xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Scovill Update
Scovill Industrial Landfill Superfund Site
EPA Superfund Division
October 2008
Superfund Process
The Superfund process, conducted in several steps over multiple years, leads to the ultimate goal of providing a safe environment
for the people living and working around the Scovill Industrial Landfill.The current step in the Scovill Superfund process is to better
understand the site's contamination and any potential risks. A detailed study, the Remedial Investigation, is occurring in phases and is
identifying the type and extent of the site's contamination.This investigation is conducted in phases as a means of refining the specific
knowledge of a site and identifying information gaps which need to be understood before cleanup decisions can be made.The
investigation is also collecting the kind and amount of information needed to conduct human health and ecological risk assessments.
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Status of Investigation Efforts
Phase I and II of the Scovill Remedial Investigation
has been completed. Phase I was conducted
by EPA in the fall of 2002 and results were
made available in 2003. In 2003, EPA issued
a Unilateral Administrative Order to Saltire
Industrial, Inc. (a successor
to Scovill Manufacturing
Co.) and three other
parties requiring them
to finish the rest of the
investigation. Saltire
Industrial's consultant
had completed about 90%
of Phase II when Saltire
declared bankruptcy in July
2004. Saltire's bankruptcy
left Phase II investigation
work incomplete, 30
drums abandoned on
the Calabrese portion of
the site, and the cleanup
effort without funding.
EPA allocated funding
in 2005 to finish Phase
II by checking the data
that had been gathered
and making sure the
results were accurate.
Additional funds were
secured and in January
2008 EPA removed the
drums which stored waste water, some soil
cleaned from the drill rig during sampling, and
disposable gloves and overalls. Surveying work
to support Phase III was undertaken in May
2008. Environmental sampling for the Phase III
investigation is slated to begin in October and
conclude in December 2008.
Phase III Fieldwork
A majority of the Phase III fieldwork will focus
on the site's perimeter in an effort to better
delineate the landfill boundaries and collect
sufficient sampling to conduct a human health
risk assessment. Sampling will include:
January 2008 drum removal
An example of a small rig
I. Surface Soil Sampling: 52 samples from
0-3 inches below the ground surface will
be collected.
2. Subsurface Soil Sampling: 74 additional soil
borings or holes will be drilled from 4 inches
to 20 feet deep or to below the bottom of
the waste, whichever is
lowest.
3. Groundwater
Monitoring: 24 wells will
be sampled including 9
existing wells plus 15 new
wells at 9 locations.
Investigation
Results Thus Far
Based on Phase I and
II results, the most
frequently detected
contaminants are PAHs,
metals, and PCBsAlthough
these contaminants were
detected, this does not
mean the levels are high
enough to cause health
problems. So far, the
environmental sample
results support the
conclusion that the site
isn't an immediate public
health risk in its current
condition because direct contact with landfill
waste materials is unlikely.
Background Levels of
Contamination
It is not surprising in urban areas to find a range
of chemicals in the air, water, or soil, even if the
property isn't a hazardous waste site. Chemicals
are present simply because of the urban nature
of the area. Because of the mixed use of land in
developed areas, chemicals either historically or
currently get released into the environmentThese
chemicals become part of the"background levels"
that are detected in an area. Because more site data
What Neighbors
Should Expect
Preliminary work will start in early
October and will include marking utilities
and sampling locations, clearing shrubs and
trees, and delivery of a trailer to the fenced
Calabrese parcel, to be used for office and
storage space. Sampling will start in mid-
October.
Most field work will be done Monday
through Friday between 7 am and 7 pm.
Workers will often wear protective
clothing.
A large and a small drill rig will be
used to drill sample holes (called bore
holes) and groundwater sampling wells
throughout the site.To minimize impact
on residential properties where access
permission has been granted, the small
drill rig will be used.
EPA's mobile laboratory, which looks
like a van, will be on site during portions
of the field work to determine which
samples will be sent to an EPA-approved
laboratory for analysis.
Air quality will be monitored at the
bore hole and around the drill during drilling.
Should unsafe air levels be detected, all work
will stop immediately, the situation will be
evaluated, and corrective steps taken before
work resumes.
Bore holes will be repaired and the
property restored to how it previously
looked.
Other subsurface work -like utility work-
can happen at the same time as investigation
activities, but it must be coordinated with EPA
SDMS DocID 443248
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Site History
Located north of Meriden Road in
Waterbury, CT, the former Scovill
Industrial Landfill was used by the Scovill
Manufacturing Company from 1919
until the mid-1970s for disposal of ash,
cinder, and other wastes. Roughly 23 of
the site's 30 acres have been developed
with residential structures and small
commercial buildings.
Spring 1998
CT Dept. of Environmental Protection
removed 2,300 tons of PCB-contaminated
soil and an additional 18 capacitors.
Temporarily capped area; fenced and
posted four acres.
April 1999
EPA took soil samples 0 to 24 inches
deep from 57 locations found elevated
levels of organic chemicals; metals such as
cadmium, nickel, silver, and zinc;and PCBs.
Indoor air sampling in limited number of
homes didn't detect contamination.
August 2000
Added to EPA's National Priorities List
(NPL - is a list of hazardous waste sites
that are eligible for Federal funding to pay
for extensive, long-term cleanup actions
under the Superfund program).
September 2002
Phase I of the Remedial Investigation
began.
June 2003
Phase I Remedial Investigation results
made public.
March 2004
EPA issued Unilateral Administrative
Order requiring Saltire Industrial, Mr.
Calabrese, Calabrese Construction Co.
and Store Ave. Assoc. to conduct the
Remedial Investigation.
Summer 2004
Saltire started Phase II of the Remedial
Investigation and then filed for
bankruptcy.
February 2005
EPA files a bankruptcy claim against Saltire.
In March 2006 EPA reached settlement
with bankruptcy estate, although payment
has been delayed pending resolution of
other unrelated claims.
January 2008
EPA removes Saltire abandoned drums.
remains to be collected, it is not entirely known at
this point how the levels of contamination being
detected at the Scovill Industrial Landfill compare
to the background levels of chemicals one would
expect to find in the Waterbury area. Sampling
results of PAHs and metals thus far have found
some levels lower or the same as background
levels. In some locations, however, results have
shown levels higher than background. Once the
site investigation is complete, all the results will
be compared against background levels and that
information will be used in developing a human
health risk assessment
Potential Health Effects
Three main contaminants have been detected
at the site so far. Here is some general
information about their potential health effects.
This information is not meant to imply that the
health effects mentioned below would occur
from possible exposure at this site.
PAHs, or Polycyclic Aromatic Hydocarbons,
are a group of over 100 different chemicals
that are formed during the incomplete burning
of any organic material such as gasoline, coal,
oil, garbage, or meat. PAHs have been shown
to cause harmful effects on skin and immune
and reproductive systems of animals. It is not
known whether these effects occur in people.
Some people with high amounts of exposure to
PAHs developed skin and lung cancer.
Metals (arsenic, copper, lead, cadmium,
vanadium, beryllium,chromium,zinc,and nickel)
can cause health impacts at high exposure
levels. Lung, nose, or throat irritation can be
caused by breathing metals in dust particles or
fumes. Skin irritation and stomach and intestinal
problems may occur from touching or eating
some metals. Some metals may cause lung
cancer after breathing high levels for a long time.
Lead can harm children's mental and physical
development and can affect adult central
nervous, kidney, and immune systems.
PCBs, or Polychlorinated Biphenyls, are man-
made chemicals that were used in electrical
manufacturing. At very high levels, PCBs may
cause nose and lung irritation, cancer, and skin
rashes. Eating PCB-contaminated fish may cause
learning problems in the developing fetus.
Next Steps
After Phase III field work is complete, the results
will be analyzed and a report will be compiled.
EPA and CT Department of Environmental
Protection will evaluate the data, publicly
share the results, and determine if there is
still a need for more information. If so, a Phase
IV investigation would follow sometime in
2009. Otherwise, the information gathered
from Phase I, II, and III will be used to develop
human health and ecological risk assessments.
These risk assessments identify current and
potential future risk under various types of
possible exposures.These assessments and the
information from the complete investigation will
help EPA decide if any action is needed at the
site, and if so, what needs to be done.
Assistance Available to the
Community
EPA values your input To help communities make
informed decisions, EPA can award Technical
Assistance Grants (TAGs) of up to $50,000 per
site. These TAGs enable communities to hire an
independent expert to help them understand
technical data and site hazards, and become more
knowledgeable about the different technologies
that are being used. Your community group may
be eligible for a TAG. Contact Robert Shewack for
more information at 1-888-372-7341, extension
81428. EPA strongly encourages communities to
use this resource.
Exposure can occur when people eat,
drink, breathe or have direct skin contact
with landfill waste material.
At present, much of the Scovill Landfill
material is covered either with a
building, paved road, parking lot, or grass.
The site does not present an immediate
public health risk, in its current
condition, because direct contact with
landfill waste materials is unlikely.
Digging, gardening or other activities
that might expose landfill material
should not occur.
For more information visit:
www.epa.gov/region I/superfund/
sites/scovill
or contact:
Almerinda Silva
U.S. ERA, Project Manager
617-918-1246
or toll free 1-888-372-7341
silva.almerinda@epa.gov
Stacy Greendlinger
U.S. ERA, Community
Involvement
617-918-1403 or
toll free 1-888-372-7341
greend linger.stacy@epa.gov
Sheila Gleason
CT DER Project Manager
860-424-3767
sheila.gleason@ct.gov
Meg Harvey
CT Dept. of Public Health,
Epidemiologist
860-509-7748
margaret.harvey@po.state.ct.us
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
October 2008
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