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EPA Expects to Begin Cleanup at Van Buren, Maine Site on Thurs. Jan. 6

Release Date: 01/06/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Angela Bonarrigo, 617-918-1034

For Immediate Release: January 6, 2005; Release #ab050101

Boston – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin work this week on a $50,000 cleanup at the Castonguay Trailer Site on Castonguay Road in Van Buren, Maine. The 9-acre-site is at the former Night Lighter fireworks facility. Weather permitting, the work will begin on Thursday, January 6.

During a previous investigation, EPA’s New England office identified large quantities of materials associated with fireworks manufacturing.

The facility consists of a tractor trailer which contains materials from the former fireworks manufacturing operation, including oxidizers, flammable solids, combustibles, and reactive compounds as well as a manufacturing building and an explosives magazine.

“We hope to fully address this removal within a matter of days,” said AmyJean Lussier of EPA. Lussier, EPA’s on-scene coordinator from the Superfund removal program, will be managing the cleanup.

Federal, state and local responders have secured the site, and will take all necessary precautions during the removal and cleanup, to ensure that public health is protected.
As part of the cleanup, EPA will inventory the contents of the trailer, manufacturing building and explosives magazine, remove any materials related to the former fireworks manufacturing process and segregate and store incompatible materials, sample containers to determine contents and dispose of the materials at an appropriate facility.

The work is expected to be completed within one week, weather permitting. Additional information on the project is available at www.epaosc.org/castonguaytrailer .

Related Information:
Cleanup Process
Superfund Program in New England
RCRA/Hazardous Waste