Return to Use Initiative
2006 Demonstration Project
Union Chemical Co., Inc.:
Hope, Maine
THE SITE: From 1969 until 1984, the 12-acre Union Chemical Company Inc. site was home to a paint and coating
stripper formulator that also handled and recovered petrochemical-based solvents. When the State of Maine closed the
waste treatment operations in 1984, approximately 2,000 drums and 30 liquid
storage tanks containing hazardous waste were stored on the site. The on-site
soil and ground water contamination resulted from improper handling and
operating practices such as leaking stored drums, spills, and use of a septic
tank and a leach field for process wastewater disposal. Cleanup activities have
included the decontamination and demolition of the site facilities with off-
site disposal, soil vapor extraction, and ground water extraction. Subsequent
to the construction of the remedy, the ground water restoration effort has been
enhanced by four seasons of in-situ chemical oxidation and two seasons of
in-situ chemical reductions.
Barriers:
Uncertainty regarding appropriate
future uses of the property; liability
concerns
Solution:
Ongoing open communication
between U.S. EPA and the Town;
future reuse planning process
THE OPPORTUNITY: Cleanup of the source area soils was completed in
1998 and substantial progress has been made in addressing the ground water
contamination. As a result, significant portions of the site could be ready for
reuse. Although the property is currently held in receivership by the State of Maine, the Town of Hope as well as other
parties have made inquiries about the property. The Town of Hope has expressed interest in acquiring the property and
using it to meet one or more municipal purposes.
THE BARRIER: The Town of Hope remains concerned about liability if they acquire the site. The Town needs
assistance in understanding limitations associated with the property and how they will affect the potential future uses.
THE SOLUTION: In 2006, EPA provided information about Superfund
liability schemes and landowner protections, as well as likely restrictions that
would be placed on the property in order to maintain the protectiveness of the
remedy. The Town then established a committee to make recommendations
regarding future land uses. Recommendations were made in 2007 that focused
on returning the property to private ownership. In 2009, EPA and Maine
Department of Environmental Protection met with Town of Hope selectmen
to update them on the process of transferring the property out of receivership,
the anticipated restrictions, and the status of the site.
Before:
Cleaned up former chemical
processing facility
After:
Future municipal amenity for the
Town of Hope and surrounding
communities
THE SITE NOW: EPA continues to work with the Town of Hope and
remove barriers to reuse at the site. In addition to the liability concerns and
restrictions, there is the issue of a potable water source for the property. Based on geophysical work performed in
2007 by the US Geological Survey for EPA, it was concluded that the existing bedrock wells on the property could
not function as potable water sources. Consequently, the Town is exploring options to combine the Union Chemical
property with an adjacent town-owned property or to provide an easement to the town property so that the site could
have potable water.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
(617) 918-1296 or podgurski.john@,epa.gov
John Podgurksi, Region 1 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
uperfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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