Waste Site Cleanup & Reuse in New England

Wells G & H Settlement

In 1990, EPA negotiated a record-breaking Superfund settlement for cleanup of municipal Wells G & H in Woburn, Massachusetts. EPA and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reached a $69.45 million settlement with W.R. Grace & Company, UniFirst Corporation, New England Plastics, Beatrice Company, Wildwood Conservation Corporation and John J. Riley, Jr. for the cleanup of contaminated properties and additional studies. Shortly thereafter, comprehensive cleanup activities began at four of the site's five properties.

The 330-acre site includes two former municipal water supply wells, and surrounding properties that contributed to contamination of the wells. Contamination of the wells was discovered in 1979 when the wells were tested by the State.

Under the terms of the settlement the companies are:

• Performing the cleanup at their properties valued at $58.4 million. The agreement directed cleanup of four properties simultaneously
• Financing EPA's monitoring of all cleanup activities, valued at $6.4 million
• Performing a study of the area immediately surrounding Wells G & H
• Reimbursing EPA for its past investigation costs, valued at $2.65 million.

Contaminated groundwater is being pumped and treated in separate facilities at the W.R. Grace, Beatrice, New England Plastics and Unifirst properties. In addition, soil contamination is being addressed on the Beatrice, Unifirst and W.R. Grace properties. The estimated cost to the property owners is $58.4 million. These same companies will be held responsible for reimbursing the government another $2.65 million of past costs for site studies.

Olympia Nominee Trust, Woburn Associates, and George Whitten, the parties associated with the fifth property identified as a source of groundwater contamination, have not settled with the government.