BACKGROUND:
In July 1991, the Uxbridge Board of Health was called to
investigate potential contamination of groundwater near Kempton Road. A well
being drilled and pumped for a nearby housing development smelled like
chemicals. Residents in this area of Uxbridge and Millville were notified
immediately not to use the water from their private wells. The Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) was also notified and quickly
discovered chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) contamination in the
wells designated for the new homes of this development. Investigations found
the source of contamination to be from illegal dumping along Kempton Road from
the 1970s. For several weeks, residents in the area depended on emergency
supplies of water as filtration devices were placed on existing wells. The Town
eventually received funds to supply municipal water to this area. In the summer
of 1992, MassDEP installed an impervious plastic liner over the Spill Area
identified to have the highest CVOC levels in both the soil and groundwater,
then covered it with a two-foot soil cover, capping the waste in place and
preventing future direct contact exposures. The Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) most recent preliminary assessment and site investigation at the
Kempton Road Site (Site) was conducted in 2020 at the request of MassDEP. Soil
gas, subsurface soil, groundwater, surface water, and dense nonaqueous phase
liquids data collected during this investigation indicate that CVOC
contamination is still present in the soil, groundwater aquifers, and surface
water at the Site and surrounding area. MassDEP updated its request for
assistance in May 2023 reporting that the Spill Area soil cap had been
compromised by age and overgrowth, allowing the contamination to spread further
underground. MassDEP requested that EPA removes the remaining contaminated soil
from the capped Spill Area.
UPCOMING EPA ACTIVITY:
EPA conducted a Site walk on June 4, 2024 with state and
local officials to assess the Site’s current condition. During the week of June
10th, 2024, EPA began staging equipment and started clearing the vegetation and
debris to safely access the Spill Area soil contamination. Once access has been
established, EPA will begin the removal process of and proper disposal of the
contaminated soil. Upon completion of the excavation of contaminated soils, EPA
will backfill the excavation area with clean fill material and will restore any
response related damages that may occur.
