Heating plant site work set to begin

by Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

     After the installation of a six-foot fence at the site, workers will begin removing the Llewellyn Derby Track, which hasn't been used for competition for several years, said Jim Patulak, associate athletic director for Facilities. The track is located north of the Amherst wastewater treatment plant on Mullins Way.

      Once the track facility is dismantled, said Mathews, gravel fill will be placed on the site to compress underlying clay and silt deposits that are remnants of glacial Lake Hitchcock. Using gravel to pack down the soil was chosen over the more costly method of driving piles to support the foundation, he said.

     Engineers expect the site to settle two feet before construction of the heating plant's foundation begins in 2004, added Mathews. The new plant, which will provide steam and electricity to the campus, is expected to begin full operation in 2006. Construction of the facility is being funded through the University of Massachusetts Building Authority.

      The location was selected by campus and building authority officials after an extensive site evaluation process conducted with the assistance of Vanderweil Engineers Inc., of Boston.

     When the site was announced in early July, Facilities Planning director James Cahill said, "We have carefully considered the environmental, economic, technical, and community concerns affected by the siting of such an important energy facility. We're pleased to be moving forward with this project as it is essential to provide reliable steam to service the existing campus buildings and future campus development."

     The proximity of the wastewater treatment plant also offers some potential environmental benefits, said Cahill, who noted that the existing 60-year-old heating plant uses approximately 250,000 gallons of water from the Amherst public water supply system and its wells on a typical winter day. "The University hopes to reuse the effluent discharge, or gray water, from the Amherst wastewater treatment facility to make steam in the new plant, and conserve the town's natural water supply," says Cahill.

     In addition, the new plant, which will burn both fuel oil and natural gas, is expected to reduce greenhouse gas and ozone-producing emissions. Coal is the primary fuel at the current steam plant.

     Along with producing steam to heat campus buildings and running chillers for air conditioning systems, the new plant's gas turbine generators also will produce electricity to meet the base campus electric load of 10 megawatts, or about 10 million watts per hour.

    The new plant is being designed by Vanderweil Engineers Inc., and Cambridge Seven Associates Inc.

      According to Mathews, the architects are taking great care to ensure that the heating plant will blend with the campus, particularly the nearby Mullins Center, which also was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates Inc. A final design is expected next month, he said.

      "It's going to be a nice looking building," said Mathews.

      After the new heating plant goes online, plans call for the demolition of the existing steam plant, including its chimneys and fuel-handling facilities. Much of the debris and equipment will be recycled, according to Cahill.

      Campus plans call for the construction of a new NCAA-quality track and field facility adjacent to the new soccer and softball fields at the north end of Stadium Drive.