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Environmental Cleanup Work Begins at Somers Plating Site

Release Date: 09/08/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Angela Bonarrigo (bonarrigo.angela@epa.gov), Community Affairs Office, (617) 918-1034

For Immediate Release: September 8, 2005; Release # ab050901

Boston -- EPA will begin work this week on a $1.7 million cleanup at the Somers Plating Site located in Somers, Connecticut. The approximate 4-acre site includes two unoccupied one-storey buildings in a mixed residential and commercial area of town.

During previous investigations, metals contamination, including cadmium and chromium, was found in the surface soil on the property. The contamination is suspected to have been disposed on the site during the operation of a metal plating facility and two known former metal hydroxide sludge lagoons associated with the plating operation are located on site. The property was also used at one time as a gasoline service station.

In June 2005, EPA conducted additional soil sampling to characterize what appears to be a third lagoon. As part of the cleanup, EPA will continue sampling the soil in order to further define the extent of contamination on the property. If necessary, EPA will also install temporary wells to collect groundwater samples. Based on all of the sampling to date, there appears to be an estimated 6,000 tons of contaminated soil on the property. EPA plans to excavate the contaminated soil and transport it off-site for disposal at a permitted facility.

EPA’s contractors will arrive on site in early September to begin the work which is expected to take less than 9 months to complete, weather permitting. Additional information on the project is available at www.epaosc.net/SomersPlating.

Related Information:
Somers Plating Site Profile
Cleanup