Pownal Tannery

Site Description

The Pownal Tannery site is located between Route 347 and the Hoosic River in the Village of North Pownal. Originally built as a woolen mill in the late 1880s, it was converted into a hide tanning and finishing facility in 1935. The facility closed in 1988 when its owners, the Pownal Tanning Company, Inc., declared bankruptcy. The site consists of three properties: the tannery building complex, six lagoons, and the tannery's sludge landfill, totaling a 28-acre area. The groundwater, soil and lagoon/landfill are contaminated primarily with dioxin, chromium, lead, arsenic and benzo(a)pyrene. Metals, semi-VOCs and dioxin have also been found in the site's soil/sludge and on building materials at levels that pose an unacceptable risk to human health. A portion of the site, which included the former tannery and textile mill building, was determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the Vermont State Historic Preservation Officer. Section 106 requirements were complied with prior to building demolition.

The area is in a rural and residential community with a population of 3,530 people. The nearest residences are approximately 200 feet from the site and 275 people rely upon groundwater from private wells for their water supply. While some site related contaminants have been detected in residential wells in the past, and continued migration of contaminated groundwater could present a future human health threat, current sampling data indicates that safe drinking water standards are not being exceeded.

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

• Following an evaluation of the site, in 1993 and 1994, EPA removed 13,000 pounds of contaminated material from the buildings, including compressed gas cylinders, asbestos containing materials, substances in tanks, and several drums and cans of hazardous materials. Buildings were sealed to prevent exposure to people and the environment, waste piles were sampled, and a breach in the lagoon system was repaired. The site was listed to EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999.
• Between 1995 and 1998, EPA completed its investigations and cost analysis of the contamination at the lagoons, the landfill and tannery building. In 1999 EPA, decontaminated and demolished the tannery building area, removed all of the underground tanks, moved the contaminated soil under tannery buildings to the on-site landfill, covered the landfill, repaired the landfill leachate collection, and excavated a small quantity of tannery waste found adjacent to the Hoosic River. This work was completed in the Spring of 2001.
• Prior to work on the tannery building area, EPA removed, recycled and cleaned 140 old forest wood beams from the former tannery building. The beams were donated to the Town of Pownal to build a recycling center and a town equipment shed. Once EPA completed its work on the building area, it was restored and is now used for recreation purposes.
• In July 2002, EPA completed its investigation of the extent of contamination of the lagoon system and its impact on the groundwater, surface water and river sediments. The study determined that there was an unacceptable risk to human health in three of the six lagoons. In September 2002, EPA decided to excavate 41,000 cubic yards of sludge from two lagoon areas, and consolidate and place a protective cover over a third lagoon. This work is planned to begin in 2003 and be completed by September 2004.
• Following completion of EPA's work, the Town of Pownal will build a wastewater treatment facility in one of the three uncontaminated lagoons because currently raw sewage is being disposed of into the river. Through a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Facilities Engineering Division of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, EPA will be providing $7.4 million to complete this project. This project is expected to begin in the spring of 2005 and be completed in 2006.
• In September 1999, the Town of Pownal received a $98,000 EPA Redevelopment Initiative grant. In February 2001, the town's Reuse Assessment Report detailed its plans to further enhance the recreational uses of the former tannery building area and reuse the lagoon area.
• The State of Vermont is currently responsible for operation and maintenance of the former tannery building and landfill areas. In addition to maintaining the work already completed at the site, the state is conducting periodic private well water sampling homes adjacent to the lagoon area. A contractor has also been retained to maintain the fence and gates surrounding the lagoons.
• EPA continues to monitor the site to ensure there is no immediate threat to human health or the environment pending the start of long-term cleanup work.

Current Funding Status

• Approximately $15,000,000 has been spent on the site to date.
• To date in FY 2003, the region has received $2.4 million dollars toward the cleanup activities at this site.

For more information on this site, please read the Fact Sheet on the Region 1 Superfund Web site.

Key Accomplishments