The Hanscom Air Force Base area, zip code 01731, currently holds a critical environmental hazard designation due to extensive proximity to industrial contamination. With twenty-one total environmental sites within ten miles, the immediate vicinity includes multiple active hazards such as Shaffer Landfill and Watertown Bemis Dump just fractions of a mile away. The AGWAY/KRESS PROPERTY is a prominent concern located less than two miles from the area. The Environmental Protection Agency cites unspecified hazardous substances as the primary contaminants linked to these locations. Exposure to these complex chemical mixtures typically occurs through groundwater leaching, soil vapor intrusion, or airborne particulates, potentially causing respiratory irritation, neurological distress, and long-term systemic health complications in affected residents.

The AGWAY/KRESS PROPERTY and surrounding facilities are currently classified under an active status on the National Priorities List. This classification indicates that the EPA is actively investigating, monitoring, or executing remediation efforts at the location. However, full environmental restoration remains incomplete, leaving ambient risks present in the surrounding community. Given the high density of active contamination sites, residents must implement immediate protective measures. Individuals should install certified reverse osmosis water filtration systems to intercept potential municipal or private well groundwater contaminants. Residents should also operate high-efficiency particulate air purifiers indoors to continuously mitigate the risk of volatile vapor intrusion. Finally, individuals should restrict cultivating consumable produce directly in native topsoil, opting instead for raised garden beds utilizing verified clean, imported soil to prevent ingesting accumulated environmental toxins.