Deadline for public input extended for EPA's proposed cleanup plan for the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site

Deadline for public input extended for EPA's proposed cleanup plan for the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site 

July 15, 2024

BOSTON, MASS (July 15, 2024) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a plan to clean up the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site in Farmington, NH. EPA will hold a public meeting to update the community on the proposed remediation plan and a public hearing to accept verbal comments. The deadline to submit written public comments is August 30, 2024.

EPA's proposed plan summarizes risks posed by contamination at the site and presents an evaluation of cleanup options. The proposed plan also includes the Agency's preferred cleanup alternative along with the other cleanup options it 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 virtually can register at:www.epa.gov/superfund/collins. One must register before the meeting in order to attend virtually.

EPA has also extended the comment period from 30 to 60 days. EPA will now accept written public comments from July 1, 2024 - August 30, 2024. 

No later than August 30, 2024, please email comments to [email protected], or mail comments 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 immediately 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) Superfund Site (the Site) is comprised of the former Collins & Aikman facility and property, located on two parcels south of NH Route 11 in Farmington, NH: (i) a 96-acre parcel on Davidson Drive; and (ii) a 10-acre parcel located at 56 Davidson Drive (collectively, the Property). The Site also extends into and includes an approximate 152-acre area north of NH Route 11 affected by Site-related contamination, including a groundwater plume. The affected area north of NH Route 11 is roughly bounded by NH Route 11, Pokamoonshine Brook to the north/northwest, and the boundaries of several properties containing the plume to the east.

Most of the 106-acre Property consists of undeveloped wooded areas and contains the concrete foundation/floor of the former 267,000 square foot (ft2) (6.1 acres) manufacturing building, which was demolished in 2010, and the surrounding paved parking areas and driveways for the building. 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 manufacture of instrumentation panel pads bumpers, fascias, and other parts for automobiles and trucks. Manufacturing processes conducted at the facility included polyurethane foam molding, construction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shells, and the assembly of the finished panels. Painting operations were also conducted at the facility. The manufacturing processes involved the use of solvents, some of which were released to groundwater, soil, and surface water at the facility. Solvents used at the facility reportedly included: acetone, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), methylene chloride, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), tetrachloroethene (PCE), toluene, trichloroethene (TCE), and xylene.

The Site has been the subject of numerous investigations and remedial activities since 1983 when low concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) were detected in a Town of Farmington municipal drinking water supply well located approximately 3,500 feet northeast and downgradient of the former manufacturing facility. In December 2013, EPA added the Site to the National Priorities List (NPL). Between 2014 and 2024, EPA conducted a remedial investigation of the nature and extent of contamination at the Site, and a feasibility study of remedial options to address the contamination.