EMERGENCY REMOVAL
Cleaning Up New England
SITE SUMMARIES
W&L SITE UPDATE
JANUARY 2011
Walton & Lonsbury Site
U.S. EPA | HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM AT EPA NEW ENGLAND
THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE
AND REMOVAL PROGRAM responds
to chemical, biological and radiological releases and large-scale
national emergencies, including homeland security incidents. EPA conducts short
term cleanups in the removal program when necessary to protect human health
and the environment by either funding response actions directly or overseeing
and enforcing actions conducted by potentially responsible parties.
BACKGROUND:
The Site at 78 North Avenue in Attleboro, MA houses a 13,500 square foot chromium plating facility formerly
operated by Walton & Lonsbury, Inc. (W&L). While m operation from 1940-2007, the Site was used to chrome-plate
very large objects such as pistons for large hydraulic equipment or rollers for paper mills. For a time, copper plating
operations also took place until the building was remodeled in the 1950s. A number of chemicals and chemical
compounds were used and left as waste in the operations process. From 1940-1970. all wastes generated from
the facility discharged into the wetlands located on the southern portion of the property via an underground pipe.
After 1970, W&L used a number of different waste disposal techniques that also had environmental consequences
on the Site.
CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN:
Contaminants of Concern on the Site include total chro-
mium, hexavalent chromium, lead and Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs). The chromium compounds result-
ed from the use of chromic add to perform chrome plat-
ing in the plant. Lead is a contaminant of concern because
it was used for a variety of operations in the plant includ-
ing the making of plumbing pieces for the plating process.
WHAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED:
EPA is three months into the removal process at the
W&L Site. During this time, a permanent fence has
been constructed around the property and the asbes-
tos has been removed from the building. Currently, the
W&L facility is being emptied in preparation for building
demolition.
EPA crews have also been busy collecting and analyzing
additional samples around the Site and in nearby, im-
pacted residential areas to further define the extent of
contamination. When the residential data results were
finalized in mid-December, they were immediately re-
leased to the residents by the EPA, the MA Department
of Environmental Protection and the MA Department of
Public Health. The sampling behind W&L was completed
on December 18, 2010 and these data will be released
to public record once validated.
WHAT'S NEXT:
On January 11, 2011, EPA will begin the demolition of
the W&L Building. The building will be excavated with
claw-like equipment in order to take it down in pieces.
This process will take one to two months, weather
pending. During this time EPA will only be excavating
the building above the foundation level. The foundation
and the soil beneath will be removed later in the project
process. During the excavation, EPA will have equipment
monitoring the air quality around the Site to ensure that
no hazardous materials are accidentally released from
the Site during demolition. Real-time dust monitors will
measure for any dust coming from the site. If the amount
of dust is found to exceed appropriate limits, all work will
be halted until these issues are addressed,
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS:
Jeffrey Chormann, Moss Deportment of Environmen-
tal Protection; Chief of the Assessment and Reporting
Branch. Bureau of Waste Prevention; (617) 292-5888;
jeffrey.chormann@state.ma.us
Elsbeth N. Hearn, EPA New England; Assistant On-Scene
Coordinator; (617) 918-1265
KEY CONTACTS:
ELISE JAKABHAZT
EPA New England
On-Scene Coordinator
(617)918-1228
jakabhazy.elise@epa.gov
EMI LY ZIMMERMAN
EPA New England, Community
Involvement Coordinator
(617) 918-1037
zimmerman.emily@epa.gov
GENERAL INFO:
EPA NEW ENGLAND
5 Post Office Square
Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109-3912
(617) 918-1111
www.epa.gov/ region T/
EPA TOLL-FREE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-888-EPA-7341
LEARN MORE AT:
www.epa.gov/regionT/
superfund/er/
ŁEPAi
United States
Environmental Protection
k Agency
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January 2011
SDMSDocID 482801
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