Boston celebrates major clean-up milestones at Lower Neponset River in Hyde Park

Boston celebrates major clean-up milestones at Lower Neponset River in Hyde Park

October 4, 2024

BOSTON (Oct. 4, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, MA's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs' Undersecretary of Environment Stephanie Cooper, MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple, and other state and local partners to celebrate the completion of clean-up at the Lewis Chemical Site, the start of cleanup at the Riverside Square PCB Site, and significant progress along the Lower Neponset River Superfund Site.

"Investments from the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have allowed us to accelerate clean ups that communities have long wanted, and so we celebrate the cleanup of the Lewis Chemical Site. We also recognize the transformative decision of the Commonwealth to repair the harm from legacy pollution and invest in the health of their community and environment, especially communities like Hyde Park and Mattapan that have had more than their fair share of environmental pollution," said EPA New England Administrator David W. Cash. "We thank our federal, state, local partners and the steadfast involvement of community members as we continue to work collaboratively to clean up the Lower Neponset River."

"As we celebrate this critical milestone in the cleanup of the Lower Neponset River, we recognize that communities like Hyde Park and Mattapan that have endured the impacts of environmental pollution for far too long," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. "This progress represents our shared commitment to environmental justice, public health, and restoring our natural resources for future generations. I'm grateful to our federal, state, and local partners, and to the dedicated community members who have been advocating to build a cleaner and healthier Boston."

"Everybody deserves schools and neighborhoods free of dangerous pollutants," said Senator Warren. "Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's leadership, we're cleaning up thousands of tons of contaminated soil to keep the families and children of Hyde Park safe."

"Through the landmark investments of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, many environmental justice communities-long saddled with the burdens of toxic waste, yet overdue for investment-are getting new and much-needed dollars to clean up old and unwanted pollution," said Senator Edward J. Markey. "Hyde Park and Mattapan are long-standing environmental sacrifice zones, contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals from hazardous waste at the Lewis Chemical Site. Today, we celebrate this site's remediation and thank the dedicated stakeholders who have worked with the EPA to get it done for these majority-Black communities. As progress continues throughout the Superfund site, I look forward to when the community can safely walk, cycle, and kayak along the entire Lower Neponset River."

"The progress made thus far on restoring the Lower Neponset River is a testament to the collaboration between the state and federal government, said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "Returning this resource to a use that is beneficial and safe for the community is why we do the work that we do. I applaud the collective efforts and dedication, both past and future, as we work together to restore Riverside Square."

"The Neponset River runs through this community, and removing the toxic chemicals that harm our health and quality of life is critical," said Lower Neponsit River Community Advisory Group Member Vivien Morris. "I'm thankful for the great progress today and look forward to the continued support and involvement of federal, state and community members."

The Lewis Chemical Site was comprised of three properties located in Hyde Park abutting the Neponset River. The area around the Site is a densely populated residential/commercial neighborhood with approximately 20,858 people residing within a one-mile radius. Also, within the one-mile radius there are 15 schools, three nursing homes and six childcare centers.

Many different businesses operated on the site from the late 1800s until the early 1960s. The Lewis Chemical Corp. operated from 1963 to 1983, collecting, transporting, storing, and processing hazardous wastes. In 1983, after an explosion and fire at the facility, Lewis Chemical's license to operate was revoked.

From 1983 to 2021, environmental assessments found that the Site soils were contaminated, most notably with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as the contaminant of concern, in addition to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and metals.

On June 21, 2022, and November 9, 2022, MassDEP and the city respectively requested EPA's assistance to address hazardous substances existing at the Site. In October 2022, EPA initiated a Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation and confirmed that the contaminants in Site soils pose a risk to public health and the environment.

In January of 2023, EPA approved a $3.9 million short-term cleanup plan, or removal action. EPA began this removal action in March of 2023. The goal was to remove the source of contamination by excavating and disposing of soil contaminated with PCBs and other collocated hazardous substances.

Approximately 5,703 tons of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds and heavy metals has been excavated and transported from Lewis Chemical to EPA-approved landfills. Removal work to clean up the Lewis Chemical Site has been completed.

Work will begin now at the Riverside Square PCB Site, located down the river from Lewis Chemical.

The Riverside Square PCB Site is located along the northern bank of the Neponset River within the Riverside Square area in Hyde Park. From the 1930s through the 1970s, several industries using PCBs operated in the Neponset River Basin, one of the most industrialized basins in the United States. In 1962 and 1964, to control flooding, the river was dredged by the Metropolitan District Commission, now a part of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Dredging is the process of cleaning out the bed of the river by scooping out sediment (mud) and debris with a machine called a dredge.

The dredged materials, or "spoils," were placed in several locations along the banks of the river, essentially creating new land. The Riverside Square PCB Site is one of those riverbank locations. In October 2022, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection formally requested that EPA perform further investigation of the spoils at the Riverside Square PCB Site.

Beginning in April 2023, EPA began an environmental investigation to better understand the contamination at the Site within the soil. In August 2023, EPA approved a $4.9 million short-term cleanup plan, or removal action, focused on excavating and disposing of soil contaminated with PCBs and metals.

EPA's clean-up work at the Lewis Chemical Site and the Riverside Square PCB Site are discrete, short-term removal actions that will contribute to EPA's long-term effort to investigate and clean-up contamination at the Lower Neponset River Superfund Site.

Background

The Lower Neponset River site consists of a 3.7-mile section of the Neponset River between its confluence with Mother Brook (in Hyde Park, Massachusetts (MA)) and the Walter Baker Chocolate Dam (in Dorchester/Milton, MA). The Lower Neponset River channel ranges from approximately 40 feet to 300 feet wide and comprises an estimated 40 acres within or bordering the City of Boston (Hyde Park, Mattapan and Dorchester sections) and the Town of Milton, MA. The site is bordered by residential, commercial, industrial, and public parcels of land, including the Neponset River Greenway.

On March 16, 2022, EPA listed the Lower Neponset River site on the National Priorities List (NPL). EPA began the Remedial Investigation in 2023 and completed the investigation throughout the first upstream-mile of the Superfund Site. This data is being used to develop an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to evaluate potential alternatives to address PCB contaminated sediments, riverbank soils, and the removal of the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dam.

The EE/CA is planned to be released for public comment this Fall 2024. Finally, EPA is continuing the Remedial Investigation sampling throughout the remainder of the Site (from the T&H Dam downstream to the Walter Baker Chocolate Dam) to aid in the development of the overall Site Remedial Investigation and Feasibility study.

Information about the site and contact information if you have questions can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/neponsetriver.

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