EPA RCRA ID: VAD023717853
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 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
Since 1992, Cooper Industries (Cooper) has been operating a remediation system to treat contaminated groundwater at the facility in accordance with a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Consent Order. Previously, Cooper completed an investigation at the facility and selected an appropriate remedy. All sources of contaminants (including drain pits, underground concrete tanks, sludge pits and trenches, and the sanitary lagoon) were cleaned up under EPA or the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) authority, as appropriate.
Groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) continues to be the focus of the remedial activities at the facility. Pursuant to the Consent Order, Cooper operates a pump and treat system to contain and cleanup contaminated groundwater. Groundwater that is recovered is treated through two activated carbon units in series to remove the VOCs, then discharged to a surface water stream, in accordance with a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit. Cooper collects and analyzes groundwater samples on a semiannual basis to evaluate the effectiveness of the system over time.
After reevaluating the historical data, Cooper modified the groundwater remediation system in 1999 to add two recovery wells in the source area. Cooper also ceased operating three recovery wells located at the fringe of the plume. Groundwater recovery was discontinued at these wells because data indicated that pumping at these perimeter wells provided limited mass removal and was potentially promoting plume migration away from the source area.
Cooper's most recent Semi-Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report, submitted in February 2008, indicates that VOC contaminant levels have generally decreased or remained relatively constant during the six-month reporting period. Approximately 40 pounds of VOC contaminants were removed from ground water in the second half of 2007. This indicates that the pump and treat system continues to effectively cleanup the ground water and control the migration of contamination in the ground water.
On May 5, 2014, 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.
The Pump and Treat system controls deep groundwater contamination onsite. This system has been enhanced with ART wells which ran for nine years. The ART wells were idled in 2017 so the pump and treat system effectiveness can be evaluated.
As operated, the pump and treat system has caused the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) levels in the wells to indicate downward trends upon examination of existing data.
The initial post ART well idling sample results are due in the Spring of 2018, and will help to inform the path forward for the remediation system.
Results of the 2017 Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report (AGMR) indicates that the recovery system is operating as designed in the Corrective Measures Implementation Plan.
As reported in the 2017 AGMR, Cooper is fulfilling the requirements of the Institutional Control Implementation and Assurance Plan, approved by EPA in 2014. The current financial assurance mechanism, dated of execution: January 12, 2017, complies with the requirements set forth in EPA’s Corrective Action Order on Consent.
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 |
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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 Cooper facility is located about ten miles north of Charlottesville, Virginia along Route 660 in Earlysville, Virginia. The facility consists of about 225,000 square feet under roof and covers about 90 acres in a residential/industrial area. Electrical distribution equipment was manufactured at this facility since opening as Panorama Corporation in 1962. Other operations at the facility included Murray Manufacturing in 1967, Arrow Hart in 1970, and Crouse-Hinds in 1975. Cooper acquired the facility in 1981. Manufacturing processes included stamping, grinding, welding, painting, and plating of metal parts. In 1992, the manufacturing operations were sold to Siemens; however, Cooper retained ownership of the property and improvements. Siemens ceased manufacturing operations in 1997 and vacated the property. In 1999, Mr. Donnie Foster purchased the property and leases the buildings as commercial and industrial office/warehouse space.
Contaminants at this Facility
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater are the contaminants of concern. These compounds primarily consist of tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (DCE).
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
While there are no formal Insitutional or Engineering Controls at the facility, under a VA DEQ consent order extracted groundwater is remediated through carbon filters and sampled monthly and EPA receives semi-annual monitor results. Also a contaminated groundwater plume is monitored at 41 well locations for VOCs.
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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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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.