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EPA SEEKS INFORMATION ON PAST OPERATIONS AT THE CENTREDALE MANOR SITE IN NORTH PROVIDENCE

Release Date: 05/13/1999
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1064

Boston - The New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is researching the past operations of companies that conducted business at what is now Centredale Manor in North Providence, RI, in an effort to recoup past and anticipated federal taxpayer dollars spent to cleanup the site.

EPA has established a toll - free tips line so that past employees can provide EPA with information useful to the agency's ongoing research into past industrial uses of the area. The toll-free number is: 1-888-372-7341, and is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm. Callers should tell the operator they have information about the Centredale Manor site.

"We are determined to identify those parties whose operations contributed to the pollution of the Centredale Manor site and portions of the Woonasquatucket River so that they may have an opportunity to step up to the plate and conduct or finance the cleanup," said John P. DeVillars, the EPA's New England administrator. "In the interim, EPA will maintain an accelerated investigation and cleanup at the site."

EPA has established a toll-free hotline to encourage past employees who have knowledge of the industrial history of the site to share this information. EPA is especially interested in hearing from individuals who have information regarding any operations of the following companies at the site:

• New England Container Corporation
• Atlantic Chemical Company
• Metro-Atlantic, Inc.
• Crown Chemical
• Metro-Crown Chemical
• Crown-Metro, Inc.
• USM Corporation
• Any other business that operated at the site after 1940 (not including Centredale Manor and Brook Village apartments).

For health related questions and information about dioxin, contact the Family Health Information Line at the Rhode Island Department of Health at: 1-800-942-7434. The Family Information Line, operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. On evenings and weekends, callers may leave a name and telephone number. Hotline staff will return the call on the next business day.