Precision Plating Corp. has operated as a chrome plating facility at Hillside Industrial Park in Vernon, Connecticut since 1970. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1989 after the Town of Vernon discovered hexavalent chromium in a local drinking water well. EPA is the lead cleanup agency, and no potentially responsible parties with the financial ability to fund cleanup have been identified.
The main contaminants are hexavalent chromium and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), a type of PFAS, found in groundwater and soil. Volatile organic compounds and various metals are also present. The site is divided into two operable units. Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) covers source area soil and shallow groundwater near the facility. Operable Unit 2 (OU-2) addresses the deeper bedrock groundwater plume downgradient from the site.
Early cleanup steps included contaminated soil removal in 1979, 1988, and 1992, and a groundwater extraction and treatment system that ran from 1992 to 2008. Between 2015 and 2018, EPA connected five nearby properties to municipal water after hexavalent chromium exceeded 3.5 micrograms per liter in their water. Contaminated surface soils, leaching fields, and stormwater catch basins have been excavated and disposed of off-site.
According to EPA assessments, human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist at this time. However, EPA has not yet determined whether the migration of contaminated groundwater is stabilized. Physical construction of the cleanup is not complete, and the site is not ready for its anticipated future use. Supplemental investigation in OU-1 began in April 2025, with a feasibility study expected by late 2026. Investigation in OU-2 is expected to continue through 2026 and beyond, with cleanup decisions for both units anticipated around 2026 to 2028.
Community members can get involved through the Community Involvement Plan, completed in January 2023, which guides public participation throughout the cleanup. Residents with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site documents are available online at www.epa.gov/superfund/precision or in person at the EPA Region 1 Records and Information Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
