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EPA Settles with Estate for Cleanup Costs

Release Date: 08/06/2002
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1064

Boston – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled a case with the Estate of Richard Pollio to recoup costs the government accrued when cleaning up the Somers Industrial Finishing Corporation site in Somers, Connecticut. Mr. Pollio, who died in December of 1999 before the case was settled, had been president, a director and sole shareholder of Somers.

The Consent Decree includes a cash settlement of $106,000 payable to the U.S.Treasury and an agreement by the Estate to use best efforts to sell the site with the intent of remitting to the government the net proceeds of the sale.

EPA spent nearly $1 million to clean up contaminated soils, wastewater lagoons and containers of hazardous substances at the site. Altogether, EPA removed 114 tons of soils heavily contaminated with cadmium and other heavy metals from a lagoon on the property that was used to store wastewater from Somers' metal plating and finishing business. Sampling of groundwater beneath the lagoons found low levels of contaminants.

EPA excavated and disposed of contaminated soils and approximately 12 containers of abandoned laboratory chemicals. Another 2150 cubic yards of lesser contaminated soil was excavated and treated with iron sulfate to stabilize the remaining metals. The chemically stabilized soil was then used to refill the excavated hole.

In addition to the soil treatment, EPA placed an impermeable synthetic liner, covered with stone and clean topsoil, over the former lagoon to further reduce the risk that trespassers would come in contact with the area and to significantly reduce the risk that any remaining contamination would migrate to groundwater.

The Somers Industrial Finishing Corporation operated a metal plating and finishing operation at the site from 1972 to 1984, and used cadmium, chromium, nickel, and zinc in its electroplating operations. The abandoned site has a 10,000 square foot building and the capped half-acre former wastewater lagoon.