All News Releases By Date

Olympia Nominee Trust to Continue the Cleanup of Contaminated Soil at Wells G & H Superfund Site

Release Date: 06/21/04
Contact Information: Contact: Alice Kaufman, EPA Community Involvement Office, (617) 918-1064

For Immediate Release: June 21, 2004; Release # 04-06-23

Boston - The US EPA has reached an agreement with Olympia Nominee Trust to continue the cleanup of contaminated soils on the Olympia property located at 60 Olympia Avenue in Woburn, Massachusetts. This is one of five properties identified in the early 1980's as a source of groundwater contamination to Wells G & H aquifer in Woburn. The cleanup at the Olympia property is another step in the Superfund cleanup at the Wells G&H Site.

Extensive sampling and analysis of soil and groundwater by EPA in 2002 on the Olympia property revealed surface soils contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Sub-surface soils are contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE). EPA believes that this area serves as an ongoing source of contamination to the groundwater and to the Aberjona River that flows through the property.

EPA will oversee the work outlined in the agreement, called an Administrative Order on Consent, or AOC, which is expected to take approximately one to two years. Under the agreement, Olympia Nominee Trust will:

1. Conduct additional sampling to further define the extent of subsurface contamination, as necessary, monitor progress of treatment, and document successful cleanup;
2. Treat TCE contaminated subsurface soils in place by injecting sodium permanganate, a material which destroys TCE by chemical reaction; and
3. Re-vegetate and grade the site.