EPA Selects Groundwater Cleanup Plan for Landfill and Resource Recovery, Inc. Superfund Site in N. Smithfield, R.I.

04/28/2021

NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected a final plan to address groundwater contamination at the Landfill and Resource Recovery, Inc. (L&RR) Superfund Site located on Oxford Road in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The cleanup plan is documented in a 'Record of Decision' (ROD) for the site.

The cleanup remedy includes the following components:

• In situ (below ground) treatment and sequestration of groundwa­ter contaminants using a two-stage reactive treatment zone.
• Land use restrictions (called 'Institutional Controls' or ICs) to prohibit the use of contami­nated groundwater until cleanup levels are met and to require evaluation of the vapor intrusion pathway as part of new building construc­tion.
• Contingency implementation of active groundwater extraction and ex situ (above ground) treatment, if results from treatability studies indicate that the proposed remedy will not be effective in attaining cleanup levels at the Site.
• Restoration with native vegetation of any wetland habitat altered by the remedial action.
• Long-term groundwater, surface water, and residential well monitoring.
• Periodic reviews, at a minimum of every five years, to assess the protectiveness of the remedy.

EPA's cleanup remedy for Operable Unit 2 that addresses groundwater at the Site is estimated to cost approximately $11.7 million and is estimated to take approximately two to three years to design and implement. Groundwater is estimated to achieve cleanup standards immediately downgradient of the remedy within approximately 20 years. Institutional controls will prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater at the Site until cleanup levels are met.

Background

The 28-acre Landfill & Resource Recovery Site is an inactive landfill on Oxford Road that began as a sand and gravel operation. The landfill began accepting residential waste in 1927, and over its years of operation it also accepted commercial and industrial wastes. Operation of the landfill stopped in January 1985 after several orders from the Superior Court of Rhode Island. EPA has estimated that more than 2 million gallons of hazardous chemicals including solvents, plating waste, asbestos, oils and dyes were brought to the landfill for disposal. EPA issued a Record of Decision selecting a remedy for the landfill in 1988. Construction of the landfill remedy was completed in 1995 and monitoring and operation and maintenance activities are on-going.

The Administrative Record and information about the Landfill and Resource Recovery, Inc. Superfund site cleanup may also be viewed online at: https://go.usa.gov/xfQbz or by appointment only via computer at the North Smithfield Town Hall Records Room located at 83 Greene Street, North Smithfield, RI 02896; phone: 401-767-2200 ext. 504. Please make sure to call in advance, as this location may be closed to public at this time. Due to government COVID-19 restrictions EPA's offices may not be open to the public. For questions or assistance in accessing Landfill and Resource Recovery, Inc. site records, contact the EPA Region 1 Superfund Record Center at 617-918-1440 (phone) or [email protected] (email).

More information

EPA information about Landfill and Resource Recovery, Inc. (L&RR) Superfund Site https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lrr

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