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Electrical Transformers to be Removed from Montville, Conn. Superfund Site

Release Date: 07/23/2008
Contact Information: Paula Ballentine, (617) 918-1027

Boston, Mass. – July 23, 2008) – EPA is working closely with the Town of Montville, Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) to oversee the removal of electrical transformers containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the Wisniewski Superfund Site on Route 163 in Montville. The trustees of the Site are undertaking the removal under EPA oversight and have agreed to remove all eight transformers and two associated capacitors from the property to a licensed off-site disposal facility.

EPA investigations of the property in November 2007 and January 2008 concluded that several of the transformers contained oil contaminated with PCBs. Testing of the soils in the vicinity of the transformers did not reveal any PCB contamination above CTDEP’s most stringent residential cleanup criteria. No leaking has been observed. Temporary spill containment will be constructed prior to the removal as a precautionary measure.

The cleanup is expected to begin within the next several weeks and be completed by the end of the summer. As part of the removal, some additional testing of the transformers will be performed, followed by the removal of the equipment to an EPA-approved treatment and disposal facility.

Safety measures, including temporary fencing to secure the work area, signage and traffic control, have been developed jointly with the Mayor’s Office, Uncas Health District, and Montville Fire and Police Departments. Such safety measures will be in effect throughout the cleanup, with the traffic control measures in place during the approximately 6-hour period of road closure along Route 163 while the transformers are loaded onto the transport vehicle. The road closure will be timed to avoid morning and evening commuter traffic.

Workers will be wearing personal protective gear while conducting the transformer removal. This gear will include safety harnesses for all work on the elevated transformer platform and impermeable white suits. This level of protection is mandated by federal laws.

Questions may be directed to either the EPA On-Scene Coordinator for the project, Melanie Morash, toll free at (888) 372-7341 x81298, Mayor Jaskiewicz at Montville Town Hall at (860) 848-3030, or Janet Kwiatkowski of the state’s PCB Program at (860) 424-3330.

Related information:
EPA’s Emergency Response Program (epa.gov/ne/superfund/er/index.htm)
EPA removal actions in New England (epa.gov/region1/superfund/basics/shrtterm)