EPA RCRA ID: PAD003046794
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.
On October 22, 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Osram Sylvania Inc. entered into an Administrative Order on Consent (Order) to proceed with an investigation of existing environmental conditions at the facility. The focus of this investigation centered around the southern portion of the facility where chromium plating wastewater was disposed of directly to a former dry well in this area. This practice was terminated before OSRAM acquired the Facility in 1981. In 1989, approximately 85 cubic yards of soil heavy in trivalent chromium and hexavalent chromium were removed from this former dry well area, and the area backfilled. This interim measure was successful in removing the source material of chromium leading to groundwater. Historical groundwater monitoring at the facility over the past ten years suggests that hexavalent chromium in the groundwater is attenuating through natural reductive processes, and does not pose a threat to either human health or the environment.
Osram has placed a notice in the property deed to alert any future landowners that the groundwater cannot be used for drinking purposes. This notice can be found at the Tioga County Recorder of Deeds, 116 Main Street, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.
On March 31, 2001, EPA determined that contamination in groundwater and human exposures risk from contaminants were under control. EPA published in a notice, in local newspaper detailing the proposed Agency decision of no further corrective action, and issued a Final Determination of Corrective Action Complete with controls on November 26, 2008.
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 OSRAM Sylvania Inc. facility is located at the intersection of Austin and Jackson Streets in the borough of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.
Believed to have been constructed in 1886 by the Columbia Glass Company, the facility is over 103 years old and occupies approximately 20 acres of property. Today, the OSRAM Sylvania Inc. facility primarily produces lime glass envelopes (the glass portion of incandescent light bulbs), which are then sold to off-site customers for final assembly.
The main contaminants of concern at the facility are dissolved hexavalent chromium and arsenic in the groundwater. In 2006, three years of semi-annual groundwater monitoring data collection was complete per the Order. Groundwater results for hexavalent chromium and arsenic are below the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) non-use medium-specific concentration (MSC) numbers and below EPA Risk Based Concentrations tap water thresholds. Monitoring results indicate the plume within the property lines is remaining stable. Historical groundwater monitoring at the facility over the last thirteen years suggests that hexavalent chromium in the groundwater is attenuating through natural reduction processes, and does not pose a threat to either human health or the environment. It appears that all obligations of the 1993 order have been met.
OSRAM Sylvania Inc. developed a community relations plan to provide a means of communicating the objectives, plans and findings of the investigation to appropriate community resources. Informational meetings were held with key community leaders at the facility to discuss the investigation and to answer questions. A walking tour of the facility perimeter was also offered to identify locations of areas where investigative activities were focused. EPA received no comments from the public on the Final Decision.
Contaminants at this Facility
The main contaminants of concern at the facility are dissolved hexavalent chromium and arsenic in the groundwater.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls for ENTIRE FACILITY include:
- Deed Notice which contains restrictions on land and groundwater use.
- Information Device which Osram has placed a notice in the property deed to alert any future landowners that the groundwater cannot be used for drinking purposes.
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: |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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) |
|||
|
Governmental Controls (GC) |
||||
|
Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
||||
| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
|
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) |
|||
|
Non-Groundwater |
||||
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.