News Releases from Region 01

EPA Completes Review of Merrimack, N.H. Superfund Site

BOSTON - EPA has completed its review of the environmental cleanup at the New Hampshire Plating Co. Site in Merrimack, N.H. by conducting a scheduled Five-Year Review as required under the Superfund statute.

EPA conducts site evaluations every five years on previously-completed clean up and remediation work performed at Superfund sites listed on the "National Priorities List" (aka Superfund sites) to determine whether the implemented remedies at the sites continue to be protective of human health and the environment. Further, five year review evaluations identify any deficiencies to the previous work and, if called for, recommend action(s) necessary to address them.

The New Hampshire Plating Co. property was the location of an electroplating facility that operated from 1962 to 1985. Wastes from NHPC's operations were discharged to several lagoons constructed in an area of wetlands on the Site. Since 1987, the U.S. EPA and the N.H. Dept. of Environmental Services have conducted several cleanup actions at the Site.

The Site was placed on the National Priorities List in 1992. In Sept. 1998, EPA selected a long-term remedy in its Record of Decision that included removal and treatment of contaminated soils, on-site backfilling of treated soils, re-grading of much of the Site, restrictions on subsurface excavation and groundwater use, and monitored natural attenuation of contaminants in groundwater. EPA began cleanup action at the Site in 2004 and completed construction in Sept. 2006. Long-term groundwater monitoring began in May 2007 and is still on-going.

This second Five Year Review was performed to assure that the selected remedy continues to be protective of human health and the environment. Based on this evaluation, the selected remedy has been determined to be protective in the short-term. To ensure long-term protectiveness, however, institutional controls are still needed to restrict the use of groundwater where contaminants remain above drinking water standards and to prevent future excavation into the treated soils left on-site under a cover.

The specific recommended follow-up actions and general conclusions can be found in the Second Five Year Review Report which is available at the link below. The web link also provides additional site reports and contact information for the EPA Project Manager and Community Involvement Coordinator. Community members and local officials are invited to contact EPA with any comments or current concerns about the New Hampshire Plating Site or about the conclusions of the Five Year Review report.

More information on NH Plating Co. Superfund site: www.epa.gov/superfund/nhplating