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EPA COMPLETES FISHERVILLE MILL FIRE CLEANUP

Release Date: 08/25/1999
Contact Information: Erin Heskett, Community Affairs Office (617-918-1054)

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finished cleanup today of fire debris from properties in the eastern Massachusetts towns of Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, and Upton. The cleanup, which finished two weeks ahead of schedule, was a joint effort involving the fire departments in each of the communities, local officials, EPA, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Clean-up crews working in each of the five towns have collected about 100 bags of debris that was removed from 144 swimming pools, 2,815 homes, 104 public areas, and 134 streets. Only a small percentage of what has been collected contains asbestos, but all of the debris will be shipped to a licensed disposal facility. EPA and DEP clean-up efforts paid particular attention to schools, public areas, and homes. EPA allocated about $500,000 to cover the costs of the cleanup.

"EPA finished this cleanup faster than we had originally projected, due in part to the seamless teamwork among all of the agencies, towns, and residents involved," said EPA New England administrator John P. DeVillars.

The roof of the Fisherville Mill building, which contained asbestos, collapsed during the Aug. 3 fire, releasing a plume of debris and burning embers into the air. Shortly after the fire, DEP requested EPA assistance in removing the debris containing asbestos that had been found up to 12 miles downwind in 5 towns.

Workers hand-picked fire debris from properties and placed it into sealed plastic bags. The debris was stored in a steel bin at the Upton Department of Public Works. DEP will transport the debris to a licensed disposal facility.

EPA collected numerous samples of debris, pool water and air to determine whether they contained asbestos. EPA, working with health experts from ATSDR, do not expect that exposure to asbestos-containing materials from this mill fire is a health threat to adults, children or pets. Personal air sampling monitors worn by clean-up workers also indicated no unsafe levels of airborne asbestos fibers during the cleanup.

EPA received a total of 259 calls from residents reporting fire debris in their yards. These calls helped EPA to accurately locate impacted streets and direct clean-up crews to those properties throughout the five towns.

Residents with further questions or concerns are urged to call their local board of health at the following numbers:

The Town of Grafton: 508-839-8503

The Town of Hopedale: 508-634-2202

The Town of Mendon: 508-634-2656

The Town of Milford: 508-634-2315

The Town of Upton: 508-529-6813