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Site Added and Three Proposed to EPA Hazardous Site List

Release Date: 2/3/2000
Contact Information: Ruth Podems, (215) 814-5540

Contact: Ruth Podems (215) 814-5540

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will add one mid-Atlantic site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) of most hazardous waste sites on Thursday, February 3. EPA will also propose to add three other mid-Atlantic sites to the NPL. Nationwide, EPA is adding 10 sites and proposing to add eight sites to the list.

The National Priorities List is a national list of sites where hazardous contaminants have or could impact the public and/or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation to determine the full nature and extent of the contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then address whatever risks the sites pose to human health and the environment. At federally owned sites, such as military facilities, the appropriate federal department or agency is responsible for the cleanup.

The mid-Atlantic site being added to the NPL is the Old Wilmington Road Groundwater Contamination site in West Caln Township, Chester County, Pa. Groundwater in a residential area is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including trichloroethene (TCE). The source or sources of this contamination is still under investigation, but may include hazardous materials disposed on private properties in the area. Several residential wells in the area have been contaminated with TCE and have been equipped with treatment systems.

The mid-Atlantic sites being proposed to the NPL include one privately owned site in West Virginia and two federally owned sites in Virginia. The Big John Salvage – Hoult Road site is located in Fairmont, Marion County, W.Va. This site was originally owned by Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation, which processed crude tar waste from nearby facilities. EPA previously conducted three emergency removals at the site to address immediate threats. The NPL listing will focus on those wastes remaining on site, as well as contamination in an on-site stream and in the Monongahela River.

Page 2 – New NPL Sites (02/03/00)

The St. Juliens Creek Annex (U.S. Navy) site is located in Chesapeake, Va. The facility was used for ordnance and material storage, ammunition assembly and supply, and experimental and test loading for new ammunition. It currently provides administrative offices, light industrial shops, and storage facilities for tenant naval commands. Waste sources such as landfills and other disposal areas have released metals and hydrocarbons to St. Juliens Creek and the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, both of which are used for recreational fishing.

The Naval Weapons Station Yorktown – Cheatham Annex is located outside of Williamsburg, in York County, Va. Cheatham Annex is a transfer site for packing and shipping materials to federal facilities on the east coast and major distribution centers in Europe. During World War I, prior to Navy ownership, a portion of the current Navy property was occupied by DuPont’s Penniman Shell Loading Plant. Areas of concern at the site include waste sources associated both with DuPont’s and the Navy’s operations. Contaminants such as metals and semi-volatile organic compounds could migrate into adjacent surface waters, some of which contain recreational fisheries.

For the three proposed sites, a 60-day public comment period begins on February 4 and runs through April 4. Documents are available for review at the EPA Region III Superfund Docket in Philadelphia. They will also be made available for review shortly at public repositories in the respective municipalities. For additional information, please contact the EPA Region III Superfund Docket at (215) 814-5364. Selected scoring materials and related information is also available on the Internet at www.epa.gov/superfund/new/newnpl.



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