The Baird & McGuire site is a 20-acre former chemical mixing and batching facility at 775 South Street in Holbrook, Massachusetts. The company operated from 1912 to 1983, handling pesticides, disinfectants, solvents, and floor waxes. Waste was discharged directly into soil, a nearby brook, wetlands, and a former gravel pit. The site sits 500 feet west of the Cochato River and near the South Street well field, which supplied Holbrook's municipal water until it was shut down in 1982 due to organic contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 1983.
Contaminants affect soil, groundwater, and sediment. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, vinyl chloride, and toluene are present alongside pesticides including DDT, chlordane, aldrin, and dieldrin. Heavy metals found at the site include arsenic, lead, cadmium, and zinc. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxin, and other organics are also present. Contaminated sediments in the Cochato River were found to be acutely toxic to aquatic life, though no significant health risk from human contact with those sediments was identified.
Cleanup has proceeded in multiple stages. More than 1,000 cubic yards of hazardous waste were removed in early actions. A groundwater pump and treat plant built in 1993 processed roughly 40 million gallons in its first year alone and continues to operate. A light non-aqueous phase liquid extraction system installed in 1999 collects about 5 to 7 gallons of contaminated liquid daily. A mobile soil incinerator treated approximately 248,000 tons of contaminated soil between 1995 and 1997. River and wetland sediment cleanup wrapped up in 1995, removing 4,712 cubic yards of material. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) took over operations and maintenance in June 2004. Physical construction across the whole site was completed in September 2003, and the site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in February 2019.
The July 2024 Five-Year Review found the remedy protective in the short term because exposure pathways are controlled. However, groundwater cleanup levels need re-evaluation for long-term protection. EPA and MassDEP completed a Focused Feasibility Study in March 2026 comparing two options: upgrading the existing treatment facility or using in-situ sulfate injection to encourage biodegradation and arsenic sequestration. A proposed amendment to the cleanup plan was released in May 2026, and EPA accepted public comments through June 12, 2026.
The Proposed Plan and supporting documents, including fact sheets in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese, are available on EPA's website, at the Holbrook Public Library, and at the EPA Records and Information Center in Boston. Questions can be directed to the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager listed in the site contacts.
