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Cleanup Work Has Begun at Milford, Conn. Superfund Site

Release Date: 09/24/2007
Contact Information: Jeanethe Falvey, 617.918.1020

(Boston, Mass. – September 24, 2007) – A recent agreement cleared the way for cleanup work to begin at a contaminated drainage swale at 80 Wampus Lane in Milford, Conn. The work is being conducted jointly by EPA and FCI USA Inc. to remove contaminants from the site, including metals (beryllium and lead), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and oils.

The current cleanup, estimated to cost approximately $360,000, will address contaminated surface soils in a 210 foot-long, man-made earthen drainage swale on the property. The swale reportedly received treated plating wastewater, which still contained harmful liquids, between 1965 and 1991.

The 24 acre site likely was contaminated from years of industrial activity on the property, where the manufacturing of electrical components and accessories took place from 1956 to 1999. Operations at the facility included rubber and plastic molding, screw machining, de-greasing and plating as well as waste water treatment. The Conn. Dept. of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) has previously overseen the remediation of two contaminated waste lagoons and a landfill on site.

The Wampus Lane property was owned since 1956 by the Burndy Corporation, which became Framatone Connectors USA in 1995 and ultimately FCI USA, Inc. In 1999 the property at 80 Wampus Lane was purchased by Wampus Milford Associates, LLC.

At the request of the CT DEP, EPA initiated a site investigation in December 2006 to investigate the soils along the drainage swale. After having determined that the contamination on site would present a threat to public health and the environment, EPA contacted the current and former property owners to provide them with an opportunity to assist in the cleanup efforts. Shortly thereafter, FCI USA indicated willingness to cooperate with EPA in achieving cleanup of the drainage swale.

Work has begun and expects to achieve completion within three months. The first step will be installation of security fencing and warning signs around the property to help ensure that the public is not exposed to contamination during removal activities.

More information:

EPA’s Emergency Response Program (https://www.epa.gov/ne/superfund/er/index.htm)