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Final Cleanup Plan Approved for Industri-plex Superfund Site in Woburn, Mass.

Release Date: 02/01/2006
Contact Information:

U.S. EPA - New England Regional Office
February 1, 2006

Contact: David Deegan, 617-918-1017

(Boston) – A final clean up plan for the Industri-plex Superfund Site Operable Unit 2 in Woburn, Mass. has been agreed upon by EPA and the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), ensuring that work will proceed to reduce contamination at the site and in waters near the site.

Formalized in a Jan. 31 document called the "Record of Decision," the plan provides a blueprint for the final remedy for the Industri-plex Site. The clean up will address migration of contamination to the Aberjona River and surrounding wetlands that occurs from an adjacent area (called "Industri-plex Operable Unit 1 (OU-1)"). Work has already been completed to address contaminated soils at those adjacent areas.

EPA estimates the total cost of the selected cleanup plan for the final remedy to be approximately $25.7 million. The clean up will include the following major components:

- Dredging and off-site disposal of contaminated sediments in the southern portion of the Halls Brook Holding Area Pond, a man-made drainage structure located immediately downstream of Industri-plex OU-1.

- Dredging and off-site disposal of contaminated near shore sediments at two wetlands areas located along the Aberjona River and restoration of all disturbed areas.

- Use of the northern portion of the Halls Brook Holding Area Pond as a sediment retention area that will intercept and treat groundwater plumes contaminated with arsenic, benzene, ammonia that are migrating from the Industri-plex OU-1 area of the site.

- Sediments which accumulate in the northern portion of the Halls Brook Holding Area Pond will be periodically dredged and sent off-site for disposal. Portions of storm water from Halls Brook, which may interfere with the natural treatment processes occurring within the northern portion of the pond, will be diverted to the southern portion of the pond.

- If necessary, bioremediation of contaminated groundwater plumes at a portion of Industri-plex OU-1.

- Construction of permeable and impermeable caps to prevent further contamination and to protect the remedy.

- Establishing institutional controls to restrict contact with contaminated soils, groundwater, and wetland sediments and to protect the remedy.

- Construction of compensatory wetlands for any loss of wetland functions and values associated with the selected remedy.

- Long-term monitoring of the groundwater, surface water, and sediments, and periodic Five-year Reviews of the remedy.

During the public comment period, City leaders and local landowners expressed concerns about the form and content of land use restrictions, or “institutional controls”, that are part of the remedy. While reaffirming the need for institutional controls, the agreement between EPA and MassDEP leaves the specific details of these controls to be determined during the design of the remedy, calling for future coordination with state and local authorities and landowners to determine the best way to implement these land use controls.

During two public comment periods and at two public hearings last year, all interested parties were invited to comment on EPA’s proposed clean up plan. Responses to public comments can be found in the Responsiveness Summary which is part of the Record of Decision and includes written responses to significant comments, criticisms, and/or new data submitted during the public comment periods. The Record of Decision and other site documents will be available for public review at the Woburn and Winchester Public Libraries, and the EPA Records Center, as well as on the world wide web at www.epa.gov/ne/superfund/sites/industriplex .

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