Hazardous Waste Site | Stratford, CT | 1920s to Present

What Happened?

The Remington Gun Club operated a skeet shooting range at Lordship Point beginning in the 1920s. The peninsula is located at the mouth of the Housatonic River estuary, where it empties into Long Island Sound. An estimated 4.8 million pounds of lead gun shot from the firing range contaminated on-site uplands, salt marshes, and shallow water habitats adjacent to the site.

The range was closed in 1986, and cleanup was completed in 2001. NOAA provided technical assistance to EPA for the site assessment. Approximately 71,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment were removed from tidal wetlands and shallow water areas. Fringe salt marsh excavated during cleanup activities was restored.

What Were the Impacts?

Lead shot contaminated approximately 12 acres of shallow water tidal habitats and 29 acres of fringe salt marsh and uplands. Lead is highly toxic, accumulating in living organisms as it passes through the food web. A 1987 study found high lead levels in blue mussels, as well as acute lead poisoning in black ducks using the site. Additionally, because lead shot pellets were commonly found on the beach, recreational activities were negatively affected for decades.

What’s Happening Now?

NOAA and co-Trustees released a Draft Restoration Plan for public comment in November 2018, and a Final Restoration Plan was approved and released in July 2019.

Projects in the plan focus on salt marsh restoration in Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Great Meadows Marsh Unit. We are combining funds from the settlement for the Lordship Point Superfund Site, with bankruptcy proceeds from the Raymark Industries site, also in Stratford, plus funds from the Housatonic River settlement to leverage more than $1 million for restoration and Trustee-oversight. The Final Plan is available on the DIVER Administrative Record site.