W.R. Grace Settlement Funds Superfund Site Cleanups
Most of the $63 million paid to the U.S. government under the company's bankruptcy reorganization plan is going to fund the cleanups in 21 states.
EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that W.R. Grace & Co., based in Columbia, Md., has paid more than $63 million to the U.S. government under its bankruptcy plan of reorganization to resolve claims for environmental cleanups at approximately 39 sites in 21 states. "Communities across the United States will benefit from this payment of present and future cleanup costs," said Robert G. Dreher, acting assistant attorney general for DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The Justice Department is committed to holding polluters responsible for their environmental legacy and won’t just walk away, leaving taxpayers to pick up the tab."
About $54 million of the money is going to EPA, with $9 million paid to other federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Army. W.R. Grace, a global supplier of specialty chemicals, and 61 affiliated companies filed for bankruptcy in April 2001. Two years later, EPA filed claims against the company to recover cleanup costs at sites contaminated by asbestos and other hazardous substances.
EPA's portion reimburses the agency for past or future cleanup costs at these Superfund sites:
- Acton Plant - Acton, Mass.
- Amber Oil - Milwaukee, Wis.
- Aqua Tech - Greer, S.C.
- Big Tex Site - San Antonio, Texas
- Blackburn and Union Privileges - Walpole, Mass.
- Cambridge,Plant, Cambridge, Mass.
- Casmalia Resources - Santa Barbara, Calif.
- Central Chemical - Hagerstown, Md.
- Galaxy/Spectron - Elkton, Md.
- Green River - Maceo, Ky.
- Harrington Tools - Glendale, Calif.
- Intermountain Insulation - Salt Lake City, Utah
- IWI Site - Summit, Ill.
- Li Tungsten - Glen Cove, N.Y.
- Malone Services Co. - Texas County, Texas
- Massachusetts Military Reservation – Barnstable County, Mass.
- N-Forcer Site - Dearborn, Mich.
- Operating Industries, Inc. - Monterey Park, Calif.
- R & H Oil/Tropicana - San Antonio, Texas
- RAMP Industries - Denver, Colo.
- Reclamation Oil - Detroit, Mich.
- Robinson Insulation - Minot, N.D.
- Solvents Recovery Service of NE - Southington, Conn.
- Vermiculite Exfoliation Site – Nashville, Tenn.
- Vermiculite Expansion Site – High Point, N.C.
- Vermiculite Intermountain - Salt Lake City, Utah
- Vermiculite Northwest - Spokane, Wash.
- Watson Johnson LF - Richland Township, Pa.
- Wells G & H (Source & Central Areas) - Woburn, Mass.
- Western Minerals Processing - Denver, Colo.
- Western Minerals Products - Minneapolis, Minn.
- W.R. Grace – Weedsport, N.Y.
- Zonolite - Wilder, Ky.
- Zonolite/W.R. Grace – Easthampton, Mass.
- Zonolite - Prince George’s County, Md.
- Zonolite - Hamilton Township, N.J.
- Zonolite - Ellwood City, Pa.
- Zonolite - New Castle, Pa.
- Zonolite Road – Atlanta, Ga.