October 17, 2023

Contact Information

Vikram Lakshmanan (lakshmanan.vikram@epa.gov)

(617) 918-1017

BOSTON (Oct. 17, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected a cleanup plan for the Keddy Mill Superfund site, located on Depot Street in Windham, Maine. EPA will clean up the soil, sediment, and groundwater at the site.

The cleanup plan is based on EPA's Remedial Investigation Report, human health and ecological risk assessments, the Feasibility Study, and comments received on EPA's Proposed Plan during a 30-day public comment period. This cleanup plan is formally called a Record of Decision.

"EPA's cleanup plan for the Keddy Mill Superfund Site is a strong effort to ensure the health and safety of community members, protecting them for generations to come." said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "Cleaning up Superfund sites helps us ensure that no community, no family, and no child has to face exposure to chemicals and other dangerous substances in their day to day lives."

"The Town is very pleased with the recently approved comprehensive cleanup plan and remedial alternatives for the Keddy Mill Superfund Site. Working with the EPA, local residents and the State to achieve this milestone in planning the restoration for this site is exciting. This plan protects the human health or welfare of residents, the environment from actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants into the environment." said Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts. 

"The Maine DEP is pleased to continue working with our partners at EPA and the citizens of Windham to address historical contamination at the Keddy Mill, eliminating the threats to public health and the environment and returning the property to a productive future," said Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim.

EPA's cleanup plan will take two to four years to design and execute and will take place after the significant completion of a Removal Action to demolish the mill complex and associated structures. The cleanup plan includes the following components:

• Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and debris from the Mill Complex property;
• Targeted treatment of soil (within the footprint of the excavation) with amendments in support of groundwater cleanup;
• In situ (in place) treatment of groundwater contaminants;
• Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated sediments from the Presumpscot River;
• Treatment of water generated from soil and sediment dewatering and removed from excavations based on applicable water discharge standards, as required;
• Restoration of the portions of the Presumpscot River altered by the remedial action;
• Land use restrictions to prevent exposure to site-related contaminants in groundwater and fish tissue until cleanup levels are met,
• Inspections and operation and maintenance;
• Monitoring of groundwater and fish tissue to evaluate the achievement of cleanup levels; and
• Five-Year Reviews to assess the protectiveness of the remedy.

EPA estimates that the total cost of this portion of the project, including construction, operation and maintenance, and long-term monitoring, will be around $17 million.

Background

EPA added the Keddy Mill Superfund Site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 2014. The site consists of a 6.93-acre abandoned mill complex property, located at 7 Depot Street (the Mill Complex Property), an adjacent reach of the Presumpscot River, and associated riparian properties in Windham, Maine.

The site has a long history, with operations beginning in the late 1700s and ending in 1997. The building that will be demolished and removed was used as a grist and carding mill, pulp mill, box-board manufacturing facility and as a steel mill. Throughout the industrial history, several buildings have been demolished and others added to the mill complex. The site has contamination from various hazardous substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons.

More information:

A copy of the cleanup plan, the Administrative Record supporting the cleanup plan, and other background information about the Keddy Mill Superfund Site can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/keddy

The Windham Public Library, located at 217 Windham Center Road, Windham, Maine 04062 (phone: 207-892-1908) can be used as a point of access to reach the online Administrative Record for the site. If you would like a copy of the cleanup plan mailed to you, please contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, Charlotte Gray, at gray.charlotte@epa.gov or 617-918-1243. toll-free 1-888-372-7341 ext. 8-1243.

Record of Decision Administrative Record:
https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.ars&id=0106078&doc=Y&colid=67421&region=01&type=AR