EPA Proposes Amended Cleanup Plan for the Linemaster Switch Corp. Superfund Site in Woodstock
EPA will hold a public meeting on December 11 in Woodstock, Conn. to explain the proposed plan, followed by a 30-day public comment period
WOODSTOCK, CONN. (Dec. 1, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is releasing a Proposed Plan for the cleanup of the Linemaster Switch Corp. Superfund Site in Woodstock, Conn. EPA will hold a hybrid informational meeting on the plan on December 11, 2023 and a hybrid public hearing on January 10, 2024.
- Informational Meeting: December 11, 2023, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
- In-person: Woodstock Middle School Cafeteria, 147B Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281
- Public Hearing: January 10, 2024, 7:00 p.m. until all comments are heard.
- In-person: Woodstock Middle School Cafeteria, 147B Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281
Find instructions on how to join the meeting virtually at epa.gov/superfund/linemaster.
During the informational meeting, EPA will present the results of the investigations conducted at the site, the cleanup options that were evaluated, and the preferred remedial alternative identified in the Proposed Plan. The Proposed Plan presents EPA's proposed changes to the current (ongoing) remedy for the site.
In a 1993 Record of Decision, EPA selected a cleanup plan for the entire site. This remedy required the construction and operation of a groundwater and soil vapor extraction system within the "source area," as well as the extraction and treatment of contaminated groundwater outside the source area (i.e., downgradient areas). Despite 25 years of active site remediation, and evidence that the concentration of contaminants is declining, significant impacts to the soil and groundwater remain. As a result, EPA is proposing to amend the 1993 Record of Decision. The proposed revised remedy includes additional treatment of contaminated soil, as well as modifying the existing groundwater extraction and treatment system. The proposed amended remedy is estimated to cost approximately $11.4 million and is estimated to take approximately one to two years to design and implement.
EPA will be accepting public comments on the Proposed Plan from December 13, 2023 until January 12, 2024. EPA will formally respond to all comments, both written and oral, received during the 30-day comment period in a responsiveness summary which will be part of the formal record. EPA will then release its Amended Record of Decision.
In addition to the informational meeting, the public hearing on January 10, 2024 will be another opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed amended remedy. All verbal comments will be recorded and become part of the official record.
More Information on the Public Comment Opportunity:
EPA's Proposed Plan for Linemaster Site, its Administrative Record File, as well as other site related documents and other technical documents related to the site, are available for review online at EPA's webpage: epa.gov/superfund/linemaster.
- The Woodstock Town Hall can be used as an access point for EPA's Linemaster Switch Corp. Superfund Site webpage.
- EPA's Records Center is located within EPA's regional office at 5 Post Office Square in Boston, Mass. EPA's Records Center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To make an appointment to view the records at EPA's regional office, please call at (617) 918-1440.
- If you would like a copy of the Proposed Plan mailed to you, contact Charlotte Gray at [email protected] or (617) 918-1243.
Submit your comments during the 30 day-public comment period on the Proposed Plan no later than midnight January 12, 2024 by mail, hand delivery/courier, or email to:
John Bryant, Remedial Project Manager
Linemaster Switch Corp. Superfund Site
U.S. EPA New England
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mail Code: 7-MI
Boston, MA 02109
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 918-1375
If you have questions on the public meeting or comment period, please contact:
Charlotte Gray, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, by email at [email protected] or by phone at (617) 918-1243.
Background
The 92-acre Linemaster Switch Corp. Superfund Site houses a former manufacturing facility in Woodstock, Conn. that produced electrical and pneumatic foot switches and wiring harnesses. As part of the manufacturing operations, several chemicals were used at the site including trichloroethene (TCE). Due to the remaining contamination from the previous manufacturing operations, the site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in February of 1990. A cleanup plan for the site was selected in a 1993 Record of Decision. Since then, cleanup activities have included the installation of soil and groundwater treatment systems.
More information