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News Releases from Region 01

EPA Proposes Mass. Hazardous Waste Site to Superfunds National Priorities List

03/24/2015
Contact Information: 
Emily Bender (bender.emily@epa.gov)
617-918-1037

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a Franklin, Mass. hazardous waste site to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and converts them into productive local resources by eliminating or reducing health risks and environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites.

The BJAT LLC Site, located in Franklin, Mass., formerly operated as many different manufacturing operations including rubber and plastic products. The Site has not been active since 1985, but it does have residual contamination existing at the property from former industrial operations at the Site. The Site is primarily contaminated with heavy metals in the soil, groundwater and wetland areas around the site.

"EPA continues to protect public health and the environment in communities where old industrial facilities have left behind a contaminated footprint," said EPA Regional Administrator Curt Spalding. "Today's action proposing the BJAT LLC Site to the Superfund list means that EPA is taking the first step towards cleanup."

"This designation is the beginning of action to secure the site and reduce potential exposure to lead and other metals present in soils at this former mill site and in nearby wetlands," said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Martin Suuberg. "The lack of financial resources by the current owner to address the contamination makes the federal Superfund program necessary for completing this costly and complex cleanup."

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program. Superfund's passage was a giant step forward in cleaning up industrial waste sites to help ensure human health and environmental protection. The Superfund law gives EPA the authority to clean up releases of hazardous substances and directs EPA to update the NPL at least annually. The NPL contains the nation's most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. The list serves as the basis for prioritizing both enforcement actions and long-term EPA Superfund cleanup funding; only sites on the NPL are eligible for such funding.

Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites:
www.epa.gov/superfund/current-npl-updates-new-proposed-npl-sites-and-new-npl-sites

Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:
www.epa.gov/superfund/basic-npl-information

Superfund sites in local communities:
www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live

More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, can be found at:
www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview