Abstract:
Groundwater is a vital resource and efforts must be made to protect its quality. In certain areas, its quality has been
threatened by the introduction of oil and gasoline, many times originating from underground storage tanks. Massachusetts has
directly reacted to this concern about groundwater quality by promulating a Massachusetts Superfund Law (Chapter 21E), a more strict version of the federal Superfund.
This report is based on an internship with Bewick Associates, Inc., a firm that performs audits pursuant to Chapter 21E. A detailed
description of the internship is given, and a supplemental literature review is included to explain the background and importance of the
duties performed at Bewick. The information from the review includes general characteristics of groundwater flow, the pertinent legal aspects related to groundwater protection, and factors affecting
groundwater quality. Oil and gas contamination from underground storage tanks and its relation to the Chapter 21E law and other federal and state laws are specifically addressed.
