Public meetings scheduled to update community on status of National Fireworks site
BOSTON (Jan. 8, 2024) – The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will be holding two public meetings to update the community on current site status, the potential for the site to be listed on EPA's National Priorities List and what this listing means for the site and communities of Hanover, Hanson, and Pembroke.
The community is invited to attend a meeting in person:
7:00 pm January 11: Hanover, MA
Hanover High School Auditorium, 287 Cedar St, Hanover, MA 02339
7:00pm January 18: Hanson, MA
Hanson Middle School Auditorium, 111 Liberty St, Hanson, MA 02341
The meetings will also be in a hybrid format; the virtual meeting link to join online can be found on EPA's website at: www.epa.gov/ma/national-fireworks.
Representatives from EPA and MassDEP will be available to answer any questions after the presentation.
To find out the latest information on the site, please visit: www.epa.gov/ma/national-fireworks
Site Background
The National Fireworks site is in Forge Industrial Park in Hanover, Massachusetts. From 1907-1970 the site was used for research, development, manufacturing and testing of munitions and pyrotechnics for the U.S. government, as well as commercial manufacturing of civilian fireworks and other non-munitions related manufacturing. Mercury, lead, organic solvents, propellants, and explosives were used in the manufacturing operations and have contaminated the site.
Mercury has been detected in sediment, soil, groundwater, and fish tissue. Lead, other heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds have been detected in soil, groundwater, and sediment. Munitions and explosives have been found in the soil and in Factory Pond. Beginning in 1997, work has been done by potentially responsible parties to assess and clean up the site in accordance with Massachusetts waste site cleanup regulations.
Cleanup Actions Thus Far:
Areas of soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater contamination have been identified and work has been underway to address unexploded ordnance/munitions. Current site activities include off-site disposal of contaminated soil and sediment, munitions destruction and disposal, soil sampling, and site equipment demobilization.
The recent cleanup actions since 2015 have been funded by the Tronox Incorporated Expendable Trust, which was established as part of a bankruptcy settlement with a potentially responsible party (approximately $74 million). It is estimated that by the fall of 2024 less than $10 million will remain in the Tronox Incorporated Expendable Trust. No other funding is available to complete the site response actions under Massachusetts waste site cleanup regulations. MassDEP estimates that significant additional funding, more than funding available in the Tronox Incorporated Expendable Trust, will be required to complete the necessary environmental cleanup.
Due to additional funding needed to complete the cleanup of the Site, MassDEP has requested that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) become involved with the site. EPA has additional funding resources to address hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) once a site is added to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).
EPA's Potential Involvement:
EPA conducts and supervises investigation and cleanup actions at sites where oil or hazardous chemicals have been or may be released into the environment. This work is conducted primarily under EPA's Superfund program. EPA's Superfund program was established in 1980 to locate, investigate and clean up hazardous waste sites throughout the United States. The Superfund program oversees long-term cleanups at NPL sites, short-term cleanups, and responses to chemical and oil spill emergencies.
The NPL is a list of sites EPA determines require further detailed investigation and potential cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, often referred to as Superfund.
- Sites on the NPL are the subject of detailed investigation, and cleanup where warranted.
- Only sites on the NPL are eligible to receive federal Superfund resources for comprehensive cleanup.
- Federal resources can include monetary support, as well as expertise/staffing.
- Without federal resources, comprehensive cleanup strategies may not be able to be pursued.
More information on NPL listing process can be found here:
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl