Vermont Business MagazineEPA has completed comprehensive reviews of site cleanups at nine National Priorities List Sites (Superfund Sites), including four Federal Facilities, across New England by performing required Five-Year Reviews of each site. The two sites in Vermont are the Old Springfield Landfill and the Pine Street Canal in Burlington. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to return them to productive use.
Throughout the superfund process of designing and constructing a cleanup remedy for a hazardous waste site, EPA’s first goal is to make sure the remedy will be protective of public health and the environment. Then, once a remedy or portion of a remedy has begun, EPA continues to ensure protectiveness by requiring comprehensive reviews of the cleanup every five years. It is important for EPA to regularly check on site progress to ensure the remedy is working properly at the site. In addition to extensive review of the remedy itself, its engineering, and its overall functionality, EPA may also look at outside variables that could potentially affect the performance of the remedy, such as redevelopment, impacts from storms or flooding, and overall wear and tear. Five-year review evaluations identify any issues and, if called for, recommend action(s) necessary to address them.
EPA is actively involved in Superfund studies and cleanups at 123 sites across New England. There are many phases of the Superfund cleanup process including planning for future use and redevelopment at sites and post cleanup monitoring of sites. EPA must ensure the remedy is protective of public health and the environment and any redevelopment will uphold the protectiveness of the remedy into the future. Last year, EPA reviewed remedies at sites like South Weymouth Naval Air Station whereEPA continues to work with the Navy, the State, and a developer to move forward on a master plan to construct a very large mixed use community to put the site into productive reuse. The master plan currently includes over a thousand homes, millions of square feet for commercial operations, athletic fields and other facilities at the site.
EPA also reviewed the Materials Technology Lab (U.S. Army) in Watertown, Mass, where 30 acres of the former hazardous waste siteare now a mixed use complexincluding apartments, retail stores, restaurants, offices, and various other businesses. Currently, EPA is working with the Army, the State, and a developer on further redevelopment plans for another portion of the Materials Technology Lab Site which includes upgraded utilities, a parking garage, several new buildings.
At the Eastern Surplus Company Superfund Site in Meddybemps, Maine, EPA found Native American artifacts and subsequently determined the northern part of the site was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. This area, formerly an army surplus and salvage retailer, and now named N’tolonapemk (“Our Ancestor’s Place”) by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, is now a major archaeological research site. In 2012, parties constructed a commemorative patio and pathway for the area.
The complete list of New England Superfund Sites where EPA has completed Five Year Reviews in 2016 are below. Please note, the Web link provided after each site provides detailed information on site status, redevelopment efforts, past assessment and cleanup activity as well as the Five-Year Review report. The web link also provides contact information for the EPA Project Manager and Community Involvement Coordinator at each site. Community members and local officials are invited to contact EPA with any comments or concerns about a Superfund Site or the conclusions in the recent Five Year Review.
Vermont
Old Springfield Landfill (addendum review), Springfield, VThttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/oldspringfield
The 10-acre Old Springfield Landfill site is located in Springfield, Vermont. The Town of Springfield operated the landfill between 1947 and 1968 for the disposal of municipal solid waste and hazardous industrial liquid and semi-liquid waste. Facility operations contaminated soils, sediment, surface water and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Construction of the site’s remedy has been completed. Operations and maintenance activities and groundwater and leachate treatment are ongoing.
Pine Street Canal Superfund Site, Burlington, VThttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/pinestreet
The 38-acre Pine Street Canal site consists of a canal and turning basin, adjacent wetlands, an area formerly known as Maltex Pond, and an additional portion of land. Around 1908, a coal gasification plant began operating on Pine Street, southeast of the canal. The plant ceased operations in 1966. Plant wastewaters and residual oil and wood chips saturated with organic compounds were directly discharged or disposed of in the Pine Street Canal wetland. During the 1960s and 1970s, an oil-like material was detected seeping from the wetland into Pine Street Canal, the turning basin, and Maltex Pond. The State detected high levels of organic compounds associated with coal tar at several locations while investigating the site for a then proposed major highway. The State was concerned that construction would release organic compounds into the canal and possibly into Lake Champlain, the source of Burlington's drinking water. The area is surrounded by large and small businesses. There are several single and multiple-family dwellings, including apartment buildings, located within 1 mile of the site. Burlington has a population of approximately 39,100.
Connecticut
Durham Meadows, Durham, CThttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/durham
New London Submarine Base, New London, CThttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/newlondon
Maine
Callahan Mine, Brooksville, MEhttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/callahan
Eastern Surplus, Meddybemps, MEhttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/eastern
Massachusetts
Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex, Sudbury, MAhttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/sudburyannex
Materials Technology Lab, Watertown, MAhttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/amtl
South Weymouth Naval Air Station, OU10, U.S. Coast Guard/Buoy Depot,http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sweymouth
New Hampshire
Savage Municipal Landfill, Milford, NHhttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/savage
Source: Boston EPA 2.7.2017