Hazardous Waste Site | Ashland, MA | 1917 – 1978

What Happened?

Between 1917 and 1978, Nyanza, Inc. and other companies manufactured textile dyes and other products at this site. Their operations generated large volumes of industrial waste and they contaminated the soil, groundwater and wetlands of the Sudbury River. Mercury, chromium, arsenic, lead and organic compounds were released and reached as far downstream as the Concord River.

In 1983, the site was designated as a Superfund siteAn uncontrolled or abandoned place where hazardous waste is located, possibly affecting local ecosystems or people. Sites are listed on the National Priorities List for evaluation and cleanup by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.. Remediation and containment of the hazardous waste has been ongoing.

NOAA and other TrusteesGovernment officials acting on behalf of the public when there is injury to, destruction of, loss of, or threat to natural resources., conducted river-related studies assessing the damages to natural resources caused by releases of hazardous substances at and from the site that occurred throughout the 1990's.

In 1998, the Trustees, PQ Corporation/Nyacol Products and other responsible partiesThe individuals, companies, or government agencies responsible for an oil spill, hazardous substance release, or ship grounding incident. agreed to resolve natural resource damage (NRDA)Investigation performed by trustees to identify injuries to natural resources caused by oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and grounding incidents in National Marine Sanctuaries, and plan restoration activities. The goal of NRDA is to restore natural resources and compensate the public for lost recreational use. liability arising from the site. The responsible parties agreed to pay $3 million to the Trustees. That money is being used to fund a restoration plan that includes 11 projects benefiting wildlife, habitat, the landscape and communities of the Sudbury River.

What Were the Impacts?

Of particular concern to the State and Federal Trustees, and the basis for much of the natural resource damages claim, was the site’s impact on the river. Mercury contamination of open water habitats, as well as surface soils and exposed sediments downstream from the 35-acre site, likely resulted in direct and indirect injuries to fish, amphibians, reptiles, other aquatic organisms, birds and mammals.

Due to high concentrations of mercury in sampled fish tissue, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health instituted a Freshwater Fish Consumption Advisory for the Sudbury River from Ashland to its confluence with the Assabet and Concord Rivers in 1986. This advisory remains in place. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency Draft Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment also verifies that there are elevated levels of mercury in water and sediments downstream of the site, as well as in some species of benthicorganisms that live in and on the bottom of the ocean floor. invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.

What’s Happening Now?

NOAA and Trustees completed the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment in August 2012 and allocated $3,595,000 toward 12 restoration projects. As of March 2026, all of the projects have been completed. 

In April 2026, a Draft Supplement to the Final Restoration Plan (Draft Supplement) was released for public review and comment. The Draft Supplement evaluates allocating unspent funds from the original projects to implement the construction phase of the Talbot Mills Dam removal. More information on the Draft Supplement and the public comment period is located here.