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Public Meeting in Plymouth, ME will Discuss Proposed Final Cleanup Plan for Hows Corner Superfund Site

Release Date: 05/26/2006
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – May 26, 2006) – A public information meeting will be held next Wednesday, May 31, in Plymouth, Maine to discuss EPA’s proposed final cleanup plan for the Hows Corner Superfund site.

At the meeting, EPA staff will be available to discuss the proposed final cleanup plan for the Plymouth site, and how the proposed plan compares with other options to address contamination at the site.

The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 31 at 7:00 p.m., at Grange Hall (1927 Moosehead Trail) in Plymouth. In addition to the public meeting, EPA will open a formal public comment period on the proposed final cleanup plan, which is expected to remain open from May 31 until June 30, 2006. EPA will also host a separate formal public hearing, also at Grange Hall in Plymouth, on Wed. June 28, at which citizens may present public comments for the record.

In the Sept. 2002 “Record of Decision,” for the Hows Corner Superfund Site, EPA selected a cleanup approach for the non-source area groundwater, but postponed making a decision as to whether or not drinking water quality standards could be met within a reasonable timeframe. Now, after further evaluation, EPA has concluded that drinking water quality standards will be attained in the non-source area groundwater.

EPA will also conduct further investigation regarding vapor intrusion and whether that exposure pathway may pose unacceptable risks to citizens in the area. If unacceptable risks exist, they will be addressed by appropriate additional actions.

The Plymouth site includes a former waste oil storage and transfer facility and surrounding properties where groundwater contamination has been detected. Both the State of Maine and EPA have performed assessment and cleanup work at the site since the late 1980s. The Hows Corner site was added to EPA’s national Superfund list in 1995. Contamination in groundwater includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including perchloroethylene (PCE), and polycarbonated biphenyls (PCBs). Steps have been taken to ensure that no one is currently being exposed to contaminated groundwater.

More information on Hows Corner Superfund site (epa.gov/region1/superfund/sites/hows)

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