blackburn & union privileges

SOUTH ST.

The Blackburn and Union Privileges site is located in a primarily residential area. Once known as The Blackburn Privilege and The Union Factory Privilege, these two areas were originally part of 10 distinct water privileges established along the Neponset River in the 17th century. Snuff, iron, nails, cotton, and wool were produced at the Union Privilege site; a tannery also was located in this area. Power was generated by a dam on the Blackburn Privilege for the production of machinery, cotton, yarn, batting, and lamp wicking. Since the 17th century, industrial and commercial facilities have been active on 6 of 24 lots in this area, with the remainder being used as residential and commercial properties. Industrial and commercial processes conducted during the 17th and 18th centuries involved various hazardous substances, including chromium, arsenic, and mercury. Beginning in 1915, Standard Woven Fabric Co. manufactured asbestos brake linings that involved the crushing of raw asbestos. In 1920, the company changed its name to Multibestos. In 1937, the plant was closed and the properties were sold to Kendall Co., which used the site for various cotton and fabric production processes. The wastewater resulting from these operations was brought within sewer permit requirements and disposed of in two lagoons. It was then discharged to a sanitary sewer after cotton fibers had settled out. Kendall stopped using the first lagoon as a disposal area in 1982; the second lagoon received non-contact cooling waste until 1985. The current owners of these properties are Shaffer Realty Nominee Trust and BIM Investment Trust. Municipal wells located within 4 miles of the site draw water from the School Meadow Brook/Mine Brook aquifer and supply drinking water to approximately 19,500 people of the Town of Walpole. The nearest well is located within 1 mile of the site. The site lies within the boundaries of the Neponset River drainage basin which bounds the southern portion of the site.