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EPA Orders Removal of Contaminated Soil from Sutton Brook Disposal Area Superfund Site in Tewksbury

Release Date: 10/15/2001
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1014

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is ordering twelve potentially responsible parties to remove a pile of contaminated soil from the Sutton Brook Disposal Area Superfund Site (also known as Rocco's Landfill) in Tewksbury. The contaminated soil was excavated by EPA when it removed buried drums from the property last year.

"This order puts the responsibility for this phase of cleanup onto those who contributed to the problem at the Sutton Brook site," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England office. "Removing this pile is going to finish off the removal and let us concentrate on the long-term cleanup of the site."

The approximately 6,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris were excavated by EPA contractors in the summer and fall of 2000, while removing buried drums containing hazardous substances from the site. As soil and debris was dug up, it was sorted based upon visible observation and on-site screening. Most soil was shipped off-site for treatment and disposal along with overpacked drums, empty drums, and drum parts. The remaining contaminated debris, visibly contaminated soil, and soil which registered higher concentrations of volatile organic compounds was stockpiled on-site for later off-site disposal. This pile was secured with a heavy duty tarpaulin and surrounded by a chain link fence with warning signs.

The order, issued last week, requires the twelve parties to remove the soil pile and dispose of it in a safe manner. The companies have already begun testing the soil pile to evaluate it for disposal purposes. Removing the contaminated soil is expected to take two to three months.

Under Superfund law, any company or individual that owned or operated a Superfund site or contributed or transported waste to the site is responsible for the cleanup costs. The twelve parties specified in the order have been determined by EPA to be potentially responsible because they either owned or operated the Site, or contributed or transported waste to the Sutton Brook Disposal Area Superfund Site. If responsible parties fail to comply with the cleanup order, EPA can perform the work itself and recover its costs.

The twelve parties in the order are Ausimont Industries, Inc. (formerly Pandel, Inc. and Pandel-Bradford, Inc.), Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc. (Massachusetts), Emhart Industries, Inc. (formerly United Shoe Machinery Co., Bostik Division), Mallinckrodt, Inc. (formerly Kingston Steel Drum and Barrel Corp./Great Lakes Container Corp.), Raytheon Co., Roche Brothers Barrel and Drum Co., Inc., Anthony Rocco, Jr., Estate of Jeanette E. Rocco, Walter Rocco, Silicon Transistor Corp., Waste Management of Massachusetts, Inc. (formerly V. Canelas Co., Inc. and SCA Disposal Services of New England, Inc.), and Zeneca Inc. (formerly Polyvinyl Chemicals).

The Sutton Brook Disposal Area Superfund Site is located off of South Street in Tewksbury. It is the location of the former Rocco's Landfill which operated from the early 1950s to the 1980s. During its operations, the landfill accepted municipal, commercial and industrial wastes. The site includes the parcel of about 100 acres on which the landfill and an adjacent drum disposal area are located. The site was proposed to the National Priorities List – EPA's list of the most seriously contaminated properties, known as the Superfund List – in July of 2000 and finalized to the list in June 2001. EPA is continuing a full investigation of the site in order to develop a long-term cleanup plan.