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Field Work to Begin at Newstead Superfund Site

Release Date: 07/17/2007
Contact Information: Elizabeth Totman (212) 637-3662; [email protected]

(New York, N.Y.) The removal of tons of soil contaminated with hazardous waste is set to begin the week of July 23, 2007 at the Newstead Superfund site in the town of Newstead in Erie County, New York. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will oversee the work being carried out by ERM Remediation & Construction Management, under contract to Sherwin-Williams, the potentially responsible party. The Newstead property, located on Fletcher Road, occupies 6.5 acres of residential land; the work entails excavating several tons of contaminated hazardous waste soil and removing it from the site.

“It is time to clean up the Newstead property and restore the land to its original condition,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. “It is vital that we contain the risks so that one day, in the near future, families can enjoy the quality of the land and the corresponding quality of life.”

Pratt and Lambert Company, Inc., acquired by Sherwin-Williams in 1996, was a paint manufacturer headquartered in Buffalo, New York. During the 1940’s and 1950’s a resident of Newstead disposed of waste linked to Pratt and Lambert, that included drums, cans of paint and solvents, and paper that was dumped or burned at the site. The abuse of this land resulted in contamination of the area soils, sediment and ground water with elevated levels of several volatile organic chemicals, including benzene, metals, lead and chromium.

EPA, in agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, has chosen an approach that will entail excavating the contaminated soil and relocating it to the proper disposal and treatment facilities. The next step will be to restore the unearthed site with clean soil that has been prior- tested and assured of its purity from hazardous material. When this is accomplished, the monitoring of ground water will commence.

The project is expected to be completed within six months of the start date. EPA will be evaluating the work plans of the Sherwin-Williams contractors and overseeing the progress.

For further information on the Superfund program, go to https://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund

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