The site is a metal finishing/electroplating facility that was operating until November 2011. MassDEP and City of Lawrence Officials inspected the site on 12/1/2011 with the owner due to complaints regarding housekeeping. As a result of the inspection the Lawrence building inspector shut down operations at the facility, secured electric and gas service and all plating operations were shut down indefinitely.
Approximately 45 various sizes of open rectangular-shaped polypropylene plating, rinsing and waste vats and tanks were observed containing hundreds of gallons of plating and rinsing fluids. Also present were several dozen drums with labeled chemicals, wastes and unknown fluids. The facility also has a waste water treatment system in the main building comprised of approximately 10 tanks and vats that were filled with fluids and two containers of labeled solid sludge waste. An inventory of materials incldued hydrochloric, nitric and sulfuric acid, 50% sodium hydroxide, acid copper solution, granular copper cyanide and sodium cyanide.
On the facility grounds, observed were a number of empty drums, tanks, dozens of household fire extinguishers motor oil released to soils from overflowing buckets near a disabled truck at the rear of the property.
The site is located within a residential neighborhood and abuts the Spicket River. The owner indicated he doesn't have the resources to address all the building and fire code violations and so he is uncertain if or when he will be able to resume operations.
The site was referred to the EPA Removal Program by MassDEP to assess and address the potential threat of release of chemicals, plating and rinsing fluids in the open vats and tanks inside the building, various containers inside and outside the building and motor oil stored in open containers near a stream at the rear of the property. A PA/SI is scheduled to be performed in January 2012.
