Environmental Protection - Contaminated Sites Related

🔍 Search for Waste Sites & Reportable Releases

Residents can access detailed information about environmental cleanup efforts, including those related to the General Chemical site, by visiting the Massachusetts Energy & Environmental Affairs Data Portal.

👉 Visit: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/portal#!/home
Once there, use the search feature to look up RTN 3-19174 or other locations of interest.

If you need help navigating the site, contact the MassDEP Northeast Regional Office at 978-694-3200 and ask for the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup.

Hazardous Materials and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP)

Hazardous materials are present in many areas of modern life. When stored, used, and disposed of responsibly, they can provide many benefits. However, accidental or intentional mishandling of hazardous materials can result in an uncontrolled release into the environment, which may pose a threat to health, safety, or public welfare.

In Massachusetts, these releases are regulated by 310 CMR 40.00, also known as the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), which is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

When a release is reported, it is assigned a Release Tracking Number (RTN) and remains an “open site” until a final resolution is reached and the site is officially “closed.” Sites can range from simple releases, which may be resolved in a matter of hours, to large industrial sites that can take decades to assess, clean up, and bring to closure.

The MCP is risk-based. Its goal is to eliminate or reduce, as much as feasible, the risk to health, safety, or public welfare associated with a contaminated site.