Cape Cod is threatened by intensive development, which has resulted in groundwater, septic system, and transportation problems. However, the Cape is most seriously threatened by the excessive pollution at the Massachusetts Military Reservation Superfund site on Cape Cod. In 1994, The Massachusetts Legislature responded to these serious environmental issues when they funded an education and training program that would supply a workforce to deal with these issues. Three higher education institutions: Cape Cod Community College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, have collaborated, drawing upon the strengths of the three geographically connected institutions, to develop an education and training ladder that will prepare students for jobs in the environmental industry. Since 1994, the Installation and Restoration Project, managed by the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE), the 102nd Fighter Wing Environmental Office, and the United States Coast Guard Environmental Office, supervised more than 90 interns who have completed internships at the Massachusetts Military Reserve (MMR). | 
