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EPA Begins Cleanup Of Former Foundry Site

By Hartford Courant

April 02, 2009

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun to clean up the former Philbrick-Booth Foundry facility on Homestead Avenue.

The 1.2-acre site, bordered by commercial and industrial land, contains the abandoned foundry and several sheds.The state Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA have confirmed the presence of hazardous chemicals, including PCBs, asbestos and heavy metals, in the buildings and soil on the property.

Workers began cleaning the site this week, and 24-hour security guards will be posted there while the cleanup is underway. According to the EPA, all hazardous wastes on site will be stabilized, extracted or excavated, contained, and categorized for proper disposal.

To protect nearby residents and businesses during the cleanup, routine precautions such as dust suppression and air monitoring will take place. The cleanup is expected to be finished in nine months, and will cost the EPA $750,000.

For more information, go to epa.gov/region1/superfund/er/index.htm.