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EPA PROPOSES CHANGES TO CLEANUP PLAN FOR OTTATI AND GOSS/KINGSTON STEEL DRUM SUPERFUND SITE: SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS CITED

Release Date: 10/16/2001
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Community Public Affairs Office, (617) 918-1064

BOSTON: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a change to a 1987 cleanup plan for soil and sediments from the Ottati & Goss Superfund Site in Kingston, NH. The change calls for disposing of treated PCB residual wastes in a hazardous waste landfill rather than incinerating it. The change is published in a draft document called "Explanation of Significant Differences" (ESD) that explains EPA's proposed changes.

Since the site cleanup plan was first announced, EPA gathered additional information regarding its costs and proposes to modify the remedy which will result in a savings of about $570 per ton for disposal of hazardous material. At the same time, the cleanup will meet the same stringent goals for protecting health and the environment. The estimated range of total savings at this time is between $850,000 to $1.1 million, based on the total volume of soil that is estimated to be processed.

The 1987 Record of Decision and a first ESD dated September 28, 1999, called for on-site thermal desorption of soils and sediments followed by incineration of the thermal desorption residue, called filter cake. This Draft ESD calls for the concentrated PCB filter cake to be placed in a hazardous waste landfill, which, when compared to incineration of the filter cake, is significantly more cost effective.

There will be a 15-day public comment period on the Draft ESD. Comments should be postmarked by November 1, 2001 and sent to: Dick Goehlert, EPA New England, Suite 1100 One Congress St. (HBO), Boston MA 02114 or via email to: goehlert.dick@epa.gov

A copy of the Draft ESD as well as other information on the Ottati and Goss / Kingston Steel Drum Superfund Site is available at the following locations:

Kingston Town Hall
163 Main Street
Kingston NH 03848
M, T, TH, F: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., W: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

EPA Region 1 Record Center
One Congress Street
Boston MA 02114
Monday - Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The soil and sediment portion of the remedy is already underway.