EPA announces major agreement with developer to clean up Mohawk Tannery site in Nashua, N.H.
BOSTON (May 12, 2025) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached an agreement with a local developer that will ensure the successful remediation and beneficial reuse of the Granite State Leathers Site in Nashua, N.H., also known as Mohawk Tannery. EPA encourages public input on the agreement during a public comment period from May 12 to June 11, 2025.
The agreement was developed in coordination with the City of Nashua and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The cleanup is designed to address hazardous substances present in soils, sludges, and contaminated waste originating from the site and once completed, will eliminate the threat posed to human health and the environment. The current cost sharing arrangement will save the taxpayer over $10 million in project costs, in comparison to EPA performing the cleanup activities in their entirety.
"The Mohawk Tannery cleanup agreement highlights a great example of what we can accomplish through strong public and private partnerships," said EPA New England Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. "This is cooperative federalism in action—unlocking new opportunities for economic growth and community revitalization, using taxpayer dollars responsibly, and delivering cleaner land and water for the people of Nashua."
The cleanup and redevelopment project activities to be completed by Blaylock Holdings, LLC, and Greenfield Environmental Trust Group are being funded through contributions from EPA, the State of New Hampshire, the City of Nashua, and private investments managed by Blaylock. In a unique agreement, the cleanup costs are being shared with the developers – who were not liable for the contamination – by way of partial reimbursement to the developer, who will perform all cleanup activities at the site. The total estimated cost of the cleanup will be $31 million, of which EPA will contribute up to $9.5 million.
After an initial comment period and site cleanup plan in 2019, EPA finalized an addendum to include the adjacent Fimbel Landfill and city right-of-way properties as part of the overall cleanup plan in December 2020. The cleanup work is expected to take approximately 18 to 24 months. EPA will continue to work closely with state and local officials as the project progresses and plans to hold a public informational meeting after the public comment period ends and before work begins on the site.
Upon completion, Blaylock plans to redevelop the area into 546 residential units, turning a previously abandoned and blighted property into a significant economic opportunity with much-needed residential housing.
Background
The former facility produced tanned hides for leather between 1924 and 1984. The site was proposed for the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2000 on the basis of past disposal practices which included the direct discharge of wastewater containing hazardous substances such as chromium, zinc, and phenol into the Nashua River and the disposal of sludge containing hazardous substances such as chromium, lead, pentachlorophenol, phenol, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol into a number of unlined disposal areas at the site.
Cleanup work at the site will include excavation of hazardous tannery waste, landfill material and asbestos containing material, disposal of waste in a newly constructed waste containment cell, and general property restoration. The containment cell will utilize the most advanced materials and technology, including an impermeable cap and vertical barrier designed to meet EPA requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, and the overall cleanup plan.
More information:
Comments on the agreement can be submitted via regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-R01-SFUND-2025-0161