Through my Mechanical Engineering senior project I have constructed a model of a solar energy system that could be used to power this development instead of using fossil fuels. By using photovoltaic panels and fuel cells, electricity can be used much more efficiently than conventional power plants with none of the harmful byproducts. The Massachusetts Military Reservation is a 22,000 acre federal facility that covers the highest elevation on the Cape Cod peninsula. Past training activities at the site have resulted in pervasive contamination of Cape Cod's sole-source aquifer and its drinking water supply. The result has been high degrees of cost and inefficiency.
Questions regarding adverse health impacts due to the contamination add an additional dimension.
The results raise questions regarding ethics and the distribution of risk. They also seek to understand the cost to public health, to the environment, and ultimately to the taxpayers. I suggest that current policy does not adequately address the uncertainty, which is fundamental to the remediation process. It also leaves little room for negotiation or adaptation. As a result, remediation decisions are not always well reasoned or effective.