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Site Type: Short Term/Removal (SHORT) 
BARRE WOOL SITE
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| Barre, Massachusetts |
| No County Named |
| Street Address: | 10 Main Street |
| Zip Code: | 01005 |
Congressional
District(s): |
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| EPA ID #: | MAD001126507
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| Site ID #: | 01DF |
| Site Alias: | |
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Description
In April of 2006, the EPA Region 1 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) program referred the Site to the Emergency Planning & Response Branch because of the potential threat to public health and the environment posed by seven PCB-containing transformers being improperly stored on-site. On May 3, 2006, the EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) initiated a site investigation with the first inspection of the property, which included a site walk with the current private owner to observe the seven transformers and the conditions under which they were stored. A second site visit occurred on June 22, 2006 with the property owner and the Region 1 Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) contractor, including a structural engineer, to further assess the condition of the mill buildings. Based on site conditions, interviews with TSCA personnel and the property owner, the OSC recommended a time-critical removal action in a Closure Memorandum dated June 28, 2006.
The Site is located in a low density, mixed residential and industrial rural area. According to the town’s official website, Barre has an approximate population of 5013.
The Site is bounded by:
· Route 32 (South Barre Road) on the east;
· The “Old Lagoon Area” on the north and northwest;
· Private residences to the west; and
· Route 32 (Main Street) to the south.
The Barre Wool Combing Company (BWCC) operated on the Site from the early 1900s through the 1960s. At some point prior to 1969, Ivy Enterprises purchased BWCC and continued operations until 1979 when the Site was abandoned. Wool processing included: wool combing, drying, and finishing. In the 1980s, the current property owner acquired the property and has been conducting various storage, re-loading, and screening and loaming operations since that time;
The Site features and operational status consist of the following:
· Comprised of an 8.45 acre parcel of land with the Ware River bisecting the property from east to west;
· The southern portion of the parcel includes the old Barre Wool Mill building complex, an active railroad spur and a parking lot area. There is an active storage and reloading business in the western portion of the complex. The other portions of the complex (e.g. the “main mill” and “combing section”) are vacant with some areas being structurally sound while other areas have collapsed floors and holes in the roof. The property owner is planning to demolish the combing section of the mill after all hazardous materials have been removed;
· The northern section of the parcel includes a large, actively used warehouse and nearby three-sided storage shed. This portion of the property is used for storage and reloading of products such as mulch, sheet metal, and wood products. Products are delivered and transported off site via truck and rail;
· Two of the transformers are located on the second floor in the combing section of mill. During the site investigation rain water was observed leaking through the roof into the area where the transformers are stored;
· Three of the transformers are stored on the second floor of the western portion of mill complex adjacent to a major collapsed area. EPA and EPA contractor personnel were unable to inspect these transformers due to the access being blocked by the collapsed floors; and
· The final two transformers are located in the northern portion of the property. One is stored on the concrete loading dock of the warehouse building and the second is stored in the nearby three-sided shed.
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Current Status
Photos
Links to Other Information
Public Record Locations
OSRR Records and Information Center, 1st Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (HSC), Boston, MA 02109-3912 (617) 918-1440
Contacts
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