Region 1 plans to investigate potential metals and asbestos contamination at the Reed & Barton Superfund Site in Norton, Massachusetts. Because this site is abandoned, on March 28, 2017, a U.S. Magistrate Judge signed an ex parte administrative warrant granting EPA access to the site property. This warrant is necessary because EPA has been unable to locate a person authorized to provide access to the Site. The warrant provides EPA with access to perform a preliminary assessment and site investigation under the Superfund removal program.
The 20.72-acre Reed & Barton Site is the location of the former Reed and Barton Corporation, a silversmith company that manufactured sterling silver and silver plate flatware. Seven multi-story buildings are located on the property. Several of the buildings are in very poor condition, with deteriorated roofs, buckled wooden floors and possible structural issues. Reed and Barton conducted manufacturing operations, with wastewater generated during manufacturing treated and disposed through the use of on-site lagoons. This company filed a voluntary petition pursuant to chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code on February 17, 2015. During the course of the chapter 11 liquidation, the company�s assets were liquidated, all of its employees were terminated, and all of its officers and directors resigned. The Site is currently abandoned.
In 2016, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) officials conducted a Site visit an