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EPA and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to Begin Work at Ottati and Goss / Kingston Steel Drum Superfund Site

Release Date: 03/22/2001
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Community Affairs (617-918-1064)

BOSTON - EPA New England announced today plans for its upcoming excavation of about 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments and soils from the Ottati and Goss / Kingston Steel Drum Superfund Site in Kingston, New Hampshire this summer. Representatives of EPA, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and the US Army Corps of Engineers met with Kingston selectmen and members of the public on March 19th to provide information about the project.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, working on behalf of EPA, has contracted with Environmental Chemical Corporation, Inc. to conduct the two year project. This includes:

Excavation of about 20,000 cubic yards of VOC and PCB contaminated soils and sediments from both sides of Route 125 including 10,000 cubic yards from a five acre portion of the wetland adjacent to Country Pond.

Treatment of the contaminated soils and sediments via thermal desorption, a process which removes contaminants from soil by heating it to a temperature of about 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

Placement of the treated soils and sediments on the Kingston Steel Drum property. The Kingston Steel Drum property will be regraded, new topsoil will be brought in and seeded, and the fence will be replaced.

Restoration of the marsh with new organic material and young maple trees to recreate the marsh.

EPA will soon bring a thermal desorption unit on site and begin construction of necessary roads and fences. The thermal desorption unit will be located west of the Kingston Steel Drum property, approximately 1300 feet west of Route 125.

EPA has met with Kingston Town officials, and local police, fire and highway departments to discuss the impact of site activities on the community including: noise; traffic interruption on Route 125 by construction vehicles entering, leaving and crossing from one side of Route 125 to the other; safety; and communication with the town during construction activities. The following plans have been put in place to address these issues:

The local police and highway department will assist with traffic control and safety issues. In addition, site operations will be restricted during commuter hours to lessen any impact on the community.

EPA and NH DES will meet with the Board of Selectmen monthly to keep the town informed and will meet as needed with town departments, neighbors and concerned citizens.

Once an office trailer is set up on the site, EPA will publish and make available a local telephone number for town residents to call with any questions or concerns about site activities.

The most significant noise at the site will be from back up alarms on construction equipment. To minimize this impact on the community, construction vehicles will operate during daylight hours, with only the thermal desorption unit operating on a 24-hour basis.

The 35-acre Ottati and Goss / Kingston Steel Drum Site was placed on the EPA's National Priorities List in 1983, making it eligible for federal funding to address contamination at the site. Previous actions taken at the site include the removal of approximately 4,000 drums of waste in the early 1980's. The site is the former location of the Great Lakes Container Corporation which conducted a drum reconditioning operation from the late 1950's through July 1980.