Public input sought at meeting to update community on EPA's cleanup plan at the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site

Public input sought at meeting to update community on EPA's cleanup plan at the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site

July 3, 2024

BOSTON, MASS (July 3, 2024) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a plan to clean up the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site and will hold a public meeting and public hearing to update the community on proposed remediation plan and to accept comments.

EPA's proposed plan summarizes risks posed by contamination at the site and presents and evaluation of cleanup options. EPA also identifies the Agency's preferred cleanup alternative along with the other cleanup options considered.

The community is invited to attend the public meeting and hearing in person:

When: July 16, 2024 - 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Old Town Hall located at 531 Main St in Farmington, NH.

Those interested in attending vrtually can register at: www.epa.gov/superfund/collins.

EPA will accept public comments during a 30-day formal public comment period from July 1, 2024 - July 30, 2024.

Email comments no later than July 30, 2024, to [email protected], or mail to:

Richard Hull
EPA Region 1 New England
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mail Code: 07-1
Boston, MA 02109-3912

Additionally, verbal comments may be made during the formal public hearing following the informational meeting on July 16, 2024.

Links to Proposed Plan and Administrative Record:

Proposed Plan, 6/26/2024 (pdf)(9.3 MB).

Administrative Record for Proposed Plan

Additional information about the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/collins.

Background

The Collins & Aikman Plant (former) site is located on a 123-acre parcel in Farmington, New Hampshire. The majority of the property consists of undeveloped wooded areas and remnants of the concrete floor from the 267,000 square foot (ft2) former manufacturing building which was demolished in 2010. The former actively used area of the property reportedly occupied approximately 33 acres and included the manufacturing building, a 60,000-ft2 warehouse, and paved areas.

From 1966 to 2006, operations included the manufacturing of automotive instrument panels and other injection molded automotive interior components. Manufacturing operations included polyurethane foam molding and construction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shells. These operations used the solvents tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and vinyl chloride, as well as other hazardous chemicals, some of which were released to the environment. In 1984, a water supply well operated by the Town of Farmington and located approximately 3,500 feet from the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) site was found to be contaminated with VOCs. Numerous investigation and remedial activities were undertaken prior to EPA placing the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) site on the Superfund program's National Priorities List (NPL) for cleanup in December 2013.