EPA RCRA ID: DED154576698
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. Corrective action is a requirement under RCRA that facilities that treat, store or dispose of hazardous wastes, or did so in the past, investigate and clean up hazardous releases into soil, groundwater, surface water and air. For more information, and for more information on RCRA-specific terms used on this page, please visit EPA’s umbrella RCRA web page or EPA’s RCRA Corrective Action page.
On this page:
- Cleanup Activities
- Facility Description
- Institutional/Engineering Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information and Publicly Available Electronic Records
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Activities
In addition to the Delaware Valley Works (DVW) South Parcel cap and the Delaware River sediments investigation, EPA is currently working with the facility to investigate the North Parcel of the DVW South Plant. The data resulting from these investigations will be used to evaluate and characterize the nature and extent of potential contamination. EPA and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will oversee all investigations, interim actions and cleanup activities conducted at the DVW facility.
The former General Chemical Delaware Valley Works was a chemical manufacturing plant located in Claymont, New Castle County, Delaware. The facility consists of approximately one hundred acres, which is divided by Route 13 into two separate plants, referred to as the “DVW North Plant” and “DVW South Plant”. Two-thirds of the DVW North Plant is located in Pennsylvania with the remainder situated in Delaware. Virtually all of the DVW South Plant is located in Delaware. The South Plant is further divided into northern and southern parcels. A variety of inorganic chemicals and pesticides were manufactured at the Facility during different periods since it began operation in the very late 1890’s. General Chemical Corporation (GCC) acquired the facility from Allied Signal in 1986. At that time, Allied Signal retained ownership of several contiguous parcels of the DVW North Plant property upon which chemical operations were conducted, and one inactive parcel in the DVW South Plant known as Solid Waste Management Unit-9 (SWMU-9). In 2004, Honeywell re-acquired the DVW North Plant from GCC.
In October 2002, General Chemical and certain of its affiliates filed a voluntary petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware for reorganization relief. General Chemical subsequently emerged from bankruptcy under an approved Reorganization Plan in October 2003. On January 23, 2014, Chemtrade Solutions LLC (Chemtrade) acquired GCC and later sold the South Plant to Drawbridge Claymont, LLC (Drawbridge). Drawbridge currently owns and operates the South Plant. The North Plant remains owned by Honeywell and is currently vacant. SWMU 9 is located adjacent to the South Plant South Parcel along the Delaware River and is owned by Honeywell.
Phase I construction of an impermeable cap on 13 acres of the 22-acre parcel of the DVW South Plant, known as the DVW South Parcel, was completed in early 2019. Land use restrictions for the DVW South Parcel have been formalized by the execution of an environmental covenant. The cap and land use restrictions are requirements of the EPA Corrective Action Final Decision signed on May 10, 2016. Design of an impermeable cap for the remaining 9 acres of the DVW South Parcel (Phase II) is currently in the design phase with construction anticipated in 2025.
On April 25, 2024, EPA Region 3 issued a proposed remedy Statement of Basis for Corrective Action at the South Plant South Parcel, Delaware River sediments, and SWMU 9. EPA’s proposed remedy consists of the implementation of an engineered cover system at SWMU 9; constructing and maintaining a sediment cap for the shoreline and nearshore sediments; land and groundwater use restrictions implemented by an enforceable document such as an order and/or an Environmental Covenant; and a Technical Impracticability Waiver and long-term groundwater monitoring for SWMU 9 and South Plant South Parcel groundwater. The public notice for the proposed remedy was published for a 30-day comment period beginning on April 25, 2024, and ended on May 25, 2024. The EPA received seven comments on the proposed remedy during the public comment period. The EPA has determined that the public comments do not substantially change, or cause reason to change, the proposed remedy in the SB and therefore, the Final Remedy is unchanged from the proposed remedy. The Final Decision and Response to Comments was published on July 1, 2024.
The North Parcel of the DVW South Plant is currently concluding the environmental investigation phase. Upon completion, EPA will document a proposed remedy for the North Parcel in a Statement of Basis (SB) which will be made available for public comment.
Off-Shore Status
In the Fall of 2008, EPA collected sediment samples in the Delaware River basin in areas contiguous to the DVW facility. The data resulting from this effort indicated elevated levels of arsenic, lead, and pesticides in the sediment media. Since then, site specific preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) have been established for the contaminants of concern in the river sediments. Sampling in the river has since fully delineated the extent of the contaminated sediments. The scope of the river sediment investigation expanded as a result of several “step-out” investigations in front of the DVW facility and included the river sediments in front of the former Sunoco Marcus Hook facility contiguous to the DVW.
The final shoreline and nearshore sediment remedy consists of installing and maintaining a multi-layer capping system consisting of an isolation layer, filter layer, and armor layer. In areas where dissolved arsenic has the potential to migrate up through the cap, the capping systems will include a chemical isolation layer (e.g., zero valent iron amendment).
Interim measures have taken place to remediate of the DVW storm water sewer system and sluiceway (the open channel which conveys storm water to the Delaware river). An industrial pressure-cleaning of the sewer system resulted in 177 tons of hazardous waste and 76 tons of non-hazardous waste being properly disposed. An interim measure to remediate the upper section of the sluiceway was completed in November 2013 and an interim measure to remediate the lower section of the sluiceway was completed in 2022. The remediation of the remaining 335-foot portion of the Lower Sluiceway (“Segment 3”) will be coordinated with the implementation of the shoreline and nearshore sediment corrective measures.
Cleanup Background
In September 2000, EPA issued an Administrative Order to GCC pursuant to Section 3008(h) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (Order) which requires a Facility-wide investigation of the former GCC facility in Claymont, DE. The requirements of the Order, which have been assumed by Chemtrade as a result of the GCC acquisition, include:
• Interim Measures/Stabilization, where appropriate, to achieve the initial goal of controlling ground water releases and controlling current human and ecological exposure to contaminated media;
• RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) if warranted, to provide more in-depth information about Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs), and;
• Corrective Measures Study (CMS) if warranted, to propose final cleanup actions as needed.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
|---|
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The former General Chemical facility also known as the Delaware Valley Works (DVW) was a chemical manufacturing plant located in Claymont, New Castle County, Delaware. The Facility consists of approximately one hundred acres, which is divided by Route 13 into two separate plants, referred to as the “DVW North Plant” and “DVW South Plant”. Two-thirds of the DVW North Plant is located in Pennsylvania with the remainder situated in Delaware. Virtually all of the DVW South Plant is located in Delaware. The South Plant is further divided into northern and southern parcels. A variety of inorganic chemicals and pesticides were manufactured at the Facility during different periods since it began operation in the very late 1890’s. General Chemical acquired the Facility from Allied Signal in 1986. Allied Signal retained ownership of several contiguous parcels in the DVW North Plant and Solid Waste Management Unit-9 (SWMU-9) in the DVW South Plant. In 2004, Honeywell re-acquired the DVW North Plant from GCC.
In October 2002, General Chemical and certain of its affiliates filed a voluntary petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware for reorganization relief. General Chemical subsequently emerged from bankruptcy under an approved Reorganization Plan in October 2003. On January 23, 2014, Chemtrade Solutions LLC (Chemtrade) acquired GCC and later sold the South Plant to Drawbridge Claymont, LLC (Drawbridge). Drawbridge currently owns and operates the South Plant. The North Plant remains owned by Honeywell and is currently vacant. SWMU 9 is located adjacent to the South Plant South Parcel along the Delaware River and is owned by Honeywell.
Metals, volatile organic compounds and pesticides, including DDT, are the main constituents of concern found in soils, sediments and groundwater at the facility.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls at the DVW South Parcel include:
1. The DVW South Parcel shall be restricted to commercial and/or industrial purposes and shall not be used for residential purposes unless it is demonstrated to EPA, in consultation with DNREC, that such use will not pose a threat to human health or the environment or adversely affect or interfere with the selected remedy.
2. All monitoring, maintenance, and inspections of the DVW South Parcel cap shall be conducted in compliance with an EPA/DNREC approved Cap Management Plan.
3. Groundwater at the DVW South Parcel shall not be used for any purpose other than to conduct the operation, maintenance, and monitoring activities required by DNREC and/or EPA.
4. No new wells shall be installed on Facility property unless it is demonstrated to the EPA and DNREC that such wells are necessary to implement the final remedy and the EPA and DNREC provides prior written approval to install such wells.
5. Any earth moving activities, including excavation, drilling, and construction activities, in the area at the DVW South Parcel where any contaminants remain in soils above EPA Region III's Screening Levels for Industrial Soils or in groundwater above their MCLs or EPA health-based screening level for tap water, shall be conducted in compliance with an EPA/DNREC approved Materials Management Plan.
Engineering Controls at the Facility include:
1. A Cap Management Plan (CMP) shall be submitted for EPA and DNREC review and approval and, at a minimum must include the following: the procedures to maintain the cap over the contaminated soil; a schedule for inspections to be performed as part of cap maintenance, no less frequent than once a year; and physical maintenance requirements of the capped areas to prevent degradation of the cap and unacceptable exposure to the underlying soil.
2. A Materials Management Plan (MMP) for all earth moving activities, including excavation, drilling and construction activities in the South Plant where any contaminants remain in soils above EPA Region 3's Screening Levels for Industrial Soils or in groundwater above their MCLs or EPA health-based screening level for tap water shall be submitted for EPA and DNREC review and approval.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
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Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | |||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information and Publicly Available Electronic Records
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.