Eastland Woolen Mill

Overview

The Eastland Woolen Mill sits on a 22-acre property in Corinna, Maine. The mill made wool and fabric from 1909 until it closed in 1996. Dyeing operations released chlorinated benzene compounds into soil, bedrock, and groundwater beneath the facility. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in July 1999.

Eight contaminants of concern were identified in groundwater: 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, arsenic, benzene, chlorobenzene, and manganese. Chlorobenzenes also appeared in surface water, sediment, and soil. Groundwater contamination reached local water supply wells, including those serving a multi-unit retirement community.

Cleanup tackled the site in phases. Between 2000 and 2001, about 80,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were excavated and treated. A follow-up removal action finished in October 2003, treating roughly 100,000 tons of soil and removing about 10,000 pounds of contamination. The remedial design for groundwater was completed in 2006, and EPA applied in-situ chemical oxidation to reduce contamination underground. Sediments in the East Branch of the Sebasticook River were studied separately, and a 2004 Record of Decision determined no further action was needed there. Physical construction of the cleanup is now complete.

EPA has determined that human exposure is under control and that groundwater contamination is stabilized within an area where groundwater use is prohibited and public water is available. In 2012, EPA removed 80 percent of the land area from the National Priorities List after cleanup was confirmed complete for those portions. The site achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in December 2018. A five-year review was completed in September 2025. Institutional controls remain in place, restricting land use to prevent exposure to any remaining contamination. The site has not yet been fully deleted from the National Priorities List. Redevelopment on the cleaned portions includes a 20-unit senior housing facility, a country store and restaurant in the historic Odd Fellows Building, a war memorial, a community bandstand, and a boardwalk greenspace.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Technical questions about remedial work can go to the Remedial Project Manager. Public documents are available at the Stewart Free Library at 8 Levi Stewart Lane in Corinna and at the EPA Region 1 records center in Boston.