Sullivan's Ledge

Overview

Sullivan's Ledge is a 12-acre former quarry in New Bedford, Massachusetts. From the 1940s through the 1970s, local industries dumped hazardous materials into the quarry pits, including electrical capacitors, fuel oil, volatile liquids, and demolition debris. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in September 1984 after test drilling in 1982 uncovered electrical capacitors and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the soil.

The site is divided into two operable units, or cleanup sections. Operable Unit 1 covers the main site area, where PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been found in soil, sediment, and groundwater. Operable Unit 2 covers the Middle Marsh wetland area, where soil, sediment, and surface water contain metals such as cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc, along with PAHs, pesticides including DDT compounds, and volatile organic compounds such as chloroform and toluene. The primary exposure concern is people ingesting or touching contaminated soil, sediment, or groundwater.

Cleanup work included placing an 11-acre cap over contaminated surface materials, diverting and lining streams, excavating contaminated sediments from the Middle Marsh, and restoring about 13 acres of affected wetlands. A groundwater treatment plant began operating in late 1999 to collect and treat contaminated water from shallow bedrock. Construction across the full site was completed in 2000. In 2013, EPA approved a 1.75-megawatt solar project on the capped area. The 10-acre system, completed in September 2014, contains more than 5,000 solar panels, and the City of New Bedford purchases the power it generates.

As of September 2025, the groundwater treatment system has been restarted and continues to capture contaminants and control their movement. EPA assessments confirm that human exposure is under control and groundwater contamination is stabilized within the original area. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prevent residential use, remain in place and will stay in effect as long as contamination or cleanup components are present. EPA conducted its most recent five-year review in September 2023, with the next review estimated for late 2028. A feasibility study for Operable Unit 1 is estimated to begin between October and December 2027. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.

Community members who want current information about the site can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site records are also available at the New Bedford Public Library and through the EPA Region 1 records center in Boston.