LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed required comprehensive site cleanup reviews, known as "five-year reviews," of 12 Superfund sites on the National Priority List across Massachusetts. 

 

This includes the Rose Disposal Pit in Lanesborough.

 

The Rose Disposal Pit site is a 1-acre area contaminated with waste oils, solvents, and hazardous materials disposed of by General Electric from 1951 to 1959. In 1980, the site was found to contain 15,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and two plumes of polluted groundwater. Since then, various measures have been taken to address the contamination, including soil removal, groundwater treatment, and the establishment of long-term protective systems.

 

The EPA has conducted multiple five-year reviews to ensure that the site's cleanup efforts remain protective of human health and the environment. The most recent review confirmed that the ongoing groundwater treatment continues to meet safety standards. Additionally, institutional controls, such as zoning restrictions, have been placed on the property to limit land use and protect the integrity of the cleanup.

 

The site has undergone significant remediation, including providing an alternate water supply to affected residents, treating contaminated soil and groundwater, and treating nearby surface water and sediments. All construction activities were completed by 1994, and groundwater treatment will continue until cleanup levels are met. The EPA requires ongoing monitoring and enforces activity restrictions to safeguard the site.

 

As required by law, EPA conducts reviews at Superfund sites after cleanup remedies have been implemented every five years. This comprehensive review of previous work helps ensure that EPA continues to evaluate the performance of cleanup efforts and determines whether any further action to protect human health or the environment is required. 

 

The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to facilitate activities to return them to productive use.