"EPA Cleanups And the Toxins Left Behind"

"Trout caught in Torch Lake, Mich., are not safe to eat. Groundwater in Baldwin, Fla., is not safe to drink. Six acres of land in Bridgewater, Mass., are not safe to live on.

Like contaminated land on South Street in Walpole, all three locations were once among the most dangerous toxic waste sites in the country and became part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup program. All three are now considered clean by the EPA,though toxins remain.

The EPA is responsible for protecting human health at 1,700 hazardous waste sites across the country through the Superfund program. These sites contain chemicals that can cause a range of serious illnesses, from cancer to birth defects to neurological disorders. In Walpole, the South Street Superfund site once housed tire factories and other industries that produced asbestos byproducts. The site was added to the Superfund Priority list in 1994."

Ariel Wittenberg reports for the Walpole Times August 20, 2014.