Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed an update to its cleanup plan for the Durham Meadows Superfund Site in Durham, Connecticut. The proposed update, referred to as an "Explanation of Significant Differences" (ESD), will not alter the scope, performance, or cost of the original 2005 cleanup plan.
In 2005, the EPA selected a remedy to address groundwater contamination and contamination in soil and soil vapor at the site. The remedy included defining a "Technical Impracticability Zone," where groundwater contamination exists but cannot be remediated. Recent data indicate that the extent of this zone is further southwest than initially documented.
The ESD aims to document this revised extent without impacting ongoing cleanup efforts. All contaminated wells within the newly defined zone have been eliminated, and affected properties have been connected to a new water system. The State of Connecticut has reviewed and supports the proposed update.
Public comments on the proposed update can be submitted from June 12 through July 2, 2024.
The Durham Meadows Superfund Site includes areas around Main Street and involves contamination from volatile organic compounds (VOCs), primarily trichloroethylene (TCE). This contamination has impacted over 50 private drinking water wells. Cleanup actions began with Merriam Manufacturing Company in 2013 and continued with a new water system installation in 2019, which became operational in 2022. Further soil cleanup at Durham Manufacturing Company is expected to start in 2025.
The site received over $10.3 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for ongoing remediation efforts.
For more information or to submit comments:
- Draft ESD and fact sheet: www.epa.gov/superfund/durham
- Comments submission: Ed Hathaway, U.S. EPA Region 1 Mail Code: 07-1, Boston, MA 02109-3912 or Hathaway.Ed@epa.gov
- Public comment process inquiries: Darriel Swatts, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator at Swatts.Darriel@epa.gov or (617) 918-1065
