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EPA COMPLETES WEBSTER STREET, WOBURN, CLEANUP

Release Date: 07/07/1999
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Community Affairs Office, (617) 918-1064 Wing Chau, EPA's On-Scene Coordinator, (617) 918-1254

Boston - The New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it completed a 6-month $400,000 cleanup of hazardous wastes at the L.A. Donovan Site at 32 Webster Street in Woburn, MA. In total, EPA removed 10,500 gallons of hazardous liquid wastes and 44,300 pounds of hazardous solid wastes.

The L.A. Donovan Co. operated an electroplating business from 1948 until 1994. Vats, drums, and bottles of hazardous substances were found abandoned in the building in various production, storage and laboratory areas. EPA identified cyanides, acids, corrosives, and flammables abandoned in the facility.

As a result of the joint site investigation conducted by EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP), EPA's on-scene coordinator for the site, Wing Chau, and officials from MADEP had been concerned about the possibility of accidental mixing of acids and cyanides which would produce a toxic hydrogen cyanide gas. Chau found the building without power, water, and fire protection utilities.

Hundreds of drums, barrels, and containers were removed from the site for proper disposal. Some of the materials were recycled for future use. Materials were sent for landfilling, recycling, and/or treatment to facilities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Alaska.