The Pownal Tannery covers 28 acres in North Pownal, Vermont, where a leather tanning operation ran from 1937 until the company went bankrupt in 1988. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added it to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in January 1999. Physical cleanup construction finished in September 2004, and the site was considered ready for anticipated reuse as of December 2013. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation now handles ongoing operations and maintenance.
EPA identified 25 contaminants of concern spread across soil, groundwater, surface water, and river sediment. Soil contains arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, and pentachlorophenol, among others. Groundwater holds contaminants including carbon tetrachloride, dioxins, tetrachloroethene, and manganese. Surface water contains aluminum, iron, and mercury. Sediment in the nearby Hoosic River is contaminated with arsenic, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The tannery discharged untreated wastewater directly into the Hoosic River from 1937 to 1962, and a lagoon system and lined landfill were later built on site to contain waste.
Cleanup work between July 2003 and September 2004 consolidated and capped lagoon sludge and removed hazardous materials from tannery buildings. EPA also conducted removal actions in 1993 and again from 1999 to 2001. A wastewater treatment facility was later built at the former lagoon area and finished in 2006. Two Explanations of Significant Differences, issued in 2007 and 2010, modified the remedy to focus more on institutional controls. Those controls include zoning restrictions that prevent residential development and other uses inconsistent with cleanup levels. They remain in effect as long as contamination and cleanup components stay on the property.
EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control and that groundwater migration is stabilized. Groundwater and river sediments are sampled yearly. Current sampling shows groundwater meets safe drinking water standards, though site-related contaminants were detected in residential wells in the past. Long-term monitoring continues to confirm that contaminated groundwater stays in its original area. The most recent Five-Year Review was completed on September 30, 2024. The site remains on the NPL.
The Town of Pownal has worked with EPA on redevelopment, receiving a grant in 1999 and completing a reuse report in 2001. The former tannery area now offers limited recreational access, including a small park with benches and a historic marker. The town is exploring recreational uses and solar development in the former lagoon zone. Community members can review site documents at the Solomon Wright Public Library in Pownal, Vermont, or at the EPA Region 1 Records and Information Center in Boston at 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, or by calling 617-918-1440.
