Nahant water tests show no cause for concern

NAHANT – Tests revealed that traces of chromium found in Bear Pond are naturally occurring rather than toxic, town officials have confirmed.”There was no toxic chromium,” said Selectman Michael Manning, who is also a chemical engineer. “The levels found are not dissimilar to levels found in the crust of earth across the planet.”Located in Kelley Greens Golf Course, Bear Pond collects rainwater and drainage from about three quarters of Nahant, said Town Administrator Mark Cullinan. In preparation for a regular dredging project, soil samples from the pond floor tested positive for elevated levels of chromium (beyond 30 parts per million), Cullinan explained to the selectmen at their March 24 meeting. But the tests did not distinguish whether the chromium was the common chromium 3 or chromium 6, which was used in chemical plants and can be hazardous, Cullinan said.