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Cleanup Progress at Saco Municipal Landfill Superfund Site Undergoes Review

Release Date: 07/07/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: David Deegan (deegan.dave@epa.gov), EPA Office of Public Affairs, (617) 918-1017

For Immediate Release: July 7, 2005; Release # dd050701

BOSTON - A scheduled review is underway to ensure that cleanup action taken at the Saco Municipal Landfill under EPA’s Superfund program is protecting human health and the environment.

Cleanup work continues at the Maine site with the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the landfill cap. The City of Saco has been performing the site activities since the completion of construction in 1999 with oversight from EPA and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP).

In addition to the routine oversight, EPA also conducts a periodic evaluation of all cleanup sites to make sure that the cleanup continues to be protective of people and the environment. The periodic evaluation is required by the Superfund Law and is called a five-year review. This review allows the public and other interested parties to review all documents related to the cleanup effort at the same time as federal and state agencies review data to ensure that work is adequately protective.

EPA, Maine DEP, and the City of Saco performed a five-year review site inspection in May. The City of Saco has a multi-phase beneficial reuse plan for the Saco Municipal Landfill that was developed in consultation with EPA, Maine DEP, and other stakeholder organizations.

As part of the Superfund cleanup, the City of Saco, Maine DEP, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and EPA agreed on a plan to improve the wildlife habitat in the former sand and gravel pit at the toe of Landfill 4. In 2001, the City of Saco graded the area, established a vegetative cover on the sterile rock piles and constructed as series of wetland areas adjacent to Sandy Brook.

In 2003, the City of Saco completed plans to develop portions of the Site for recreational reuse. Nature trails and recreational fields will be installed in a manner compatible with the cleanup actions.

The Saco Municipal Landfill served as a disposal site for municipal, commercial, and industrial wastes from approximately 1963 to 1988. The landfill was added to the EPA National Priorities List (Superfund List) in 1990.

After the current review is completed, EPA will issue a Five-Year Review Report summarizing the findings with respect to the Site.

Additional information regarding the Saco Municipal Landfill can be found at the EPA New England website at: https://www.epa.gov/ne/superfund/sites/sacolandfill/

Related Information:
Saco Municipal Landfill Site Fact Sheet
Superfund in New England
Cleanup