In Holbrook, about 12 miles south of Boston, is the Baird and McGuire Superfund Site. This site, originally a chemical mixing facility, became one of the most expensive Superfund sites in New England, and was the inspiration of at least one song.
According to a page on the EPA web site, the Baird and McGuire site is a 20 acre lot where it was a chemical mixing and batching facility from 1912 to 1983. Some of the products included pesticides, disinfectants, soaps, floor waxes, and solvents. Raw materials were stored either in integrated tank farms or individual barrels on site. By products were disposed of in various ways, including directly into the ground or stored in containers. When the site was abandoned, all of this was left. On 12/30/1982, the site was proposed as a superfund site, and on 9/08/1983, it was finalized.
Since then, the site has been fenced, all buildings but one have been raised, the tank farm was temporarily capped, and a groundwater treatment facility has been built. The groundwater facility is still in operation, and is expected to continue for the long haul.
The site sits on a water aquifer and is about 500 ft from the Cochato River, which at the time provided a source of water to the Richardi Reservoir, which served the towns of Randolph, Holbrook, and Braintree. The river has since been rediverted from the reservoir. The site was also about 1500 ft away from the South Street Well Field, which served Holbrook, which was shut down in 1982. An incinerator was built on site and burned 248,000 tons of soil, some of which was dredged from the Cochato River. The total cost is over $133,000, and it considered the 14th worst superfund site in the US.
Today, the most visible reminder of the event is the water treatment facility. There is an entrance on South Street, just east of the Randolph town line. There is a fence, gate, and guard shack, with the treatment facility visible behind them. There are signs on the fence identifying it as a superfund site. Down the street, there are low industrial buildings on the left, such as a car body shop, and residences on the right. On the left, there is a squarish building that might have been from the former chemical plant, but there are no identifaction signs. Further down the street, there is a dirt road to the left that is chained. Further down, there is an intersection with Beach Street that leads you to Shore Drive. Shore Drive runs between the Baird and McGuire site and Lake Holbrook. A cul-de-sac called English Road ends at the edge of the site. There is a fence with a sign that warns not to proceed beyond that point. The cul-de-sac circle was just beyond, with driveways cut but no buildings in place. Eerie. Back on Shore Drive, about a hundred feet down is a stream from Lake Holbrook into the site. Cochato River runs north and crosses Union Street near the Randolph border.
In the 1990s. Patty Larkin, a local folk composer and singer, wrote the song 'Metal Drums,' which is in her album, 'Tango.'
There isn't a lot to see, but it will have a lasting impact for a long time.
Other Sources
EPA Remediation Report (Baird and McGuire):
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visit link)
EPA Cost and Performance Report (Baird and McGuire):
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visit link)
Wikipedia (Holbrook, MA):
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visit link)