Raymark Industries operated a brake and clutch parts factory on a 34-acre site in Stratford, Connecticut from 1919 to 1989. Manufacturing waste spread PCBs, asbestos, lead, copper, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across the main facility, at least 46 residential properties, commercial and municipal properties, and wetlands near the Housatonic River. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1995 and is now organized into nine separate cleanup areas called operable units (OUs).
Contaminants have been found in soil, groundwater, soil gas, and sediment. VOCs in groundwater and soil gas include benzene, trichloroethene, vinyl chloride, and chloroform. Soil and sediment contain multiple forms of PCBs, heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium, dioxins, asbestos, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like benzo(a)pyrene. Groundwater is not currently used for drinking water in the area, so it is not considered a current human health threat. Cleanup addresses risks from direct contact with contaminated soil, inhaling vapors, and consuming potentially contaminated seafood.
Significant cleanup work has already been completed. The former factory was demolished and capped, and the Stratford Crossing Shopping Center now sits on that land. Contaminated soil was removed from 46 residential properties in the 1990s. About 120 homes received sub-slab ventilation systems to block contaminated vapors from entering buildings. From 2020 to 2024, over 110,000 cubic yards of waste was excavated from commercial properties and Ferry Creek and consolidated under a new cap at the former Raybestos Memorial Ballfield. Upper Ferry Creek (OU 3) finished remedial action in September 2024. The main facility (OU 1) has been in operation and maintenance since 1999. Work at Shore Road (OU 5) began in September 2025, with completion estimated between June and August 2027. Investigations are still ongoing for Lower Ferry Creek (OU 7) and Short Beach Park with the Stratford Landfill (OU 9). The most recent five-year review was completed on September 25, 2025. Groundwater migration is under control, but physical construction across the site is not yet complete.
Institutional controls remain in place across the site. These include zoning restrictions, prohibitions on residential use at the former facility, and limits on groundwater extraction. They will stay in place as long as contamination and cleanup components remain on site. The EPA reviews the site at least every five years to confirm the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment.
Community members can get involved through the Raymark Community Advisory Group (CAG), which meets on the last Wednesday of every other month and is open to the public in person and online. Anyone interested in joining can email Alivia Coleman at acoleman@townofstratford.com. A live-stream camera and explanatory videos about site activities are available online at www.epa.gov/superfund/raymark. Key documents are accessible through the EPA website, the Stratford Public Library, or the EPA Region 1 office in Boston.
