On May 28, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash joined U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr., and local community members to commemorate the groundbreaking of the cleanup at the Scovill Industrial Landfill Superfund Site in Waterbury, Connecticut.
"I'm so pleased to see the start of this cleanup finally happen for the community of Waterbury, a community which has historically had more than its fair share of pollution," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This cleanup is long overdue, but the unprecedented funding from Congress and President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will ensure EPA and our partners can protect the community from legacy contamination, as well as restore the property for future reuse."
The EPA selected a cleanup plan for the Scovill Industrial Landfill Site in 2016; however, it lacked necessary funding until now. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated $11.88 million for this project, enabling its implementation this spring.
The funds will support several activities:
- Excavation and consolidation of waste into a central location;
- Construction of a protective cover system cap over consolidated contaminated material in the northern portion of the site (referred to as the Calabrese parcel);
- Wetlands restoration.
"For years, the Scovill Industrial Landfill in Waterbury has posed serious health and environmental risks to nearby residents and I am thrilled that it will finally be cleaned up thanks to $11 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. "Today's groundbreaking is a landmark occasion for the Waterbury community who will finally get the environmental justice they deserve."
"With today's announcement, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is keeping our promise to clean up backlogged sites and provide our communities with peace of mind," said U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-03). "The groundbreaking today is a fantastic illustration of what collaboration between concerned citizens, elected politicians, and committed government institutions can accomplish."
"For years, Waterbury has attempted to address the Scovill Industrial Landfill Site," said U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05). "Today, funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow real work to begin."
"The state of Connecticut is so appreciative of action by the US Environmental Protection Agency to restore this community that has long been seeking a final remedy for this historical industrial landfill," said Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.
"Having grown up in Waterbury, I have witnessed firsthand how this site has been plagued with contamination and delays in cleanup efforts," said Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr.
From 1919 to mid-1970s, The Scovill Manufacturing Company used various metals such as aluminum, chromium, copper, silver, tin, and zinc at its facility in Waterbury. The company disposed of ash, cinders, demolition debris, and other by-products at what is now known as the Superfund Site during that period. By mid-1990s investigations found elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other metals on-site.
The 25-acre Scovill Industrial Landfill Site was added to EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List in 2000.
More information about this project can be found on EPA's website: epa.gov/superfund/scovill
