This is a cost estimate prepared by the Central Artery Project in May, 2000 for filling Granite Rail Quarry in the Blue Hills Reservation with Big Dig dirt.

The document was obtained from court records.  A JPEG of the original is available here.

The total cost to the Central Artery of filling the quarry is estimated at about $13 million.

Note that one-third of the total cost is a whopping $4.5 million tipping fee payable to Quarry Hills Associates. This fee is above and beyond the $2.5 million cost of bringing the fill to the quarry and the $2.3 million cost of placing the fill in the quarry.

Granite Rail Quarry has been part of the Blue Hills Reservation since 1984 and is the property of the people of Massachusetts.  The Big Dig is a public project funded with public money.  What entitles Quarry Hills Associates to a $4.5 million payoff when public dirt is placed in a public park?

No wonder this document was marked "privileged and confidential." When public money is given away at this scale, it had better be "privileged and confidential."

 
GRANITE RAIL MATERIAL DISPOSAL
PRELIMINARY COST BUDGET ESTIMATE
Description
CA/T - Quarry Hills Proposal
   
Installation of Temporary Access Roadway
80,000
Site Preparation (Clearing; Installation of Temporary Erosion Controls
incl. in line 14
Wheel Washing (6 months @ 3 shifts/day; 6 days/wk)
incl. in line 14
Dewatering of Quarry Pit (assumes 30 feet of water)
180,000
Stabilization of North Side Rocks & Blocks; Stacked Onsite)
134,000
Material Testing (825,000 tons @ $1/ton)
825,000
Transportation to Quarry Hills (825,000 tons @ $3/ton)
2,475,000
Tipping Fee, Quarry Hills (825,000 tons @ $5.50/ton)
4,538,000
Tipping Fee, MDC (825,000 tons @ $1/ton)
825,000
Capping (per DEP guidelines)
80.000
Dust Control
incl. in line 14
Site Restoration (grading; remove erosion controls; 6: loam and seed)
20,000
Historic Resources Preservation (per MHC requirements)
20,000
Placement of Pretested CA/T Material ($2.73/ton + ~$40,000 mobil.)
2,292,000
Removal of Temporary Construction Access Roadway
10,000
Installation of Permanent MDC Access Roadway
75,000
Installlation of MDC Parking Area
20,000
Construction-phase Lighting
incl. in line 14
Wetland Restoration (0.25 ac forested/scrub-shrub, Ricciuti Dr. area)
80,000
Hydrogeological Study (per DEP requirements)
incl. in contingency
   
Subtotal, Construction Costs
$11,654,000
   
Contingency (5% Construction Cost + $300,000 Hydrogeol. Study)
$882,700
   
Total Construction Cost
$12,536,700
   
Construction Cost Per Ton (based on 825,000 tons)
$15.20
Engineering; Design; Permit Acquisition (2)
$300,000
Supervision and Administration (4 months @ 3 shifts/day; 6 days/week)
$167,000
Credit to QHA for Trucking Delays
$200,000
   
Total Cost
$13,203,700
   
TOTAL BUDGET COST PER TON BASED ON 825,000 TONS
$16.00