The Site is located in a mixed residential and industrial use area, and is bordered to the north by the Ten Mile River; to the east by residences and the Ten Mile River Reservoir; to the south by residences and the Memorial Baptist Church; and to the west by forested area. The Site consists of a 105,000-square-foot abandoned industrial building that is currently owned by ROC Realty Corp. The building was condemned in January 2009, after a section of the roof had collapsed. From an unknown time until 1945, the building was utilized in the manufacture of tennis rackets. From 1945 to 1980, Attleboro Dyeing and Finishing Company operated in the building. Other former occupants of the building prior to 2009 included the following: GHP Associates, National Environmental Systems, Martell’s Metal Works, Mike’s Machine, Grinnell Cabinet Makers, Walsh Electric, and Hillman Enterprises.

On 1 May 2012, Seekonk fire response personnel were called to the scene of a large fire located in the northern area of the building. EPA requested START assistance in conducting air monitoring support as well as other response activities as requested by EPA OSC Elise Jakabházy.

• At the Site, there were two former lagoons that were already part of an existing environmental monitoring and investigation program. 
• Fire fighting run-off combined with the torrential rain were rapidly filling the lagoons and discharging into the Ten Mile River.
• The building sat directly adjacent to the Ten Mile River, allowing for little to no access to intercept or capture run-off prior to flowing into the river.  
• The building was not 100% free and clear of materials prior to the fire, and paint cans were heard and seen exploding during the fire fighting activities causing colorful fire and smoke, periodically.
• The age of the building also caused concern to MassDEP and EPA due for the potential for asbestos, PCBs, and mercury from building materials entering the water or air.
• Historic operations, as well as common mill building materials also could have released volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and/or semi-volatile organic compounds (sVOCs) into the air and/or water.

Mass DEP contacted EPA at 0835 hrs on 1 May 2012 regarding a large fire at an abandoned 105,000 square foot mill building(former Attleboro Dyeing and Finishing Company) located on Maple Avenue in Seekonk, Bristol County, MA.

OSC Phone Duty Officer dispatched OSC Elise Jakabházy to the scene with five START personnel equipped to provide air monitoring and environmental sampling support.   
 

By 1015 hrs, EPA entered into a Unified Command with Mass DEP, RI DEM, Seekonk Fire and HazMAT, and Mass Fire Services Special Operations.  At 1030 hrs, OSC Sherry Banks arrived on-scene to support OSC Jakabházy.

On May 1, 2012 at approximately 16:00 hours, the Exclusion Zone (EZ) was evacuated due to a ruptured gas main. According to the Seekonk Fire Department, a natural gas line was ruptured during demolition of a portion of the building. Although Unified Command had previously confirmed with all of the local utility companies that services to the building were definitively terminated, Columbia Gas later informed Unified Command that they were completely unaware that the 8-inch gas main even existed (and it was not shown on any of their drawings). A loud hissing noise, caused by the gas main leak, could be heard throughout the Exclusion Zone. EPA assisted the Fire Department by continuing to monitor the lower explosivity limits (LEL) using the AreaRAE units that were trapped in the EZ. One AreaRAE unit was utilized by firefighting personnel, as they worked to stop the natural gas leak