Abstract |
The Nyanza Chemical Waste Dump site occupies 35 acres on the north and south sides of Megunco Road in the Village of Ashland in Middlesex County, MA, approximately 35 miles west of Boston. The Nyanza site was occupied from 1917 to 1978 by a succession of companies involved in the production of textile dyes and intermediates. Large volumes of industrial waste water generated by these companies, containing high levels of acids and numerous organic and inorganic chemicals, including mercury, were partially treated and discharged into the Sudbury River via a small unnamed stream (referred to as Chemical Brook). Large volumes of chemical sludges generated by the waste water treatment processes along with spent solvents, off specification products, and other chemical wastes were buried onsite. The area that contains the largest amount of buried waste and exposed sludge is referred to as the 'Hill' section. |