Congressman Barney Frank
Representing Massachusetts' 4th District

Congressman Barney Frank commented today regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it would release $10 to $25 million in funding for the cleanup of the Hatheway and Patterson Company Superfund Site, which is a former wood-preserving facility located in the town of Mansfield, Massachusetts and extending to a parcel of land within the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts. The site was listed on the National Priorities List due to the release of chemicals from the facility to the Rumford River that has negatively impacted fisheries and wetlands. The EPA also expresses concerns about other contaminants that pose a threat to both municipal and private drinking wells. The exact dollar amount of funding will be finalized after the EPA contractual bid process has been completed.

“I am very appreciative that President Obama and Administrator Lisa Jackson have released the funds necessary to begin the cleanup of the Hatheway and Patterson Superfund Site,” said Congressman Frank. “The towns of Mansfield and Foxborough, which I represent, will not only benefit from a safer and cleaner environment, but should also be able to reuse portions of the site for the public good."

The funds are being released as part of the American Recovery and Investment Act (colloquially known as the “Stimulus Bill”) that was enacted into law earlier this year.