nimbycheck.(not in my backyard)A little more context. A better place decision.

Environmental hazards, flood and water records in Stow, MA

Public environmental, infrastructure and surveillance records inside Stow's municipal boundary, plus the regional air, drinking-water, flood, radon and Superfund context that does not stop at the town line. Each item links to its original record. Nothing here is a risk score.

Explore Stow on the map ↗ Check a specific address in Stow See a sample brief

0Incinerators
1Superfund sites
2Landfills
0Hazardous-waste facilities
0Transfer stations
6Cleanup sites
0Industrial reporting
0Transmission lines
7Communications
2Mapped cameras
2Agency surveillance records

Counts are records inside the municipal boundary, not unique facilities and not a ranking. Sources carry different dates (June 2024 for MassDEP waste layers, TRI 2024, OpenStreetMap Sept 2026). Community-mapped items are unverified. No record does not prove absence.

Records inside Stow

The most consequential categories first. Open a record for its EPA compliance history, reported chemicals, what the record can and cannot tell you, and who to ask next.

Superfund sites Agency record

Why superfund sites matter and what to ask ↗

Landfills Agency record

Why landfills matter and what to ask ↗

Cleanup sites Agency record

  • FMR FIRE STATIONTIERI · 16 CRESCENT ST
  • GLEASONDALE MILLTIERI · 501 GLEASONDALE ROAD
  • HARVARD ROAD AREATIER1D · HARVARD ROAD
  • MA DFS FIREFIGHTING ACADEMYTIERI · 664 SUDBURY RD
  • PACKARD ROAD AREATIER1D · 136 PACKARD ROAD
  • TAYLOR ROAD AND GARNER ROAD AREATIER1D · GARNER ROAD

Why cleanup sites matter and what to ask ↗

Communications Community mapped

  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Communications tower / antennaCommunity mapped; current operation unverified

Why communications matter and what to ask ↗

Mapped cameras Community mapped

  • Mapped cameraCommunity mapped; current operation unverified
  • Mapped cameraCommunity mapped; current operation unverified

Why mapped cameras matter and what to ask ↗

Beyond the town line

Air pollution follows wind and stack height, water comes from wherever the supplier draws it, and a Superfund plume ignores municipal boundaries. These items are searched from the town's center across state lines.

Incinerators within 30 miles

  • WHEELABRATOR MILLBURY INCMILLBURY, MA · 19.1 mi · Operating · No Violation Identified
  • WMI MEDICAL SERVICESHUDSON, NH · 22.3 mi · Permanently Closed · No Violation Identified
  • PELHAM TRANSFER & RECYCLING FACILITYPELHAM, NH · 23.3 mi · Temporarily Closed · No Violation Identified
  • WINDHAM, TOWN OFWINDHAM, NH · 26.6 mi · Temporarily Closed · No Violation Identified
  • WHEELABRATOR SAUGUS INCSAUGUS, TOWN OF, MA · 27.4 mi · Operating · No Violation Identified
  • WHEELABRATOR NORTH ANDOVER INCORPORATEDNORTH ANDOVER, TOWN OF, MA · 28.9 mi · Operating · No Violation Identified
  • LITCHFIELD, TOWN OF - INCINERATORLITCHFIELD, NH · 29.7 mi · Temporarily Closed · No Violation Identified
  • PET MEMORIAL PARKFOXBORO, MA · 29.7 mi · Operating · No Violation Identified

A 30-mile extent is EPA's air-modeling distance for toxic releases, used here as a search limit, not a danger radius.

What an incinerator can mean for a home ↗

Superfund sites within 10 miles

What a Superfund listing means nearby ↗

Largest reported air releases within 30 miles

  • OCEAN STATE POWERHARRISVILLE, RI · 29.9 mi · 171,550 lb to air in 2024
  • IDEAL TAPE COLOWELL, MA · 17.2 mi · 102,971 lb to air in 2024
  • ADVANCE COATINGS COWESTMINSTER, MA · 20.1 mi · 15,514 lb to air in 2024 · carcinogen-flagged: Styrene
  • ENTEGRIS INCBEDFORD, MA · 15.0 mi · 14,829 lb to air in 2024 · carcinogen-flagged: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
  • DUNCAN GALVANIZING CORP.EVERETT, MA · 23.0 mi · 13,213 lb to air in 2024
  • SAINT-GOBAIN ABRASIVES & SAINT -GOBAIN CERAMICS & PLASTICSWORCESTER, MA · 16.8 mi · 11,704 lb to air in 2024

Pounds are facility self-reports, not concentrations in Stow, and chemicals differ widely in toxicity. How to read TRI and ECHO records ↗

Drinking water, radon, air quality, flood

Community water systems serving Stow

  • ARBOR GLEN CONDOMINIUMSMA2286026 · CWS · serves 132 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • ELIZABETH BROOK APARTMENTSMA2286017 · CWS · serves 54 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • JUNIPER HILL WATER COMPANYMA2286000 · CWS · serves 220 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • PILOT GROVE APARTMENTSMA2286018 · CWS · serves 175 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • PILOT GROVE APARTMENTS IIMA2286031 · CWS · serves 134 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • REGENCY AT STOW CONDOMINIUMSMA2286033 · CWS · serves 132 · source GW · boundary unconfirmed 1 health-based violation since 2021-01-01Latest: Revised Total Coliform Rule (MCL), 2023-08-01, Returned to Compliance Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • THE MEETING HOUSE @ STOW CONDOMA2286012 · CWS · serves 92 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.
  • VILLAGES AT STOWMA2286024 · CWS · serves 300 · source GW · boundary confirmed No health-based violations since 2021-01-01 Not in the federal UCMR 5 PFAS survey; MassDEP requires separate statewide PFAS6 testing.

Boundaries are estimates and do not verify a household connection. Sample results are at treatment or entry points, not at a tap. Drinking-water questions to ask ↗ · PFAS explained ↗

Radon, particle pollution, flood

Radon: Middlesex County is EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted indoor radon potential (county average above 4 pCi/L). EPA says the zone map must not be used to decide whether to test; homes in every zone have measured high levels. Testing guidance ↗

Fine particles (PM2.5): nearest regulatory monitor Framingham (Framingham, MA, 12.4 mi) measured a 2025 annual mean of 6.1 µg/m³; the annual standard adopted in 2024 is 9.0 µg/m³ on a three-year design value. A monitor reports its own location, not Stow.

Flood: FEMA flood zones are point-specific. Use the map to query the National Flood Hazard Layer live at an address. Flood questions to ask ↗

Major roads: 22 mapped motorway, trunk or primary segments cross Stow. Road proximity is a cue for traffic noise and emissions, not a measurement. More ↗

Documented surveillance technology in Stow

Agency-level records from the EFF Atlas of Surveillance. These describe documented technology use, not device locations or current operation.

Privacy questions to ask an agency ↗

Do not use registry information to commit a crime, harass anyone or engage in illegal discrimination. Massachusetts law prohibits these uses. These town totals are not individual background checks or eligibility decisions.

Sex offender registry information in Stow, Massachusetts

Count not published for Stow in this source. The selected report supplies totals for ten cities only. This means unknown here, not zero.

For current public records, open the official Massachusetts registry search and select Stow.

Published municipal totals are not a crime rate or safety rating. The city table does not separate registry classifications and is not equivalent to public online search counts. Read the registry coverage guide.

Table labeled 2024 · source date as printed: August 5, 2024 · Official report, Table 7, page 24.

View the town boundary on the map ↗

Questions worth asking before you commit

Compiled from the guides for the record types actually present in or near Stow.

EPA site manager / community involvement coordinator

Request the current site status, the operable-unit boundaries, plume maps and any five-year review findings. (Superfund (National Priorities List) sites)

Environmental regulator

Ask whether nearby private wells or indoor air have been sampled and what the results were. (Superfund (National Priorities List) sites)

Request groundwater and gas monitoring, closure plans and any off-site migration findings. (Landfills & land-disposal sites)

Request the latest site investigation, plume maps, cleanup status and any activity/use limitations. (Cleanup sites & historic contamination)

Review chemical-specific emissions, inspections and the underlying documents for any violation. (Industrial releases & air-program facilities)

Request the current air permit, recent stack tests and any published dispersion study. (Incinerators & waste-to-energy)

Title professional

Check for recorded activity and use limitations or easements tied to the cleanup. (Superfund (National Priorities List) sites)

Water supplier / well professional

Confirm the drinking-water source and whether site-related contaminants have been tested. (Landfills & land-disposal sites)

Seller / inspector

Ask about recorded land-use restrictions and any environmental reports for the parcel. (Landfills & land-disposal sites)

Request environmental disclosures and maintenance records for any mitigation system. (Cleanup sites & historic contamination)

Check any tower lease/easement, lighting and generator-noise concerns. (Communications towers & antennas)

Confirm municipal water versus private well and request available water-quality and plumbing records. (Drinking water & groundwater)

For a private well, request PFAS test results or arrange a test with a certified laboratory. (PFAS in drinking water)

Request dated radon test results and any mitigation-system records. (Radon inside the home)

Request flood and water-intrusion history, drainage repairs and elevation documents. (Flood context)

Visit during rush hour and at night; assess window and ventilation conditions. (Major roads & traffic)

Qualified environmental professional

Determine whether site-specific vapor, soil or well testing is appropriate. (Cleanup sites & historic contamination)

Planning department / operator

Request the equipment description, siting permit and applicable RF compliance assessment. (Communications towers & antennas)

Agency / device operator

Request the current collection, retention, access and sharing policy. (Cameras, plate readers & privacy)

Agency records office

Ask for the deployment approval, contract, audit policy and oversight reports. (Cameras, plate readers & privacy)

Facility operator

Ask which emissions controls and monitoring apply to the relevant process. (Industrial releases & air-program facilities)

Which pollutants are monitored, how often, and are results public? (Incinerators & waste-to-energy)

Environmental professional

Look for a published dispersion or exposure assessment before interpreting personal risk. (Industrial releases & air-program facilities)

Local health department

Are there monitoring studies or investigated odor/air complaints for this area? (Incinerators & waste-to-energy)

Water supplier

Confirm service to the address and request the latest Consumer Confidence Report and relevant sampling results. (Drinking water & groundwater)

Ask for the most recent PFAS results, the treatment in place and the compliance schedule if a limit was exceeded. (PFAS in drinking water)

Certified laboratory / local health department

For a private well, discuss a testing panel appropriate to local conditions. (Drinking water & groundwater)

State drinking-water program

Ask whether the system is under a PFAS order and where the public notices are. (PFAS in drinking water)

Qualified radon professional

Arrange appropriate testing and discuss mitigation if results warrant it. (Radon inside the home)

Local floodplain administrator

Confirm the effective map, any map revisions and building-specific requirements. (Flood context)

Insurer

Obtain a property-specific flood insurance quote and coverage explanation. (Flood context)

Transportation department

Request recent traffic counts, truck routes and planned road changes. (Major roads & traffic)

Neighboring towns

Acton · Bolton · Boxborough · Harvard · Hudson · Maynard · Sudbury

Sources: MassDEP solid waste (June 2024) and tier-classified sites, EPA TRI 2023–2024, EPA ECHO (retrieved 2026-10-03), EPA NPL, EPA AQS, EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, MassDEP water service areas, EPA radon zones, HIFLD, OpenStreetMap (ODbL), EFF Atlas of Surveillance (CC BY). Guidance reviewed 2026-09-13. Methodology and limits · Report a problem with a record.