Waste Site Cleanup & Reuse in New England

Site Description & History

The 18,000-acre New Bedford site is an urban tidal estuary with sediments which are highly contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals. At least two manufacturers in the area used PCBs while producing electric devices from 1940 to the late 1970s, when the use of PCBs was banned by the EPA. These facilities discharged industrial wastes containing PCBs directly into the harbor and indirectly via the city's sewerage system. As a result, the harbor is contaminated in varying degrees for at least 6 miles, from the upper Acushnet River into Buzzards Bay. Over 100,000 people live within 3 miles of the site. A 5-acre northern portion of the Acushnet River Estuary contaminated with high levels of PCBs has been identified as the "hot spot" area of the site. Measurements taken at the site indicate tidal action transports up to 0.5 pounds per day of PCBs from the upper harbor to the lower harbor and, ultimately, Buzzards Bay. Bioaccumulation of PCBs within the marine food chain has resulted in closing the area to lobstering and fishing, and recreational activities and harbor development have been limited by the widespread PCB problem.

This site is being addressed in four stages: initial actions and three long-term remedial phases focusing on the hot spot area, the upper and lower harbor areas, and the Buzzards Bay area.

Initial Action:
In 1982, the U.S. Coast Guard erected signs warning the public of the presence of PCBs in the harbor. Maintenance of these signs and erection of newer signs continues as needed. In 1985, 2,000 feet of chain-link fence at two recreational facilities were erected to keep people out of contaminated areas.

Hot Spot Area:
The EPA's original 1990 remedy for the hot spot area included dredging and on-site incineration of those PCB-contaminated sediments above 4,000 ppm. Due to a vehement and congressionally-supported reversal of local support for incineration, EPA elected to postpone the incineration component of the hot spot remedy and explore alternative treatment approaches. Dredging of the 14,000 cubic yards of sediment from the 5 acre hot spot areas was accomplished from April 1994 to September 1995, with the dredged sediment temporarily stored in a lined and covered holding pond. Seawater removed from the sediments during dredging was treated on site. Pilot studies of solidification and chemical destruction technologies were completed in the fall of 1996, and a feasibility study of alternative remedial approaches was issued in December 1997. EPA issued an Amended Record of Decision (ROD) in April 1999 which included dewatering and off-site landfilling as the final component for the hot spot remediation. Transportation of the hot spot sediment to an offsite TSCA permitted landfill started in December 1999 and was completed in May 2000.

Upper and Lower New Bedford Harbor:
After an extensive process of studying New Bedford Harbor and developing consensus for a solution to the widespread PCB problem in the Upper and Lower Harbor areas, EPA issued a final ROD in September 1998. The selected remedy calls for dredging and shoreline containment of approximately 450,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and wetlands in four combined disposal facilities (CDFs). (See Current Site Status for more information on the progress being made on the harbor-wide cleanup.)

Buzzards Bay Area:
The EPA plans to initiate additional investigations of this area of the site (south of the hurricane barrier) to determine if additional cleanup actions are necessary.

Enforcement Highlights:
In 1982, the EPA entered into Consent Agreements with two companies to address the PCB contamination on their properties. In 1992, the EPA, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and five companies that used PCBs reached settlement regarding the EPA's claims.

The Ecological History of New Bedford Harbor (EPA HQ)