News Releases from Region 01

EPA Announces Final Cleanup Plan for the Walton and Lonsbury Superfund Site in Attleboro, Massachusetts

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has selected a final cleanup plan to address contamination at the Walton & Lonsbury Superfund Site, located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The decision is a major milestone toward moving the cleanup forward by addressing contaminated soil, groundwater, and surface water at the site. 

"Today's cleanup decision demonstrates EPA's commitment to making meaningful progress cleaning up Superfund Sites in New England and across the country," said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. "Finalizing the cleanup plan for the Walton and Lonsbury Superfund Site is an important milestone. EPA looks forward to working with area residents and officials as we move forward with cleanup activities, which will benefit Attleboro."

The cleanup remedy is detailed in a document called a Record of Decision (ROD), which includes the following cleanup actions:

• Removal and off-site disposal of remaining Walton & Lonsbury facility features (e.g., concrete floor slab).
• Soil excavation at the former Walton & Lonsbury facility property and off-site disposal of contaminated soil.
• In-situ soil treatment at the former Walton & Lonsbury facility property.
• Extension of the existing permeable reactive barrier along Bliss Brook.
• Mid-plume in-situ soil treatment along the west side of North Avenue.
• Soil excavation and off-site disposal of lead-contaminated surface soil at residential yards west of North Avenue.
• Restoration of affected areas.
• Contingency remedy of in-situ bedrock groundwater treatment west of North Avenue, if additional investigations to be conducted indicate groundwater contaminants are found to exceed drinking water standards in the downgradient aquifer.
• The overall remedy will also include land use controls to protect the remedy where unrestricted use standards are not achieved, long-term monitoring and maintenance, and periodic 5-year reviews to ensure protectiveness of the remedy.

EPA estimates that implementing the remedy will cost approximately $22 million. To expedite cleanup activities, EPA is planning to perform a removal action at lead-contaminated residential yards west of North Avenue, which is expected to begin over the next several weeks.

The final remedy is largely the same as the preferred alternatives described in EPA's July 2019 proposed cleanup plan, which was selected in consultation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, following a 30-day public comment period and review of comments received.

Further information about the Walton & Lonsbury Superfund Site, including past work, the Record of Decision (including a summary of responses to public comments), and other documents related to the Site is available at www.epa.gov/superfund/walton .