Waste Site Cleanup & Reuse in New England
Omo Manufacturing
This 10.2-acre site was originally home to the Omo Manufacturing Co., a rubber and artificial leather factory built in the late 1800s. Before the 1930s, the western part of the site was a wetland. In the early 1930s to about 1955, the wetlands were used by the city of Middletown as a municipal landfill. According to the property owner, the landfill accepted industrial wastes, including waste oils, paints, and refuse from rubber manufacturing. In 1955, during the construction of Route 9, the state changed the topography of the property, modifying the course of Sumner Brook and introducing a drainage ditch, both west of the property. The site had various owners after the landfill moved. The current owner rents space to various tenants.
In April 2009, the site was referred to EPA by the Conn. Department of Environmental Protection. The cleanup plan calls for decontamination of heavy equipment, vehicles and other materials before they are taken off site; disposing of materials that cannot be decontaminated, as well as water and soil surveys and sampling as needed. The cleanup should also include evaluation of methods, such as capping, removing or otherwise stabilizing contaminated soils; erosion control and security measures, if necessary; air, water and soil monitoring, and site restoration.
Location: 50 Walnut St., Middletown, CT
Start date: 03/18/2010
End date: Ongoing
Contact: Emily Zimmerman (zimmerman.emily@epa.gov) or 617-918-1029