[CORRECTION APPENDED: SEE BELOW]A Student Union initiative and a class project of three students aimed at cleaning Yakus Pond in Massell Quad may come to fruition as early as this summer, Massell Quad Senator Jason Gray '10 said.

Before any work can begin, the University must first acquire a permit from the Waltham Conservation Commission. Gray said that he and the Student Union are working with Mark Collins, the vice president of campus operations, to procure the permit, which is still pending.

Collins was on vacation last week and unavailable for comment.

The goal of any cleaning operation would be to clear sediment from the bottom of the pond. So far, the University has hired independent contractors Epsilon Associates Inc. to consult them on the project, and the firm has since produced a 21-page analysis with maps and photographs of the site, Gray said.

In addition to Gray's initiative, other students have used their work in the classroom to create awareness about the pond.

Regular cleaning of the pond could improve conditions for existing wildlife in the area and improve the campus' appearance, according to the three students involved in the class project, David Wartell '07, Matthew Kamm '09 and Jordan Bieber '07. They are working on the project for their American Studies class, "Greening the Ivory Tower," taught by Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST).

Wartell said such a project would cost between $20,000 and $100,000.

"The pond is not as bad as people think," insists Wartell. However, he said the pond will never be completely clean because it is a retention basin that acts as a filter, catching harmful chemicals before they reach wetlands at the bottom of campus.

Wartell said the school is planning on taking precautions, such as restricting the use of fertilizer, road sand and pesticide. Also, the cleaning staff will be required to see the pond as part of their rounds.

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, the name of Prof. Laura Goldin's (AMST) class was incorrectly stated as "Cleaning the Ivory Tower." It is titled "Greening the Ivory Tower."