EPA RCRA ID: MDD001710227
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The EPA is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
Grace submitted the Corrective Measures Study (CMS) Report in February 2014. The CMS was approved by EPA on June 23, 2014, with the stipulation that site specific conditions prevented groundwater restoration to MCLs and therefore EPA would propose a Final Remedy that included a Technical Impracticability for groundwater restoration. Based on the CMS results and the Administrative Record, the final remedy for the Facility was developed and was described in a Final Decision and Response to Comments that was issued on September 4, 2014.
The final remedy for the Facility consists of establishment of a TI zone for groundwater and long term monitoring and reporting of groundwater and offshore sediments and pore water. Additionally, the Facility is required to enforce Land and Groundwater use restrictions. The Final Remedy is implemented through an Administrative Order On Consent signed September 25, 2015.
On April 29, 2019, the EPA conducted a Long Term Stewardship assessment to assess whether the remedy was implemented and protective of human health and the environment. EPA determined that the remedy institutional and engineering controls have been fully implemented and no control deficiencies were identified.
Cleanup History
In June 2002, EPA and W.R. Grace entered into a RCRA Administrative Order on Consent (AOC). The AOC required Grace to perform the following activities at the site: (1) complete an Environmental Indicator Assessment Report/Phase I RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI); (2) complete a more comprehensive Phase II RFI; (3) complete a RCRA CMS; and, (4) complete Interim Measures, if necessary.
Between 2001 and 2004, Grace completed several field investigations to determine groundwater flow beneath the site and to confirm that groundwater discharges to adjacent Curtis Bay and Curtis Creek. Investigations also included sampling of groundwater on the site, and sampling of sediment and surface water in Curtis Bay and Curtis Creek. In September 2004, based on the results of these investigations and a review of historical information, EPA determined that Current Human Exposures are Under Control at this facility. The determination for the Migration of Contaminated Groundwater Under Control was completed in the July 2005.
In the summer of 2006, and spring of 2007, Grace conducted further surface water, sediment, ground water, and soil investigations to further characterize the site. A comprehensive RFI Report was submitted to EPA in May 2008.
EPA approved the RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) in May 28, 2009, and subsequent Human Health Risk Assessment Report (HHRA) in November 7, 2012, on December 19, 2012. With the RFI approval EPA requested that a CMS be undertaken pursuant to the AOC. In March a meeting was held between Grace and EPA where a proposal to implement a voluntary focused excavations was proposed. Subsequently EPA approved an extension of the CMS submittal allowing consideration of the impact of voluntary excavations to be incorporated into the CMS.
April 2013, Grace submitted the Voluntary Focused Soil Excavation Work Plan proposing soil removal at four areas including the Former Burn Pit Area and the areas surrounding historical boring locations SB-28, SB-29, and SB-12. The workplan presented the tasks required to excavate, dispose, and restore areas identified in the 2012 HHRA as exceeding risk to human health. The workplan was approved by EPA and excavation took place in 2013 and early 2014.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, 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 Grace Davison Curtis Bay Works facility is located in Baltimore, MD on the northwest end of a peninsula known as Marley's Neck. The site includes a 55-acre active manufacturing area and a 55-acre non-manufacturing area used primarily for on-site waste management. The site is bounded on the west by Curtis Creek, on the north by Curtis Bay, and on the south and east by other industrial facilities.
The Curtis Bay Works facility is the largest manufacturing site for W.R. Grace and has approximately 700 employees. Chemical operations at this site have been active since the early 1900's. Current manufacturing activities consist of 12 production facilities that manufacture four general product lines. These include fluid cracking catalyst, hydroprocessing catalyst, polyolefin catalyst, and silicas/adsorbents
Contaminants at this Facility
Based on W.R. Grace's groundwater and soil investigations conducted in the past several years, the detected concentrations above applicable screening levels include metals, such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead in the soil and both metal and a limited list of organic compounds in groundwater.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls for the site include:
- All intrusive earth moving activities at the Facility, including excavation, drilling and construction activities, shall be conducted in compliance with the Facility specific health and safety protocols and an EPA-approved Soil Management Plan.
- Access restricted through the use and maintenance of fencing and controlled access ( through a security gate).
- Groundwater at the Facility shall not be used for any purpose, including, but not limited to, use as a potable water source.
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?
|
Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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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
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.