EPA Announces $48 Million Olin Superfund Site Cleanup Plan

WILMINGTON, MA — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a $48 million proposed cleanup plan for Wilmington's Olin Superfund Site, Monday.

The cleanup plan would address soil and water contamination from Olin Chemical, a 53-acre rubber and plastics facility at 51 Eames Street that closed in 1986. The plan was released ahead of a virtual information session Aug. 25 and public comment collection over the following month.

The $48 million tag is an estimate by the agency.

The plan's highlights include:

• New groundwater extraction and treatment systems, to clean the aquifer
• Collect and treat oily waste and contaminated groundwater that flows into surface water
• Build "cap and cover systems on areas of soil contamination that pose an unacceptable risk," including the Olin site's "Containment Area"
• Excavate contaminated wetland soil and sediment and restore impacted wetlands and floodplains
• Require additional evaluations and engineering controls for future buildings
• Further studies on bedrock and groundwater contamination
• Land use controls
• Long-term water monitoring

Residents can submit comments to a voice mailbox at 617-918-1880 or mail or email them to:

Melanie Morash
U.S. EPA Region 1 – New England
Mail Code 7-4
5 Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109-3912
E-mail: morash.melanie@epa.gov

EPA representatives will present cleanup options at the virtual forum, Aug. 25 from 7 to 8 p.m. and the agency will hold a virtual public hearing for Sept. 22 from 7 to 8:30 pm. The agency has not yet announced details on how to attend the meetings.

Following public comments, the agency expects to issue a final cleanup plan decision in late 2020 or early 2021.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.