History of the Fireworks Site

(from TetraTech Scope of Work Phase II Site Investigation, 2003)

The Fireworks Site is 240 acres of property generally located between King and Winter Streets in the Town of Hanover. The Site is bounded on the east by Winter Street, on the west by King Street and the Drinkwater River wetland, on the north by First Street and on the South by Factory Pond. Factory Pond discharges to the Indian Head River, which flows eastward to the North River. The land area encompassed by the Site is currently owned by over 40 different entities, including the Town of Hanover.

Historical activities at the Site included the research and development and manufacture of munitions and pyrotechnics for the U.S. Government between approximately 1907 and 1970 and commercial manufacture of civilian fireworks for some period. Lead, mercury, and various organic solvents, among other chemicals, were used in certain manufacturing processes and research and development activities during the facility's operational lifetime.

Following closure of the facility, U.S. military personnel destroyed government-owned raw materials and explosives at the Site. Several years later, the Town of Hanover purchased approximately 130 acres of the Site in the general area of Factory Pond. The Town continues to maintain the area for conservation purposes and has also built the Municipal Garage for the DPW on a parcel off of Ames Way. The remaining acreage was sold in May 1983 to Drinkwater Investment Corporation. It was subsequently subdivided and portions sold, creating a multi-tenant, commercial/industrial park.

After conducting surface water, sediment, and fish tissue sampling for mercury, lead, and other metals, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) issues Notices of Responsibility for the Fireworks Site on October 20, 1995 to Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Coating Corporation, Susquehanna Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Defense based on their alleged status as either former owners, operators, generators, or transporters, or successors to former site owners, operators, generators, or transporters. The first three entities, while not admitting liability, formed the Fireworks Site Joint Defense Group, and have been investigating environmental conditions at the Site. None of the cooperating parties currently owns any property at the Site. The cooperating parties subsequently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense for reimbursement of a percentage of the Site Investigation costs.

NSRWA Involvement

The NSRWA is concerned about the potential contamination impacts to the environment, in particular mercury bioaccumulation in organisms. Mercury is one of the contaminants found at the site in the sediments of the Drinkwater River and surrounding wetlands. Mercury has also been found in fish tissue sampled from Factory Pond. In 1995, the pond was closed to fishing over contamination concerns.

The MADEP is supervising the site investigation through the Massachusetts Contingency Plan. The cooperating parties have completed a Phase I Investigation and Tier Classification, and Phase II Comprehensive Site Investigation. Many of the contaminated sites have already been remediated. Current investigations are ongoing to assess the Environmental Risks posed by any contamination remaining from the former activities on the site. For years, the NSRWA has worked to have Factory Pond cleaned up. The NSRWA will continue to monitor the progress of these investigations and provide comment to the MADEP on our concerns. Please check back for further updates as the cleanup and investigations progress.

For further information contact the NSRWA or Jonathan Hobill MADEP Southeast Regional Office (508) 946-2700