Superfund Sites Near You: Linemaster Switch Corporation

In the year 1952, in Woodstock, Connecticut, the Linemaster Switch Corporation began to manufacture electrical and pneumatic foot switches and wiring harnesses. By 1986 the Linemaster Switch Corporation had made their 45 acre location into a Superfund site.

What is a Superfund site?

A Superfund site, such as the Linemaster Switch Corporation created, is an environmentally hazardous location that qualifies for government assistance for cleanup. The Superfund a program is managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and is used to help communities and local governments to finance the cleanup of toxic waste sites that have caused contamination to drinking water and soil. The National Priorities List determines what locations qualify for the Superfund and the site's urgency. The Linemaster Switch Corporation site in Woodstock, Connecticut began to receive Superfund assistance after testing uncovered contaminated drinking water throughout the area. More about Superfund sites can be found at Wikipedia.org or just click here.

How bad was the contamination at the Linemaster Switch Corporation Superfund site?

After initial testing at the Linemaster Switch Corporation site, the contamination was found to be so widespread that the site's boundary was expanded from 45 acres to 96 acres. Toxins such as trichloroethylene and arsenic were found in the Linemaster Switch Corporation main well and also throughout the surrounding residential public wells. Unfenced artificial ponds near the Linemaster Switch Corporation Superfund site also tested positive for industrial waste contamination, creating a health hazard for local animals and residents. More about the site's contamination can be found at Scorecard.org or just click here.

What action was taken at the Linemaster Switch Corporation Superfund site?

The first action taken at the Superfund site was to reduce the health risk to employees of the company and the surrounding residents. Linemaster Switch Corporation was tasked with supplying bottled water to the employees at the Superfund site while the Environmental Protection Agency provided bottled water to Woodstock residents. Later, the Environmental Protection Agency passed on the residential water issues to the Linemaster Switch Corporation. A very in depth public health assessment can be found at Atsdr.cdc.gov or just click here.

Other actions taken at the Linemaster Switch Corporation Superfund site include the implementation of a groundwater extraction and treatment system which involves the use of air strippers connected to ground water wells, and also soil vapor extraction system. Both systems became operational at the Linemaster Switch Corporation Superfund site in 1998. A performance evaluation was conducted on the soil vapor extraction system at the Linemaster Switch Corporation site in 2003 and it was determined that the system had been successful enough that it could be turned off.