The Old Bondsville Factory Site is the former location of a textile mill located in Palmer and Belchertown, Massachusetts. Covering about 12 acres, the Site is bordered to the north and west by residential properties, to the east by a dam across the Swift River, and to the south by Main Street in Palmer and Depot Street in Belchertown.
The former mill consisted of about 12 buildings on either side of the Swift River and harnessed energy from the canal to power the mill. From 1845 to 1968 various companies used the mill for textile manufacturing, printing and screening, finishing, and tissue paper manufacturing. A large fire destroyed the mill in 1968 and the Site remained vacant and inactive until 1988 when a condominium complex was built on a portion of the Site. The Belchertown Land Trust took ownership of the remainder of the Site in 2006 with the goal of converting the property to public open space and recreational use.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has been involved with the cleanup of this Site since 1987. Prior actions include the removal of leaking oil storage tanks, drums of alkaline solids and liquids, and asbestos. MassDEP also performed several rounds of sampling for the construction of the condominium complex. EPA contributed to the cleanup efforts in 1998 by removing contaminated soil from the area north of the former railroad trestle.
During an April 2008 Targeted Brownfields Assessment, EPA’s Brownfields program observed high levels of lead and arsenic in surface soils and referred the Site to the Emergency Planning and Response Branch (EPRB) in May 2008. EPA conducted a removal site investigation on July 8-11, 2008 which confirmed the presence of high levels of arsenic and lead in surface soils. The site investigation was closed on July 25, 2008 with the recommendation that a time critical removal action be conducted.
EPA attended a public town meeting on September 8, 2008 to discuss the project with local officials and residents.
EPA conducted a site walk with the cleanup contractor on September 17, 2008 to view site conditions and plan upcoming cleanup activities.
Planned removal activites include the following:
1) provide Site security and install security fencing as needed;
2) conduct additional sampling as needed to define the extent of contamination in surface soils;
3) clear vegetation as needed;
4) excavate lead- and arsenic-contaminated surface soils;
5) cap in-place contaminated soils (if any) which may remain at depth or which cannot otherwise be safely excavated;
6) backfill and grade excavated areas;
7) dispose of hazardous substances at EPA-approved off-site disposal facilities; and
8) repair response-related damages.
EPA and its contractors plan to mobilize to the Site on September 29, 2008 to begin site preparation activities.
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