OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site *** September 2011 

LEEDS METAL Leeds, Maine 

Androscoggin County 

 Site Location: 

The 36-acre Leeds Metal site is located in a mixed residential/industrial area in the southeastern Maine community of 

Leeds. The site is bounded to the north by a former concrete manufacturing facility, a sand and gravel operation and by 

Blue Rock Road; to the east by the Rumford Branch of Pan Am Railways; to the south by wetlands and residential 

properties; and to the west by Route 106. 

 Site History: 

Operations at the Leeds Metal site date back to the mid-to late 1800s, however little is known about specific site activities 

prior to 1969. Between 1969-1984 scrap metal recovery processes took place, performed by a series of site operators. Junk 

automobiles were shredded onsite, where non-recyclable material, known as auto fluff, was stockpiled. Gasoline and other 

fluids from junk cars were dumped directly onto the ground, and as many as 100 drums were staged along the tree line in 

the southern part of the site. The Leeds Fire Department has responded to numerous fires at the site. The site is currently 

inactive and unoccupied, and appears to have remained abandoned since operations ceased in 1984. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

The approximately 40,000 cubic yards of auto fluff waste present at the site are fully exposed and uncontained. Another 

source of contamination, the former Operations Area, has no fence or other containment features designed to limit access or 

exposure to site wastes. Hazardous substances include polychorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds 

(VOCs), tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), and metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead). A 

groundwater plume of VOCs is documented onsite and has extended southward, contaminating seven drinking water supply 

wells at concentrations exceeding health-based benchmarks. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

Seven private drinking water supply wells serving 17 residents have been contaminated by VOCs (PCE and TCE) from the 

site at concentrations exceeding health-based benchmarks. There are no public drinking water supply wells in Leeds. Metals 

associated with site operations have also contaminated wetlands onsite. 

 Response Activities (to date): 

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) has removed drummed waste and an abandoned transformer; 

sampled soil; sampled nearby private drinking water wells to identify possible off-site migration of wastes; overseen a 

series of investigations to assess the site and groundwater in the area; and installed carbon filtration devices at five homes 

with VOC contamination exceeding state health benchmark. EPA completed removal and remedial investigations in 2010 

that documented the need for response actions to address imminent hazards posed by the uncontrolled site wastes. A 

removal action to limit access to site wastes is planned for 2011. 

 Need for NPL Listing: 

The site property owner is unwilling to perform additional site characterization or undertake response actions to address 

contamination. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not viable at this time. EPA received a 

letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state. 

[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.] 

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/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.