Superfund Sites Near You-Cheshire, Connecticut

In Cheshire, Connecticut, lay a 15 acre lot of commercial property that has been leased out to several corporations in the past. Some of these Cheshire companies disposed of their industrial waste products properly in accordance with Connecticut guidelines. Other companies, however, did not. Decades of improperly managed waste disposal at the Cheshire, Connecticut site resulted in the location being added to the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund site list. The Superfund is an environmental clean-up program funded by the federal government and managed by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Superfund list is a general list of sites that need to be cleaned up with a second list called the National Priorities List that helps to determine which sites require immediate and ongoing assistance through the Superfund. Greater details about the Superfund can be found at Wikipedia or just click here.

The Cheshire Superfund site is no longer a threat, but has not been forgotten.

Fortunately for the residents surrounding the Cheshire Superfund site, the Environmental Protection Agency decided in 1996 that the area is no longer a risk to local health or environment. However, to remove the Cheshire Superfund site from the National Priorities List, 20 square yards of topsoil had to be removed and the local community had to be connected to municipal water supplies. More details of the EPA announcement can be found on the EPA website or just click here.

How long were industrial wastes stored at the Cheshire Superfund site?

The Cheshire Superfund site was purchased in 1966 and promptly leased to a rotating list of manufacturers. The resulting environmental conditions at the Cheshire site that was left in the wake of these manufacturers include soil and ground water contaminated with Volatile Organic Compounds.

How wide-spread was the contamination?

All of the local private water supplies at the Cheshire site were found to be contaminated.

What kind of contaminates was found in Cheshire?

Some of the contaminants found at Cheshire include: dichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and xylenes.

Is the site entirely clean now?

Follow up studies in the area show that there is still some contamination present, but since the clean up began in the early 1980s, natural processes have filtered out most of the threat.

How safe is the site?

There is currently no danger from soil or water contact at the Superfund site, although the local community is still connected to the municipal water supply. A more complete overview of the site's history and clean-up can be found on the EPA website or just click here.