Shpack Landfill

Overview

Shpack Landfill covers 9.4 acres straddling Attleboro and Norton, Massachusetts. The landfill accepted domestic and industrial waste from 1946 through the 1970s, including inorganic and organic chemicals and radioactive materials. Elevated radiation levels were detected in 1978. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986 and was deleted from that list in September 2017 after cleanup goals were met.

Contamination affects soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment. Over 180 chemicals of concern have been identified. These include metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, and mercury. Organic compounds include volatile chlorinated solvents like trichloroethene and vinyl chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides like DDT and aldrin, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Radioactive radium-226 and uranium isotopes are also present in soil.

Cleanup ran under two separate programs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers handled radioactive contamination under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), excavating 57,805 cubic yards of material and completing that work in October 2011. The EPA managed the broader Superfund cleanup, which included excavating 27,083 tons of waste, restoring wetlands and uplands, and extending a public water supply line along Peckham Street. That construction finished in December 2013. Perimeter fencing was also installed to limit exposure. Institutional controls, in the form of Notices of Activity and Use Limitation recorded in November 2016, restrict excavation and land uses on four parcels to prevent disturbing remaining contamination or cleanup components.

Human exposure is currently under control across the entire site, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized and poses no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The City of Attleboro now maintains the remedy. Long-term response activities continue under EPA oversight, and the most recent Five-Year Review was completed in August 2023. Another review is estimated between August and October 2028. These reviews confirm the remedy stays protective of human health and the environment over time.

Community members who want current information can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site records are available for public review at the Norton Public Library in Norton, Massachusetts, and at the EPA Region 1 office in Boston.