The Woods Woolen Mills (Site) is located along the Contoocook River and historically used the river to power weaving looms which produced cloth for various clothing and overcoat products. The mill operated from the late 1800s up until the mid1980s, when it was abandoned. Raw materials used before 1952 reportedly included wool, cotton, burr, roving, rayon, silk, and camel hair. Natural and synthetic dyes and finishing chemicals were also used and stored on-site. During the time of operations, the structures included the original mill building, a boiler house, a warehouse building, and an office/residential building. The original mill-building and the warehouse building were demolished in 1999 and 2009, respectively. The only remaining structures on Site are the boiler house and the office/residential building. When EPA sampled the Site in the Fall of 2021, it was discovered to contain high levels of lead in both the structures and in the surrounding soils along with discovering a variety of asbestos containing materials (ACM).
Current EPA Activity
EPA will be mobilizing to the Site the week of May 9th, 2022, to conduct a removal action at the Woods Woolen Mill Site located on W Mill Street in Hillsboro, NH. This mobilization includes, but is not limited to, the installation of a temporary fence around the Site, the delivery of an on-site office trailer and other EPA and contractor equipment in preparation of the removal action. EPA anticipates the continued demolition of the boiler house and office building to begin the week of May 16th , 2022. While the demolition of the building continues, the demolition debris and other waste generated will be disposed of off-site in accordance with all state and federal regulations. Trucks hauling out the waste will be traveling southbound down Route 149, out of town to an EPA approved disposal facility.
Upon completion of the demolition and removal of all related waste, EPA will conduct further soil sampling for lead and ACM and will conduct soil excavation and removal as necessary and repair any potential removal related damage in preparation to hand the Site back over to the Town. EPA will work closely with the state and local partners throughout the removal action.
Previous EPA Activity
From August to December 2000, EPA conducted a Removal Action at the Site. As part of the Removal Action, a total of 53 drums containing unknown liquids and solids were removed from the former on-site building. In addition, a total of two 20-cubic-yard containers of ACM were removed from the on-site building.
Between August and November 2009, demolition, and consolidation of demolition debris from the Warehouse Building and the collapsed former Dye House structure was completed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor for the Town of Hillsboro as part of a Cleanup Grant under the US EPA Brownfields program.
Approximately 375 tons of demolition debris (including ACM) were transported off site and disposed of, with
approximately 8 tons of scrap metal removed for off-Site recycling. In the Fall of 2021 EPA returned to the Site, at the request of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and conducted further sampling of the remaining buildings and surrounding soils. It was determined that the risks of exposure from lead and ACM warranted the demolition of the two remaining buildings for removal from the Site. EPA began the demolition process of the boiler building; but was unable to complete its demolition prior to the winter months. EPA then stabilized the Site for the winter and planned to return in the spring of 2022.