EPA will see responsible parties pay for investigation, clean-up of R.I. Superfund Site

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with the parties responsible for hazardous substance disposal at Rhode Island’s Landfill & Resource Recover Superfund Site that will see them cover investigation costs and determine clean-up options.

“The parties responsible for polluting must take responsibility for finding out how far the contamination goes and the best way to clean it,” EPA New England Regional Administrator Curt Spalding said. “Over the years, EPA has worked to address contamination at this site, and this agreement will help ensure the cleaning up of pollution caused by the landfill.”

The site was originally added to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites in 1982 and has been undergoing cleanup since the early 1990s. The recent agreement pertains to the study and cleanup of the site’s groundwater contamination.

While previous testing had shown declining contaminant concentrations in the monitoring wells along the edge of the landfill, 2014 testing showed unacceptable levels of volatile organic compounds and arsenic further down-gradient. The tests also discovered 1,4-dioxane in the site’s groundwater and surface water.

EPA testimony statements are found online at www.epa.gov.