Under the agreement, Blaylock will perform the cleanup selected for this Site. This agreement is unique in that the cleanup costs
are being shared with the developer, who will be reimbursed by EPA for part of the project cost. The agreement was developed in
coordination with the City of Nashua and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The cleanup work addresses
hazardous substances in soils, sludges, and contaminated waste in order to eliminate the threat posed to human health and the
environment. Overall, the total cleanup is estimated to cost $14 million, but EPA will reimburse Blaylock for $6 million of its costs.
Thus, this cost sharing arrangement will save the taxpayer an estimated $8 million in project costs, as compared to EPA performing
the entire cleanup.
An initial cleanup plan for the site was signed in 2019 after a comment period. In December 2020, EPA finalized an addendum to
include the adjacent Fimbel Landfill as part of the overall cleanup plan.
Cleanup work at the site will include excavation of hazardous tannery waste, landfill material and asbestos containing material,
disposal of waste in a newly constructed waste containment cell, and general property restoration. The containment cell will utilize
the most advanced materials and technology, including an impermeable cap and vertical barrier designed to meet EPA requirements
under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the National Oil and Hazardous
Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), and the overall cleanup plan.
The cleanup work is expected to take approximately 18 months. Work will include:
* construction of waste containment unit (WCU);
® excavation of contaminated waste and soils;
* consolidation of waste/soils into WCU;
* long-term operation and maintenance of WCU.
The EPA will continue to work closely with state and local officials as the project progresses. EPA plans to hold a virtual public
informational meeting after the comment period has closed and before any work begins at the Site.
Once the cleanup is complete, Blaylock plans to redevelop the area into mixed-use commercial space and residential units. This will
help provide significant economic opportunity, much-needed residential housing and bring an otherwise abandoned property back
into productive use.
For site details, including how to comment on the Action Memo Addendum or the agreement, please visit EPA’s Mohawk Tannery
website at www.epa.gov /superfund/mohawk
