The Collins & Aikman Plant operated as an automobile parts manufacturer in Farmington, New Hampshire from 1966 to 2006. Manufacturing there involved polyurethane foam molding, polyvinyl chloride shell construction, panel assembly, and painting. Those processes used solvents including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, methylene chloride, toluene, xylene, and several ketones. Some of those solvents reached the soil, groundwater, and surface water at the site. In 1983, low concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) turned up in a municipal drinking water supply well about 3,500 feet northeast of the former plant. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in December 2013.
Between 2014 and 2025, EPA carried out a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study to map out the contamination and assess risks. The investigation found that contaminants in soil and groundwater pose an unacceptable risk to human health. A former Town of Farmington water supply well was taken out of service because of CVOCs. Manganese in soil was also found to pose an unacceptable risk. EPA issued a Record of Decision on July 8, 2025, selecting an interim cleanup plan for the site. That interim plan covers soil and groundwater contamination and is meant to protect public health while a final cleanup plan is developed. Remedial design for the site's operable unit is estimated to begin between June and August 2026, with physical cleanup construction not yet started.
EPA tracks two key performance measures for the site. Human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable pathways exist for people to come into contact with contamination right now. Groundwater migration is not under control, meaning contaminated groundwater has not stabilized and continues to move. The site is not yet ready for its anticipated future use, and additional work is needed to reach cleanup goals.
Hundreds of soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water samples have been collected. Nearby water supply wells and private wells in the area have been monitored and sampled to confirm no one is being harmed by groundwater contamination. Sampling will continue during the remedial action phase to check whether cleanup efforts are working.
Community members can review the Record of Decision, public comments and responses, and other supporting documents at the EPA Region 1 Records and Information Center in Boston, Massachusetts, or at the Goodwin Library in Farmington, New Hampshire. Additional records are available through the Town of Farmington Municipal Offices and online at www.epa.gov/superfund/collins. For direct questions, contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site.
