EPA v. FISHERVILLE MILL

Case summary

THE REMOVAL ACTION UNDER THE ORDER WILL CONSIST OF EPA WORKING WITH CMEDA TO REMOVE ASBESTOS CONTAMINATED BUILDING DEBRIS FROM THE SITE, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE MASSACHUSETTS DEP AND CMEDA TO ADDRESS GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AT THE FORMER MILL SITE. THE FORMER 330,000 SQUARE FOOT MILL COMPLEX HAD BEEN THE SITE OF A BROWNSFIELD REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT BY CMEDA, PARTIALLY FUNDED BY EPA, WITH WAS DESTROYED IN A MASSIVE FIRE LAST YEAR. AFTER THE FIRE, EPA SPENT APPROXIMATELY $554,000 TO REMOVE THE ASBESTOS DEBRIS FROM COMMUNITIES UP TO TWELVE MILES DOWNWIND OF THE FIRE. WITH THE ONGOING RISK THAT A PLUME OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER UNDER THE MILL WOULD MIGRATE OFFSITE AND THREATEN DOWNGRADIENT DRINKING WATER WELLS AND THE ADJACENT BLACKSTONE RIVER. UNDER THE AOC, EPA'S SUPERFUND REMOVAL PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND EQUIPMENT OPERATORS TO SEGREGATE UNCONTAMINATED, SALVAGEABLE DEBRIS (STEEL, GRANITE, ETC) FROM THE ASBESTOS CONTAMINATED MATERIAL AND PLACE THE CONTAMINATED DEBRIS INTO TRUCKS FOR OFF-SITE DISPOSAL. CMEDA'S OBLIGATION UNDER THE AOC IS TO PROVIDE THE TRUCKS AND TO ARRANGE AND PAY FOR OFF-SITE DISPOSAL AT A LICENSED LANDFILL. BY REMOVING THE ASBESTOS-CONTAMINATED FIRE DEBRIS, MA AND DEP WILL HAVE SAFE ACCESS TO TEH SITE WHICH WILL ENABLE THEM TO INVESTIGATE AND DEAL WITH THE GROUND- WATER CONTAMINATION ISSUES.

Defendants (1)

• FISHERVILLE MILLNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• FISHERVILLE MILL

  60 MAIN ST, GRAFTON, MA, 01519

  Registry ID: 110010595203

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 104A — CERCLA 104(a)
• CERCLA 107 — Superfund
• CERCLA 106A — Imminent & Substantial Endangerment Order

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• FISHERVILLE MILLentered 2000-06-01

  Primary law: CERCLA

Timeline (3 milestones)

• 2000-06-01Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 2000-06-01Final Order Issued
• 2000-06-12Enforcement Action Data Entered