or equip with collar if within
potential spill area.
Spill Materials
∙ Keep proper spill cleanup materials
accessible/assure ease of deployment.
∙ Know how to use spill clean up materials.
∙ Keep spill cleanup materials well stocked.
Other
∙ Maintain alarm system/assure fire pull is
accessible.
∙ Keep emergency spill contact numbers clearly
posted and accessible.
∙ Understand and document spill countermeasures.
∙ Maintain oil/water separator in good condition (if
applicable).
Respond: Actions to take when there is an oil spill.
∙
∙
∙
Determine if spill is major or minor.
If it is minor, proceed with clean up and then report
to EHS.
If it is major, immediately contact Campus Police
at x100 from a campus phone or call FIXIT at 617253-4948.
A Minor Spill is one in which ALL of the following
conditions are met:
∙
The responsible party is at the scene.
∙
The material spilled is known.
∙
The material spilled is not highly toxic.
∙
The quantity spilled is small.
∙
There is no fire hazard present.
∙
The spill is completely contained inside a building.
∙
The material has little or no potential to reach the
environment (for example, via a floor drain).
∙
The spill is not in a common area (for example, a
hallway) or other area accessible to the general
public.
∙
Advanced personnel protective equipment (that is,
more than gloves and a half-face respirator) is not
needed to respond to the spill.
A Major Spill is one in which ANY of the following
conditions apply:
∙
The responsible party is unknown (it’s an “orphan”
spill).
∙
The material spilled is unknown.
∙
The material spilled is highly toxic.
∙
A large (or undetermined) quantity was spilled.
∙
A significant fire hazard may be present.
∙
The material has the potential to reach the
environment (for example, via a floor drain).
∙
The spill is in a common area (for example,
hallway) or other area accessible to the general
public.
∙
Advanced personnel protective equipment (more
than gloves and a half-face respirator) is required to
respond to the spill.
∙
A responder is unsure whether the spill should be
considered “Minor” or “Major.”
Glossary
Sorbents
Materials that soak up liquids. They can be used to recover oil through the mechanisms of
absorption, adsorption, or both. Absorbents (see Absorbents) allow oil to penetrate into pore
spaces in the material they are made of, while adsorbents attract oil to their surfaces but do not
allow it to penetrate into the material. Once sorbents have been used to recover oil, they must be
removed from the water and properly disposed of or cleaned for re-use. Any oil that is removed
from sorbent materials must also be properly disposed of or recycled. See
http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/sorbents.htm for more information.
Absorbents
Materials (See Sorbents) which allow oil to penetrate into pore spaces in the material they are
made of. See http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/sorbents.htm for more information.
Containment
Any of various types of barriers which in the event of a spill, can prevent spilled materials from
reaching the environment.
Surface
Containment
Any of a variety of systems to prevent the spread of oil over the surface of a body of water. For
example, a containment boom. (See boom.)
Boom
Containment booms are used to control the spread of oil to reduce the possibility of polluting
shorelines and other resources, as well as to concentrate oil in thicker surface layers, making
recovery easier. In addition, booms may be used to divert and channel oil slicks along desired
paths, making them easier to remove from the surface of the water. Although there is a great
deal of variation in the design and construction of booms, all generally share the following four
basic elements:
∙
An above-water "freeboard" to contain the oil and to help prevent waves from splashing
oil over the top of the boom.
∙ A flotation device.
∙ A below-water "skirt" to contain the oil and help reduce the amount of oil lost under the
boom.
∙ A "longitudinal support," usually a chain or cable running along the bottom of the skirt,
that strengthens the boom against wind and wave action; the support may also serve as a
weight or ballast to add stability and help keep the boom upright.
See http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/booms.htm for more information.
Combined
Sewer
A sewer system that carries both sewage and stormwater runoff. Normally, its entire flow goes
to a waste treatment plant, but during a heavy storm, the volume of water may be so great as to
cause overflows of untreated mixtures of storm water and sewage into receiving waters.
Stormwater runoff may also carry toxic chemicals from industrial areas or streets into the sewer
system.
Dredging
Removal of mud from the bottom of water bodies. This can disturb the ecosystem and causes
silting that kills aquatic life. Dredging of contaminated muds can expose biota to heavy metals
and other toxins.
Hazardous
Waste
By-products of society that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the
environment when improperly managed. Possesses at least one of four characteristics
(ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity), or appears on special EPA lists.
Glossary (continued)
Major Spill
A spill in which ANY of the following conditions apply:The responsible party is unknown (it’s
an “orphan” spill).The material spilled is unknown.The material spilled is highly toxic.A
large (or undetermined) quantity was spilled.A significant fire hazard may be present.The
material has the potential to reach the environment (e.g., via a floor drain).The spill is in a
common area (e.g., hallway) or other area accessible to the general public.Advanced
personnel protective equipment (more than gloves and a half-face respirator) is required to
respond to the spill.
∙
A responder is unsure whether the spill should be considered “Minor” or “Major.”
Minor Spill
A spill in which ALL of the following conditions are met:The responsible party is at the
scene.The material spilled is known.The material spilled is not highly toxic.The quantity
spilled is small (less than approximately 1 gallon).There is no fire hazard present.The spill
is completely contained inside a building.The material has little or no potential to reach
the environment (e.g., via a floor drain).The spill is not in a common area (e.g., a hallway)
or other area accessible to the general public. Advanced personnel protective equipment
(i.e., more than gloves and a half-face respirator) is not needed to respond to the spill.
Oil
Defined in the federal regulations as “including, but not limited to petroleum, fuel oil, sludge,
oil refuse and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged soil.”
Outfall/Outflow
The place where effluent is discharged into receiving waters.
Overflow Rate
One of the guidelines for design of the settling tanks and clarifers in a treatment plant; used by
plant operators to determine if tanks and clarifiers are over or under-used.
Pollutant
Generally, any substance introduced into the environment that adversely affects the usefulness
of a resource or the health of humans, animals, or ecosystems.
Sanitary sewer
1. Liquid and water-carried human and domestic wastes from buildings, exclusive of ground,
storm and surface water.
2. In a separated system, pipes that carry only domestic or commercial sanitary sewage as
opposed to rainwater runoff.
Secondary
containment
The general strategy for preventing releases to the environment by containing a spill in the
general area until the material is removed.
Spoil
Dirt or rock removed from its original location (destroying the composition of the soil in the
process) as in strip-mining, dredging, or construction.
Storm Sewer
A system of pipes (separate from sanitary sewers) that carries water runoff from buildings and
land surfaces.
Storm Drains
(MIT)
Discarded materials from the MIT campus that go down storm drains end up directly in the
Charles River.
Stormwater
Defined as storm runoff, snowmelt runoff, or surface runoff and drainage that can transport a
variety of chemicals (e.g. fertilizers and pesticides), biological contaminants, and litter to the
storm system. Storm drains on the MIT campus must be protected from any contaminants that
may harm the environment.
Wastewater
The spent water of a community, which may be a combination of the liquid and water-carried
domestic or industrial wastes from buildings, together with any groundwater and storm water
that may be present.