Salem Mulls $22K To Clean Toxic Barrels From Town Forest

SALEM, NH — The town is considering ways to fund the removal of 33 large barrels containing toxic chemicals that someone had dropped off near the entrance to the Town Forest, on Hummingbird Lane. Properly removing these 55-gallon drums would cost more than $22,000. The barrels appear to have been "plain and simply dumped there" and have been there for some time, said Conservation Commission Chairwoman Ruth Tanner Isaks.

According to Tanner Isaks, the N.H. Department of Environmental Services had investigated the barrels and determined they contain spray foam components, including a carcinogenic chemical. Proper disposal would include incinerating them, rather than burying them in a landfill, she said.

"We would like to remove them as soon as possible," she said.

At this time, neither the town nor the DES has been able to find the person or company responsible for placing the barrels on the edge of the Town Forest, said Tanner Isaks. She said most of the identifying labels on the barrels are missing.

The cost to dispose of the barrels is $22,808, according to a recent quote by Clean Harbors, said Tanner Isaks. But the barrels are also leaking, and the cost to properly remove them does not take into account testing and removing the nearby soil that might have been affected by the chemicals, she said.

Although town insurance will not cover the cost of removal, Tanner Isaks said town officials are still looking into funding that may be available from the state to clean up the project. The Salem Selectmen are expected to consider funding options for this project in an upcoming meeting.

The barrels are currently sitting near the trailhead to the Town Forest, near the Hummingbird Lane intersection with Zion Hill Road. Nearby are wetlands and also some houses.