EPA Admits Delays on Franklin Superfund “Priority” Site

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), BJAT LLC, an approximately 18.3-acre property located at 300 Fisher Street in Franklin (down a disused portion of the road), was listed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) back in September 2015.

That was done with good reason. For decades, the property was used for industrial operations including the manufacture of rubber and plastic products.

Inactive and desolate since the 1980s, the owner of the site had conducted four environmental investigations from 2005 to 2012: an Environmental Site Assessment in 2005; a Subsurface Investigation in 2007; a Site Inspection in 2008 and a Comprehensive Site Assessment in 2012.

Findings included process waste and debris containing hazardous substances such as metals and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) at concentrations above applicable state standards. It was the site’s toxicity as well as its proximity to town drinking water sources that prompted its placement on the National Priorities List (NPL).

Six years later, there has been progress, at least some. EPA Spokesperson David Deegan, said the agency is continuing to conduct site investigations at the BJAT Superfund site. “The project experienced a minor delay because EPA had to switch the ongoing work from an expiring contract to a new contractor,” Deegan said. The new contractor for the site (EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.), was recently approved, “and we intend to conduct additional investigation in the fall of 2021,” he added.

According to Deegan, the investigations will include evaluation of any residual contamination remaining following the removal action EPA completed in 2019. The removal action generally included excavation, sampling, and the removal and off-site disposal of 30 drums, 16,470 pounds of other scrap and approximately 2,500 tons of contaminated soil. (Image above show a recent view of the site after this process).

Now, EPA hopes to complete the full “Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study” (RI/FS) and issue a proposed plan for any additional clean-up actions, if needed, in 2023. “Any proposed cleanup plan will then be released for public review and comment before being finalized,” Deegan added.