DES outlines demolition, sampling and long-term remediation steps at contaminated Saint Gobain site

The Department of Environmental Services provided a progress update Jan. 10 on demolition and cleanup work at the Saint Gobain facility and on related drinking water remedies for affected households.

DES said the company has dismantled portions of the building and received town permits for three demolition phases; contaminated materials will be sent to out‑of‑state hazardous waste disposal where required, and structural steel will be recycled, DES representative Mike said. "They completed asbestos abatement and PCB remediation in other parts of the building and applied for demolition permit with the town, in December for the remaining portions of the building," Mike said.

DES staff emphasized that demolition is separate from the remedial strategy to address contaminated soil and groundwater and that the agency expects substantial remedial proposals that reduce the mass of PFAS at the site. "We have made it very clear to them that we expect them to undertake remedial activities that will have a significant and meaningful impact in reducing the mass of contamination that is there," Mike said.

Why this matters: thousands of properties were targeted for sampling and hundreds of homes have received point‑of‑entry treatment (POET) systems or bottled‑water offers; the outcome of the site remediation and monitoring will affect long‑term drinking water safety and…