USA: Permit Sought for Discharge of Fill Material for North Haven Cleanup

Pharmacia and Upjohn Company, LLC is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with a soil cleanup project in North Haven, Conn.

The proposed project by Pharmacia and Upjohn Company, LLC involves the cleanup of a contaminated site under a U.S. EPA Consent Order. The work includes the excavation of contaminated soils from tidal mudflats, the discharge of fill material in tidal wetlands for the construction of a hydraulic barrier, and the discharge of fill material in freshwater wetlands for the placement of an impermeable soil cover.

The purpose of this work is to prevent migration of contaminated groundwater from the property into the Quinnipiac River, North and South Creek, and to prevent exposure by humans and wildlife to contaminated soils. These goals were established by the U.S. EPA and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) as part of a site-wide cleanup required by an Administrative Order under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The work is proposed in wetlands adjacent to, and in the mudflats of, the Quinnipiac River and South Creek, at 41 Stiles Lane in North Haven.

The 80-acre site became contaminated through decades of its use as a chemical manufacturing facility. All manufacturing ceased in 1993 and most of the buildings were demolished.

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands; and with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the United States.

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Press Release, February 27, 2013