The Department of Army has directed the United States Army Corps of Engineers, New England District (USACE) to develop and design a Proposed Plan for the remediation of the Tidal Flats and Outfall-008 drainage ditch sediments, associated with the Stratford Army Engine Plant (SAEP) Site located in Stratford, Connecticut. The property consists of approximately 124 acres, of which about 76 acres are improved land and 48 acres are riparian rights. The 76 acres of improved land contains 49 buildings, paved roadway and grounds, and five paved parking lots. The 48 acres of riparian rights property consist of tidal flats of the Housatonic River. 

The property was initially developed in 1927 for Sikorsky Aircraft where aircraft and engines were manufactured from 1929 to 1948. The plant was expanded during World War II to accommodate mass production of the F4U Corsair fighter plane. During this time, the shoreline was extended to provide land area for new buildings. The plant was idle from 1948 until 1951. From 1952 until it closed in 1997, the plant was used to produce reciprocating aircraft engines and turbine engines for both commercial and military applications. The Site was owned by the United States (U.S.) Air Force until 1976, when ownership was transferred to the U.S. Army (USEPA, 2016). In October 1995, SAEP was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list, known as BRAC 95.  Pursuant to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-510), the BRAC Environmental Restoration Program mandates that environmental contamination on U.S. Army BRAC properties be investigated and remediated, as necessary, prior to disposal and reuse.

Process wastes generated on-site included waste oils, fuels, solvents, metal plating solutions, and paints.  An on-site chemical waste treatment plant operated from 1958 to the late 1990s to treat waste generated at the facility, and formerly released effluent to the Housatonic River under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Waste lagoons on the Site were regulated and evaluated under RCRA in the 1980s. The facility was cited in 1983 for violating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regarding reporting of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing transformers.  USACE has prepared a Focused Feasibility Study and Draft Proposed Plan to date.  Project design and a Decision Document will be prepared in the coming months.

Historically, the USACE has provided information and solicited public input to response actions at the Site through public meetings, the Administrative Record file for the Site, publication of this Proposed Plan, and announcements published in local newspapers.  The USACE will continue to work with the public to convey the proposed response actions necessary to mitigate Site risks associated with contaminated sediments.

For more information, contact the Project Manager by e-mail or by calling 978-318-8250.