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EPA Staff Involved in Ongoing Response in Plainfield, CT.

Release Date: 04/29/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: David Deegan, EPA Office of Public Affairs, (617) 918-1017, [email protected]

For Immediate Release: April 29, 2005; Release # dd050411

A major fire at the former InterRoyal Mill that started during the evening of Tues. Apr. 26 has triggered a significant response by not only firefighters, but also numerous state and federal agencies, including EPA. Involvement by EPA emergency responders was requested by the State of Connecticut, due to the existence of asbestos on the InterRoyal Mill site. EPA has assisted by performing air monitoring at the site and in the adjoining area, to determine whether there are air contaminants that pose a risk to human health.

The Plainfield site has been the subject of EPA Superfund clean up work. In order to address immediate needs to protect human health and the environment, in 1996 EPA removed drums, vats, and other containers of hazardous materials that had been abandoned at the site. During that removal effort, EPA also identified and removed lead-contaminated soils.

In late 2002, EPA took additional action at the site, including to repair fences to prevent unauthorized access and to quantify remaining concerns regarding asbestos in the facility. EPA also excavated and disposed of PCB-contaminated surface soils.

Information on EPA's past clean up work at the InterRoyal site.

Related Information:
InterRoyal Mill Fact Sheet
Cleanup Process
Cleanup in New England
Asbestos
Cleanup Photos
EPA Press Release: After Massive Plainfield, CT Fire, EPA Commits $500,000 in Additional Emergency Funding For Clean-up
Local Press Releases, Update and Fact Sheet PDF
Desk Statement: InterRoyal