The 45 Water Street site was one of several properties formerly owned by or adjacent to the Creese and Cook Tannery Company, which operated a tannery and finishing facility in the early 1900s. Operations included the use and disposal of tannery wastes including leather scraps and hazardous substances including heavy metals and organic contaminants. The Creese and Cook Site was proposed for inclusion on EPA’s National Priority List in September 2012 and was included in the final listing of NPL sites on May 24, 2013.
The 45 Water Street Site is a privately-owned, 0.89-acre parcel located in a mixed residential/commercial area, improved with a single 5-unit condominium building. The parcel includes level paved parking and landscaped areas adjacent to the building, and an unmaintained wooded area that slopes down to the Crane River on 3 sides, a portion of which is in the 100-year flood plain and the intertidal zone.
EPA’s Removal Program has removed and replaced three feet in depth of soil in areas where contamination was detected. Restoration work at the property in ongoing.
