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Peck Iron Site Proposed for Superfund List

Release Date: 04/08/2009
Contact Information: Roy Seneca [email protected] (215) 814-5567

PHILADELPHIA (April 8, 2009) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed the addition of the Peck Iron and Metal site in Portsmouth, Va. to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The national priorities list is a national list of sites where hazardous contaminants could impact public health and/or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation to determine the full nature and extent of contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then address whatever risks the sites pose to human health and the environment.

Once a site has been proposed for inclusion to the NPL, there is a 60-day comment period. A final decision on listing the sites will be made after EPA evaluates and responds to all public comments in writing. Nationwide, EPA is proposing to add nine sites to the list.

The Peck Iron and Metal Site is located at a former scrap metal facility operated from approximately the 1940s through the 1990s. The 33-acre site is situated in a mixed residential and industrial area in the Tidewater region of southeastern Virginia bordered in part by Paradise Creek, a tributary to the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay.

The site’s historical usage as a salvage operation resulted in the improper storage and disposal of hazardous substances and the consequent release of these hazardous substances into the environment. Assessments conducted of the site between 2003 and 2006 indicate that concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds, metals, PCBs, and pesticides in soil and sediment exceed various risk-based screening levels. PCBs and lead are the primary contaminants of concern due to their extreme concentrations.

For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for this and other proposed sites, please visit https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm .