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EPA Completes Construction at Three Mid-Atlantic Superfund Sites

Release Date: 1/4/2000
Contact Information: Ruth Podems, (215) 814-5540

Ruth Podems, (215) 814-5540


PHILADELPHIA -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed construction at three Superfund hazardous waste sites -- Recticon/Allied Steel in Chester County, Pa. and Tonolli Corp. in Carbon Pa., and Saunders Supply Company in Suffolk, Va.

Construction completion means all physical construction, such as a protective cap over a landfill or a groundwater treatment system, has been completed; all immediate hazardous waste threats are under control; and all long-term threats have been addressed.

At the five-acre Recticon/Allied Steel site in Parker Ford, Chester County, Pa., on-site and private wells were contaminated by steel manufacturing with solvent-like chemicals in the groundwater beneath the site. As part of the cleanup, a municipal waterline has been installed to provide safe drinking water to area residents. In addition, a groundwater pump and treat system has been constructed to treat the contaminated groundwater.

The Tonolli Corp. in Nesquehoning, Carbon County, Pa. operated a lead smelter and lead-acid battery recycling facility on the 30-acre site from 1974 to 1985. The recycling operations included crushing the batteries, recovering the lead and plastics, and disposing of the battery wastes in an on-site landfill. These operations caused the soil and groundwater to become contaminated with lead, arsenic, cadmium and chromium. The cleanup required that approximately 8.7 million pounds of lead-containing materials were sent off-site to recover the lead, and an additional 153,000 cubic yards of lead-
contaminated soil were excavated and placed in a properly closed on-site landfill. Former process and other operational buildings were demolished except for the former office building which is available for reuse. Groundwater at the site continues to be treated by an underground limestone treatment trench.

Located in Suffolk, Va., Saunders Supply Co. is an active lumber yard that formerly treated wood. The wood-treating operations contaminated the site’s soil and groundwater with arsenic, chromium and pentachlorophenol. The contaminated soils were taken off site and incinerated. EPA also installed a groundwater treatment system to prevent the contamination from reaching the municipal drinking water supply.

Now that all the immediate and long-term environmental and health threats have been removed at these three sites, the EPA will continue to monitor their progress. A five-year review will take place to ensure that the cleanup remedies continue to be protective.