EPA RCRA ID: VAD065385296
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.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at the Honeywell, Hopewell facility are being conducted under an EPA Region 3 3008(h) Administrative Order on Consent.
A total of 37 Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) were identified in the RCRA Facility Assessment Report. Of these, 14 SWMUs were identified as requiring further evaluation. The 14 SWMUs have been grouped into four study areas. Honeywell has completed a Phase I and Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) for the four study areas. Based on the RFI results EPA has requested additional field work (collection of groundwater and soil samples) to fill in data gaps that will complete the environmental investigation.
The Phase I RFI objective, completed May 1993, was to determine the nature and extent of releases of hazardous waste or constituents from the four study areas identified in the Consent Order. The Phase II RFI objective, completed April 1996, was to further characterize the extent of impacted soil and groundwater in the four study areas that the Phase I RFI was not able to characterize. Comprehensive groundwater sampling was conducted in 2004 and 2016. Several Interim Measures were completed that are summarized in the March 2021 Statement of Basis.
Based on the results of the numerous investigations and interim measures that occurred from 1989 to the 2020, a streamlined Corrective Measures Study (CMS) was prepared evaluating potential corrective measures to address the 14 SWMUs, Building B-1 Area, and site-wide groundwater. The CMS consolidated the relevant RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) data and information with identification of the most appropriate corrective measures for these units. DEQ concurred with the recommendations of the Final CMS report submitted on July 2020 and prepared the Statement of Basis dated March 2021 that detailed the proposed remedy. The public notice was issued with the Public Notice for the Renewal of the Facility’s Hazardous Waste Management Permit (Permit).
DEQ issued a Final Decision Response to Comments through the renewal of the Permit on September 10, 2021. The remedy required the following actions:
- A Cap Management Plan (CMP) specific to engineered caps at SWMUs 1, 3 and 27 and soil, gravel, and asphalt covers at SWMUs 2 Area 3, 14, 19, 22, 24, 8, 16, 26 and 29 shall be submitted for DEQ review and approval. CMP shall provide the framework including required maintenance activities and inspections to ensure the installed caps are providing the necessary source control to achieve the CAOs. The CMP, at 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 the 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.
- A Materials Management Plan (MMP) for all earth moving activities, including excavation, drilling and construction activities in the Facility where any contaminants remain in soils above EPA Region III’s Screening Levels for Industrial Soils or in groundwater above their MCLs or EPA Region III’s Tap Water Risk Screening Levels shall be submitted for DEQ review and approval. At a minimum, the MMP must specify the following: the protocols for soil and groundwater handling and management and the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment requirements sufficient to meet DEQ acceptable risk and complies with all applicable OSHA requirements in a manner such that the activity will not pose an unacceptable threat to human health and the environment or adversely affect or interfere with the integrity of the final remedy.
- The remedy for Facility groundwater consists of monitored natural attenuation pursuant to a DEQ approved Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Plan until drinking water standards are met, and compliance with and maintenance of groundwater restrictions, to be implemented through institutional controls, to prevent exposure to contaminants while levels remain above drinking water standards. The point of compliance shall be within the Facility boundaries.
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.
Honeywell, (previously AlliedSignal Inc.) owns and operates an industrial chemical and fertilizer manufacturing facility in Hopewell, Virginia. The primary product of the Honeywell facility is caprolactam, which is the raw material for the manufacture of Nylon. Caprolactam is produced from phenol and results in the byproduct production of adipic acid and ammonium sulfate.
Honeywell Hopewell is located approximately one mile southeast of the confluence of the James and Appomattox Rivers. The facility is bounded on the east by the James River and on the north by Poythress Run. Gravelly Run crosses the southern portion of the property. Both Poythress and Gravelly Runs are tributaries to the James River. Bailey Creek, located to the southeast of the Honeywell facility, is another tributary to the James River. The surrounding area is industrial with some residential areas to the north, south, and west of the plant.
Contaminants at this Facility
Inorganic and volatile organic compounds are the main constituents of concern found in groundwater and soils at the site.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The cleanup remedy requires the following institutional controls.
- The Facility property shall be restricted to commercial and/or industrial purposes and shall not be used for residential purposes unless it is demonstrated to DEQ that such use will not pose a threat to human health or the environment and DEQ provides prior written approval for such use. “Residential purposes” includes, but is not limited to, all purposes that provide for living accommodations or services (e.g. dormitories, senior citizen housing, any day care facility whether for infants, children, the infirm, or the elderly).
- Any earth moving activities, including excavation, drilling and construction activities, in the areas at the Facility where any contaminants remain in soils above EPA’s Screening levels for non-residential use or groundwater above CAOs, shall be conducted in accordance with the DEQ-approved Material Management Plan (MMP).
- Groundwater at the Facility shall not be used for any purpose other than the operation, maintenance, and monitoring activities currently being conducted by the Facility and required by DEQ, unless it is demonstrated to EPA that such use will not pose a threat to human health or the environment or adversely affect or interfere with the final remedy and the Facility obtains prior written approval from DEQ for such use.
- No new wells shall be installed on Facility property unless it is demonstrated to DEQ that such wells are necessary to implement the Final Remedy selected by DEQ and the Facility obtains prior written approval from DEQ for such use.
- On a periodic basis and whenever requested by DEQ, the then current owner shall submit to DEQ a written certification stating whether or not the groundwater and land use restrictions are in place and being complied with.
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.