EMERGENCY REMOVAL Cleaning Up New England SITE SUMMARIES W&L SITE UPDATE MARCH 1011 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 deonups 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 once housed a 13,500 square foot chromium plating facility formerly operated by Walton & Lonsbury, Inc. (W&L). While in 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 acid to perform chrome plating in the plant. Lead is a contaminant of concern because it was used for a variety of operations in the plant including the making of plumbing pieces for the plating process, WHAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED: Since work began on the Site, all structures have been demolished and contaminated debris has been trans- ported off-site to licensed and regulated landfills for final disposal. During the building demolition phase, air monitoring devices were placed around the Site (throughout the neighborhood, playground, and Indus- trial Park), and at no point during the project were any elevated levels of dust or metals observed. This past winter, a targe-scale sampling event was con- ducted behind the facility to determine the extent of soil contamination, and the Site has been prepared for soil excavation. During the excavation, EPA will continue to deploy air monitoring stations around the Site. EPA will use these stations to monitor air quality around the site. If the air monitors detect dust or contamination, work will be halted immediately until the problem is fixed. WHAT'S NEXT: A detailed engineering plan for excavation and restoration of the impacted residential properties is currently being designed by a team of highly qualified engineers, wetland specialists and hydrologists. This plan will be based upon the residential sampling event and results obtained last fall. This design is projected to be completed by this summer. Data results from sampling events have thoroughly defined the area of contamination at the Site. Crews are working to excavate the contaminated soil and dispose of it at regulated disposal facilities. ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Jeffrey Chormann, Moss Department of Environmen- tal Protection; Chief of the Assessment and Reporting Branch, Bureau of Waste Prevention; (617) 292-5888; jeffreycbormann@state.ma.us Elsbeth N. Hearn, EPA New England; 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 © primed on 100% recycled poper, wilh a minimum of 50% post-consumer wasle, using vegeloble-based inks March 2011 SDMS DocID 482802 ------- |