Case Summary: Corrective Action Cleanup work begins at Former Pharmacia and Upjohn Facility, Conn.
On April 8, 2011, EPA announced a $150 million agreement with Pharmacia & Upjohn to begin design and construction of the cleanup remedy along the Quinnipiac River, a cleanup process that will result in new business opportunities and open-space for North Haven, Conn. Eventually the site will be split into two primary areas, one comprising 17 acres of new light industrial and commercial business space, and the other roughly 60 acres of restored wetland and meadow that will be crisscrossed with nature trails. The final remedy decision was issued after a significant public outreach effort and an opportunity for public comment.
Information about the Company
Pharmacia & Upjohn Manufacturing Facility
Pollutants and Environmental Effects
Summary of the Agreement
Contact Information
Information about the Company
Pharmacia Upjohn was an international drug company that researched, developed, and manufactured a variety of pharmaceuticals for both humans and livestock. The company was purchased by Pfizer in 2003, which has since taken over financial responsibility for the cleanup.
Pharmacia & Upjohn Manufacturing Facility
This site, totaling 78 acress, has been used for industrial manufacturing for many years, producing things as varied as dyes and pigments, photographic chemicals, sunscreen agents, agricultural herbicide, pharmaceuticals, and additives for soaps, perfumes and cosmetics. All manufacturing at the site stopped in 1993, and since then significant cleanup actions have taken place, including the installation of a groundwater treatment system, the decontamination of buildings on the site, and the cleanup of contaminated soil and sludge.
Pollutants and Environmental Effects
The contamination at the site has been credited to historical releases from the varied uses the property has lent itself to and not a single event. The result is the site now has levels of organic chemicals and metals, including, among others, PCBs, volatile organic compounds, and lead that exceed cleanup standards.
Summary of the Agreement
In order to rehabilitate the site, thereby encouraging new development and enhancing the ecological assets of the property Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC has agreed to enter into an enforceable agreement with EPA, which updates a previous agreement with Pharmacia & Upjohn in the early 1990's.
The $150 million remedy includes:
- installing an underground barrier wall to prevent groundwater contamination from reaching the Quinnipiac River,
- continuing to extract and treat groundwater,
- treating the most concentrated area of contamination on the site by using a heat process to remove the primary source of groundwater contamination,
- constructing barrier covers in several areas,
- implementing land use restrictions,
- excavating sediment from the mudflats bordering the Quinnipiac River and a small tributary in an effort to limit habitat damage, and
- committing to long-term monitoring and maintenance to insure the public and environment are protected into the future.
Pfizer, Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC's parent company, will provide the financial assurance for the remedy.
Contact
For more information, contact:
Catherine Smith
Attorney-Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109
617-918-1777
Bob O'Meara
Attorney-Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109
617-918-1360
Barbara Gutierrez
Attorney-Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202) 564-4292