OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Final Site*** December 2013 

COLLINS & AIKMAN PLANT (FORMER) Farmington, New Hampshire

Strafford County

 Site Location:

The Collins & Aikman Plant (Former) is a 123-acre partially-developed parcel located off Route 11 between Paulson Road 

to the NW and Meetinghouse Hill Road to the SE in Farmington, New Hampshire. 

 Site History:

Beginning in the mid-1960s the Davidson Rubber Co., Inc. produced automotive instrument panels and other injection mold 

components. In the late 1960s and 1970s paint operations were performed in the southwest portion of the facility. Ownership 

of the property changed several times until 2001 when it was purchased by Collins & Aikman Interiors, Inc. The company

filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005 and ceased operations in 2006. The property was then transferred to the New 

Hampshire Custodial Trust. 

In 1981 employees filed complaints with Davidson Rubber Co., Inc. regarding odors and taste of the drinking water and 

concerns about the safety of the drinking water. Multiple site investigations revealed a ground water solvent plume 

emanating from the facility contaminating the Sarah Greenwood Aquifer. One municipal water supply well was taken out of 

service.

 Site Contamination/Contaminants:

The site consists of a tetrachloroethylene (PCE) tank spill, a percolating lagoon system, a septic tank, and a contaminated 

ground water plume. Waste materials that contributed to the plume included, but were not limited to, industrial wastewater, 

solvents including isopropyl alcohol, PCE, dichloromethane, trichloroethylene (TCE), acetone, xylene, methyl isobutyl 

ketone (MIBK), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methylene chloride, oils and solids. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment:

The contaminated ground water plume may pose a threat to nearby private or public drinking water wells and wetlands 

north of the facility and along Pokamoonshine Brook. 

 Response Activities (to date):

Between 1995 and 1999, treatment systems were activated to address the soil and ground water contamination. An Air 

Sparge and Soil Vapor Extraction (AS/SVE) system to address overburden soils near the solvent storage tanks and lines was 

started in 1999 and discontinued in 2002. The Management of Migration (MOM) system near the former septic leach fields 

consists of overburden extraction wells, on-site treatment plant and a downgradient rapid infiltration trench. It has been in 

operation since 1995 but has been ineffective in addressing the contamination. 

 Need for NPL Listing:

The state of New Hampshire referred the site to the EPA because, following bankruptcy and closure of the facility in 2006, 

insufficient resources are available to support a full investigation and cleanup of the site. While work has been performed to 

characterize and partially contain the ground water plume, a comprehensive site investigation is still needed to characterize 

the site and facilitate cleanup. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not viable at this time. The 

EPA received a letter of support for placing this site onto the NPL from the state. The town of Farmington has also 

indicated support for listing. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may 

change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent 

FR notices.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to 

these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on 

the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.