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EPA Completes Review of Gallup’s Quarry Superfund Site in Plainfield, Conn.

Release Date: 10/17/2012
Contact Information: Kate Renahan, (617) 918-1491

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 17, 2012) - EPA has completed its third Five-Year Review Report on the remedy implemented at the Gallup’s Quarry Superfund Site, located in Plainfield, Conn.

EPA’s review concluded that while the remedy at Gallup’s Quarry is protective for pathways of exposure to contaminants, changes in Federal and State cleanup standards require the Long Term Monitoring Plan to be amended to include groundwater sampling for 1,4-dioxane and arsenic to be monitored for in the short term.  It needs to be determined whether these two contaminants should be included to the list of Contaminants of Concern identified in the Record of Decision, EPA’s decision document in selecting a cleanup remedy at a Superfund Site.

Based on a comparison of all the Nov. 2011 data with previous results, the decided remedy continues to be appropriate for this Site.  Overall, total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) concentrations have declined significantly since 1996, and the contaminated groundwater plume remains within the limits predicted by computer models developed to select the remedy.  Long-term monitoring data demonstrates that the 27-year cleanup goal stated in the ROD will likely be accomplished. 

Five-year reviews are mandated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (commonly known as “Superfund”). The Five-Year Review Report was signed on Sept. 27, 2012.

The Gallup's Quarry Superfund Site is a 29-acre area, a portion of which was used as an illegal industrial waste disposal area during 1977. In 1978 the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP, now known as CT DEEP) shut down the disposal operations and removed drums and bulk liquid hazardous waste and contaminated soil. In 1988-1989 the EPA completed a site investigation and placed the site on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. In 1993 the EPA entered into a consent agreement with 23 parties potentially responsible for waste disposal to perform a detailed investigation of the site, under EPA oversight, to determine the nature and extent of contamination. Upon completion of the investigation in 1997, and in consultation with local citizens and CT DEP, EPA selected the cleanup plan from several possible options. The remedy selected to address contamination at the Gallup’s Quarry Superfund Site, includes natural attenuation and long-term monitoring of soils, surface water, and groundwater in and near the Site, institutional controls to limit land use and five-year reviews.  This third five-year review was performed to determine if the selected remedy continues to be protective of human health and the environment.

More Information on EPA’s cleanup efforts at Gallup’s Quarry Superfund Site: (https://www.epa.gov/region1/superfund/sites/gallup)

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