BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Protection (RIDEM) announced Dec. 23 they had reached a $40 million settlement with defendants to ensure cleanup of “Operable Unit Two” of the Peterson/Puritan Inc. Superfund site in Cumberland and Lincoln, Rhode Island.
"EPA's cleanup plan for this site protects peoples' health, while at the same time it ensures the area remains aesthetically pleasing," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. "This settlement allows for the funding of our cleanup plan, and leaves those who contributed taking responsibility."
Close to 100 potentially responsible parties were involved in the case. Twenty-two of the settling defendants will need to be responsible for implementing the remedy selected by EPA in 2015 and pay for the oversight costs incurred by EPA and RIDEM. The rest of the defendants must make payments to a trust that will help pay for cleanup work on the site.
"This consent decree is another critical step forward in our efforts to clean up this site and hold responsible parties accountable," said RIDEM director Janet Coit.