Fairfield Gets Violation Notice From EPA About PCBs At Fill Pile

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield has been issued a violation notice by the federal government in connection with the fill pile at the center of the town's ongoing contamination crisis.

The notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which Fairfield received Friday, cites the presence of PCBs up to 230 parts per million — above allowable federal levels — on the public works department property.

"It's not good news," said First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, who noted cleanup at the site now must follow federal guidelines.

The EPA notice requires the town to provide information within 10 days of receipt about what action it will take to address the PCB contamination. Kupchick said she is already in discussions with the town's conservation and health departments about how to respond.

"We're going to do what we're supposed to do," she said.

The federal notice follows two state violations the town received about the fill pile. The first came last fall and was related to the presence of PCBs on the property. The second, which Fairfield received in early January, was regarding the berm for the pile — which was created without a permit — and its affect on the town's application to officially close the site. The pile has not been operational for years.

Kupchick said she has notified U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and U.S. Sens. Christopher Murphy and Richard Blumenthal about the EPA violation and asked them about the potential for federal funding to assist in the town's response. She has also contacted the town selectmen and the leadership for the Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting, in addition to including information about the violation in her office's email newsletter, she said.

Fairfield is still waiting to get the results of tests conducted by state officials in the fall at the pile, but Kupchick said licensed environmental professionals also visited the site last week and did some tests. The town is considering four professionals as finalists for an agreement to oversee remediation at the pile, and will be working next week with environmental specialists to choose the contractor for the job, she said. Kupchick was unsure Friday as to the cost of the cleanup.

"I think it's going to have a significant impact on our residents financially," she said.

Fairfield's contamination crisis dominated headlines and public meetings for months in town after two ex-Fairfield employees and a former contractor were charged in August with financial and environmental crimes in connection with the management of the pile. Around the same time the charges were announced, contaminants were reported to police after being uncovered at a local park. Since then, more than 70 areas in Fairfield have been tested for contamination. The vast majority have been deemed safe, but some sites were found to contain asbestos, arsenic and other contaminants.