Revere Textile Prints Corp. is a 15-acre former industrial property in Sterling, Connecticut. A textile facility operated there for over 50 years. Poor waste storage practices contaminated the soil and groundwater. In 1978, workers were observed dumping waste barrels into the Moosup River. A fire destroyed the facility in 1980, leaving more than 1,500 drums of dyes, paints, solvents, and heavy metals leaking onto the ground. The state identified more than 30 compounds in those drums and the surrounding soil.
EPA identified 23 contaminants of concern at the site. Groundwater contaminants include aluminum, arsenic, barium, chromium, chrysene, copper, iron, manganese, phenol, tetrachloroethene, and zinc. Soil contaminants include arsenic, several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, beryllium, dichloromethane, p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDT, phenol, and others. Before cleanup, people faced health risks from direct contact with or accidental ingestion of contaminated groundwater or soil. Area residents rely on groundwater as their sole source of drinking water, though the residential water supply was not affected by site contamination.
The Town of Sterling removed contaminated drums in 1983. A second removal took place from May 1990 through February 1991, clearing additional drums and paint cans. EPA completed a combined remedial investigation and feasibility study in September 1992 and issued a Record of Decision on September 30, 1992. The selected remedy for the site is No Action Monitoring, meaning no active cleanup is required, but conditions are watched over time. Construction of the cleanup work was completed on September 30, 1992.
The site was added to EPA's National Priorities List on July 22, 1987, and deleted from it on September 2, 1994, after EPA determined the contamination no longer posed a harmful risk to people or the environment. Low levels of contamination remain, but these levels are not considered harmful. Zoning restrictions limit non-commercial development and groundwater use. No institutional controls are required, meaning no contamination remains that could cause unacceptable exposure. In June 2006, the site achieved sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse, confirming that all cleanup goals had been met.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. Site records are available at the Sterling Public Library in Oneco, Connecticut, and at the EPA Region 1 Records and Information Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Additional information is at www.epa.gov/superfund/reveretextile.
