Leeds Metal

Overview

Leeds Metal operated as a scrap metal recovery facility in Leeds, Maine, from 1969 to 1984. Workers processed junk cars, stockpiled auto fluff (a residual mix of non-ferrous metals, glass, plastics, and soil), and dumped gasoline and other vehicle fluids directly onto the ground. Auto fluff piles caught fire multiple times. The site has been inactive since 1984 and was added to the federal National Priorities List (NPL) in September 2012, marking it as a priority for investigation and cleanup.

Contamination at the site affects multiple areas and media. Four uncontained waste piles hold roughly 40,000 cubic yards of auto fluff. About 14 acres of surface soil in the former operations area are also contaminated. Seven private drinking water wells serving 17 nearby residents contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at levels above health-based benchmarks. On-site wetlands show metal contamination from historical recovery operations.

Cleanup actions started before the full remedial process. The state installed carbon filtration devices at five homes affected by VOC contamination and continues monitoring those wells along with six additional homes showing trace contaminant levels. An enforcement order effective October 15, 2012, required the property owner to fence debris piles and remove lead-contaminated soil from a former battery recycling area. A sitewide removal action overseen by EPA ran from May 2013 through February 2014. Site-wide investigations of soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater ran from November 2015 through April 2017, with more data-gathering work starting in summer 2019.

The site is divided into three operable units covering sitewide concerns, on-site soil and sediment, and groundwater. A Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study is currently underway. A proposed cleanup plan for on-site soil and sediment is expected between October and December 2026, with a Record of Decision (the formal cleanup decision document) anticipated by March through May 2027 for both the soil and groundwater operable units. Human exposure and groundwater migration status are both listed as Insufficient Data, meaning investigations are ongoing but have not yet produced enough information to confirm whether current conditions are acceptable.

Community members will have a formal chance to comment when EPA releases its proposed cleanup plan. Input from the public, state, and local authorities will be considered before a final remedy is chosen. Questions can be directed to EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Darriel Swatts or Remedial Project Manager John Bryant. Site records are available at the EPA records center in Boston or at the Leeds Town Office.