Fletcher’s Paint Works and Storage Facility Superfund Site
Remedial Investigation
Milford, New Hampshire

Watermark prepared a Remedial Investigation (RI) Report for Operable Unit 2 (OU2) at the Fletcher’s Paint Works and Storage Facility Superfund Site. The Site was officially listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) by the USEPA on March 31, 1989, as a result of investigations related to the 1984 closure of the Keyes Municipal Supply Well. The detection of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Keyes Well by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services triggered the removal of the Keyes Well from service and prompted a series of investigation and remediation activities to determine and address the contaminant sources.

Watermark reviewed and summarized numerous hydrogeological studies and investigations of the nature and extent of contamination associated with historic releases that were conducted by multiple parties subsequent to the Site being placed on the NPL in 1989. The RI Report included a baseline human health risk assessment for the Keyes Field groundwater and a baseline human health and ecological risk assessment of the Souhegan River. The RI concluded that groundwater beneath Keyes Field did not pose an unacceptable risk to human health; however, re-starting the Keyes Well would likely draw contaminated groundwater from the OU1 and other cross-gradient and up-gradient plumes. In addition, sediment in the Souhegan River posed an unacceptable risk to human and ecological receptors, primarily due to elevated Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations associated with historic operations and releases at the Fletcher’s Paint Works and Storage Facility. The RI recommended that a Focused Feasibility Study (FS) be prepared to assess remedial alternatives to address PCBs in the Souhegan River.

Watermark prepared an Alternatives Screening Report, the first phase of the Focused FS, to identify remedial technologies and process options, and develop a range of remedial alternatives. Upon approval of the remedial alternatives, Watermark conducted a detailed and comparative analysis of the alternatives using CERCLA criteria and submitted the Focused FS.