EPA to Begin Clean-up at Facemate Corp. in Chicopee, Mass.

Release date: 11/30/2004

Contact Information:

Contact: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1042

For Immediate Release: Nov. 30, 2004; Release # am04-11-06

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin work this week on a $1.44 million cleanup at the Facemate Corp. site at 5 West Main St. in Chicopee. The 19.25- acre site hosted a privately-owned textile mill.

During investigations earlier this fall, EPA's New England office confirmed the presence of acids, bases, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, ammonium chloride and other hazardous substances in tanks, vats, drums and other containers on site. Friable asbestos-containing material was also found on floors throughout the buildings. The roof has deteriorated and is leaking and there was evidence of vandalism and trespassing. In addition, EPA found transformers containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and a pile of debris with asbestos-containing material.

"We are working closely with the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection on this project," said Allen Jarrell, EPA's On-Scene Coordinator from the Superfund removal program. "Our first step will be to immediately deal with any leaking or open drums and containers on the site." Jarrell will manage the cleanup on a day-to-day basis.

Because of weather, and drums, tanks and containers stored onsite, EPA will immediately begin to stabilize the site by enclosing leaking or open drums and containers.

As part of the cleanup, EPA will secure the site by:

• boarding up windows
• providing security guards and repairing or adding fences to restrict access to the site;
• sampling to characterize the contents of drums, packages, bulk containers, processing tanks and vats
• transporting the waste off-site for disposal at permitted facilities
• sampling the waste piles on site and shipping the material off-site for proper disposal
• addressing any storage tanks that might be leaking.