General Chemical Corporation

The former General Chemical Corporation (GCC) facility, located at 133-135 Leland Street, began operations as an oil storage facility in the 1920s. By the 1970s, General Chemical was licensed by the state to treat, store, recycle, and process waste chemicals for reuse or disposal at other licensed facilities. General Chemical ceased these operations in March 2012 and underwent an extensive closure process overseen by MassDEP.

Past operations at the facility led to multiple releases of chemicals into the soil and groundwater at the General Chemical property. These chemicals contaminated the soil and groundwater beneath the site. Over the years, the contaminants have migrated off-site in the groundwater to the south/southeast.

Extensive groundwater monitoring—including from monitoring points on school property—continues to show that groundwater flows toward the railroad tracks and wetland area to the south/southeast, and not toward the school to the east. Based on analytical results from routine groundwater and indoor air testing, the contaminants in the groundwater do not impact the indoor air in the school building or the outdoor air on school grounds. These results confirm that the school is safe for students and staff.

Recent activities at the site have made significant progress toward achieving a permanent solution to the contamination. Recent progress includes:

• In 2017, MassDEP seized approximately $2 million from the former General Chemical Corporation’s escrow account and took over all testing and cleanup activities related to the site after GCC declared bankruptcy and abandoned its responsibilities.

• MassDEP and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office continue to pursue General Chemical and other Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) for additional funds.

• In 2020, four neighboring abandoned houses were removed by legal counsel representing the former General Chemical Corporation.

• MassDEP completed the first phase of remediation in 2021 using approximately $1.6 million in seized funds.

• MassDEP is conducting additional assessment and design work for the second remediation phase, which is expected to be completed within the next 1–2 years.

More information on the remediation activities can be found on the Energy & Environmental Affairs Data Portal in the supporting documents for RTN 3-19174. Additional information about the General Chemical site can be obtained by calling the Northeast Regional Office of MassDEP at 978-694-3200 and asking for the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup.