Silresim Chemical Corp. operated as a chemical waste reclamation facility at 86 Tanner Street in Lowell, Massachusetts, starting in 1971. The company declared bankruptcy and abandoned the property in 1977, leaving behind 30,000 decaying drums and large storage tanks. Contamination spread through soil and groundwater into nearby properties. The site was added to the National Priorities List in September 1983 and has been the subject of federal, state, and responsible party cleanup actions ever since.
The site contains a wide range of contaminants in soil and groundwater. These include chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, along with metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury. Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene are also present, as are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and industrial chemicals like 1,4-dioxane.
Cleanup has moved through several phases. The state began work in 1978. A groundwater treatment facility started operating in November 1995. Thermally enhanced soil vapor extraction, the final remedy for source areas, was completed in 2012. Site restoration work such as fence removal, topsoil placement, and drainage improvements finished in 2013. Off-site soil excavation took place between July 2004 and September 2005. Construction was formally completed in August 2011, and the site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in November 2017. Long-term operation and maintenance transitioned from EPA to state performance in September 2007. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2024.
Human exposure is currently under control, and groundwater migration is also under control with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Institutional controls restrict land use, including zoning rules that prevent residential development, and will stay in place as long as contamination or cleanup components remain on site. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List, and groundwater monitoring continues.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. State-level questions can be directed to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Site documents are available for public review at Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell and at the EPA Region 1 records center in Boston.
