Chlor-Alkali Facility (Former)

Overview

This 41-acre former chemical plant in Berlin, New Hampshire operated from the 1890s to the 1960s, producing chlorine and chlorinated compounds. It was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) on September 14, 2005. The site contains a 4.6-acre capped landfill with buried chemical plant structures, and contamination is found in groundwater, soil, soil gas, debris, and solid waste across the entire property.

The main contaminants include mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans, lead, arsenic, and a range of volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride. Mercury periodically rises from fractures in the Androscoggin River riverbed nearby and can spread downstream during high-flow events. Fish in the river downstream of Sawmill Dam are contaminated with PCBs, dioxins, furans, and mercury, and the State of New Hampshire prohibits keeping fish caught in that stretch. Seven rare bird species that live or feed near the site could also be harmed by released contaminants. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, but contaminated groundwater is not yet stabilized.

Three companies, Fort James LLC, Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP, and North American Dismantling Corporation, are conducting the field work. EPA issued a Record of Decision on September 23, 2020, selecting a cleanup approach that combines soil excavation, groundwater treatment in place, maintenance and monitoring of the existing landfill cap, and ongoing mercury collection from the river. Remedial design was completed and approved in March 2025. Contaminated soil removal began July 7, 2025, and is expected to continue through September 2025. Groundwater remedy design is still ongoing. Annual mercury collection from the river also continues. Full cleanup is estimated to finish between June and August 2026.

The site is fenced and the landfill is capped to limit exposure. An Activity and Use Restriction on the property deed prevents construction, and institutional controls restrict the land to uses consistent with the cleanup level. A reuse planning report for the Cell House Property was completed in December 2008 through EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program.

Community members can stay informed through periodic fact sheets and updates published by EPA, since much of the work happens underground and is not visible. Residents can request hard copies or join the email list by contacting the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Records are also available at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services office in Concord, the EPA Region 1 office in Boston, and the Berlin Public Library.