Merrimac Paper Site
The 4.75-acre Merrimac Paper Site, located at 7, 9, 19 South Canal Street, is a former paper processing facility along the Merrimack River.
Contaminants of concern at the site include asbestos in soil, Benzo[a]pyrene, petroleum in soils and groundwater, and PCBs in former transformer pits.
Merrimac Paper Details
Since 2021, Groundwork has supported the city’s efforts to assess, remediate and redevelop the site. With support from the MA Department of Environmental Protection, the US Environmental Protection Agency, MassDevelopment, and the Executive office of Economic Development the local team has conducted extensive characterization of the site’s soil and groundwater. Groundwork provided project management services for the demolition of the 1.3M sf mill complex.
Currently the project is advancing remediation of an existing AUL area with extensive petroleum contamination with a hydrological connection to the Merrimack River. The cleanup will also address isolated PCB contamination.
The redevelopment of the property will provide a vital connection for the Merrimack River Trail, a 3.3-mile riverfront path between the Shawsheen River in Lawrence’s downtown mill district and Riverfront State Park and the Lawrence Industrial Park. At the Merrimac Paper Site, this section of the trail will provide a critical connection to the waterfront and the Lawrence Rail trail. The $30M rail trail construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2024.
