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EPA Completes Cleanup of GandB Lagoon Site in Redding, CT

Release Date: 08/10/2001
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Community Public Affairs Office, (617) 918-1014

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has completed a $2.3 million emergency cleanup at the former Gilbert and Bennet disposal site in Redding, CT. EPA contractors have treated and contained soil and completed a protective cap at the site to prevent exposure to lead and zinc found at the site. The cap will also be seeded with grass in mid September.

"We've made huge progress on the site, transforming it from an industrial wasteland to one that's safe and more pleasant to look at and with great re-use potential," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England office.

The site is a six-acre parcel located off North Main Street in the Georgetown area of Redding, adjacent to the former Gilbert and Bennet wire fence manufacturing facility. The company used three lagoons and several waste piles on the parcel to dispose of lead- and zinc-bearing waste from the facility's galvanizing operations. Tests showed soil contaminated with lead above allowable standards for residential or commercial properties and with zinc above standards for residential properties.

EPA undertook a cleanup at the site using its emergency cleanup authority. Beginning in April 2001, EPA contractors excavated and chemically treated almost 4,000 cubic yards of soil to prevent lead and zinc from leaching out into groundwater. The treated soil was contained on site and a protective earth cap was built to cover the site. Airborne sampling during construction indicated that dust control measures were effective at preventing airborne lead exposure. EPA contractors will return and cover the cap with topsoil and seed with grass in mid-September, when cooler weather will be more favorable for the grass to grow.

The cap is an interim measure to control migration of contaminants and prevent public exposure to lead from the site. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection will oversee future activities at the site. The DEP is also studying groundwater in the area for potential contamination from the G& B site or other sources.