Public Meeting Will Explain Upcoming Work to Remove Contamination at Chrome Engineering Location in Bridgeport, Conneticut

(Boston, Massachusetts - March 29, 2010) - E.P.A. has developed a timeline for removing 600 tons of contaminated surface soils at the Chrome Engineering location in Bridgeport, Conneticut under a short-term removal action to stabilize the site. The site, located at 405 Central Avenue in Bridgeport, has been worked on since it was abandoned after a large fire in 1997.

E.P.A. will host a public meeting for interested local citizens to get more information and ask questions about the work plans. The meeting will be held on Monday, April Fifth from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Jettie S. Tisdale School (located at 205 Hollister Ave. in Bridgeport). Residents can find out more information about the details of the removal action, including any inconveniences or additional noise residents might experience. E.P.A. will also explain the Agency's role in the location in the future.

The city of Bridgeport used an E.P.A. Brownfields grant of $200,000 to partially fund cleanup of the Chrome Engineering location in 2007 and 2008. In January 2009, the City of Bridgeport discovered high levels of cadmium (a heavy metal) in the soil at the site. Since January 2009, it was also determined that the contracted disposal facility could not take the extra 600 tons of contaminated soil, and the costs for disposal increased.

EPA's Removal Plan has collected samples of the soils, and in August 2009 found 3 additional heavy metals contaminating the soil: barium, cadmium, chromium and lead. Exposure to these metals can pose threats to public health and the environment.

Since this data was collected, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection requested that EPA's Emergency Planning and Response Branch consider the Location for a removal action due to the hazardous contamination of the topsoil.

During the 1st week in April, E.P.A. will mobilize to the Location to begin the removal effort. After securing the Location and preparing a temporary gravel road for the disposal trucks to travel on the property, we will begin removing the contaminated soil. The removal action will protect public health, welfare and the environment from threats posed by the site-specific contamination. E.P.A. anticipates that the removal effort will not take longer than 3 weeks. E.P.A. will dispose of the 600 tons of contaminated soil to an E.P.A. approved hazardous waste facility.

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