The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposed Prospective Purchaser Agreement (PPA) open for public comment regarding the Olin property, a 50-acre parcel at 51 Eames Street in Wilmington, Massachusetts. This site, previously used for chemical manufacturing and waste disposal, was designated as a federal Superfund site in 2006 due to extensive environmental contamination.
A PPA is the EPA's primary settlement tool to address liability concerns of prospective purchasers or third parties aiming to redevelop contaminated sites. The proposed PPA involves Wilmington Woburn Industrial, LLC (WWI), an affiliate of GFI Partners, LLC. WWI plans to construct a 195,400 square foot warehouse facility at the main entrance of the Olin property.
Under the PPA terms, WWI will coordinate with Olin Corporation to ensure construction aligns with EPA’s cleanup plan and legal agreements with responsible parties for site contamination. The agreement is signed by WWI, EPA, and the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and is subject to a 30-day public comment period from July 2, 2024, to August 1, 2024.
The PPA and related documents are available on the EPA website and for public inspection by appointment at the U.S. EPA Region 1 office in Boston. Comments can be submitted online through https://www.regulations.gov using Docket ID No. EPA-R01-SFUND-2024-0214.
Chemical manufacturing began at the Olin property in 1953 and continued until its closure in 1986. Olin Corporation purchased it in 1980. Prior to modern regulations, chemicals were discharged into unlined pits and ponds which led to groundwater contamination affecting municipal water supply wells nearly a mile away.
In response to this contamination, an interim cleanup plan was selected by EPA in 2021 involving removal actions for ongoing sources of groundwater pollution along with final cleanup measures for soil, sediments, and surface water contamination at the site.
Further studies under a separate agreement from 2007 are being conducted to improve bedrock characterization and define groundwater contamination extent better. These studies aim to inform long-term groundwater cleanup options leading eventually to selecting a final cleanup plan.
For more information about this site visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/olin
