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EPA Adds Sutton Brook Disposal Area in Tewksbury to Superfund List

Release Date: 06/14/2001
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office (617-918-1014)

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today added the Sutton Brook Disposal Area in Tewskbury, Mass. to the EPA's National Priorities List (known as the "Superfund List"). The site, located off of South Street, was formerly known as Rocco's Landfill. The National Priorities List is EPA's list of the country's most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites identified for possible long-term cleanup. Adding a site to the Superfund List ensures that EPA will oversee and manage cleanup of the site, and makes federal funds available when private financing is unavailable.

"Finalizing the listing of Sutton Brook is a positive milestone in the cleanup of the site,"said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator for EPA's New England office. "It's a tribute to the perseverance of the area residents who made sure that the seriousness of this site was brought to light. I'm pleased that with this listing EPA can continue to work on a long-term permanent clean-up for the Sutton Brook site."

The landfill operations began in the early 1950s, and although the landfill was ordered closed by the Town of Tewksbury Board of Health in 1979, waste disposal continued into the 1980s. The site includes the parcel of about 100 acres on which the landfill and an adjacent drum disposal area are located. During its operations, the landfill accepted municipal, commercial and industrial wastes. Buried drums and associated soil contaminated with volatile organic and semi-volatile organic compounds are a source of continuing contamination to the area.

Using its emergency removal authority, EPA has removed approximately 10,000 tons of soil and more than 101 barrels from the Sutton Brook site, and removal actions are continuing. When the site was proposed to the NPL in July 2000, EPA was able to begin a full-scale investigation of contamination at the site. When the investigation is complete, EPA will use the results to develop a long-term clean up plan for the site.

Two other sites in New England were also added to the NPL today: the Nuclear Metals, Inc. site (also known as the Starmet site) in Concord, Mass. and the Elizabeth Mine in South Strafford, Vt. Additionally, EPA today proposed adding the Ely Copper Mine in Vershire, Vt. to the NPL.