![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Price Battery
Interactive Google map of
site location and surroundings
(Map may take 10 secs to fully load)
EPA ID: PAN000305679
Location:
251 Grand Street
Hamburg, PA 19526
Berks County
Hamburg, PA 19526
Berks County
Congressional District: 17th
Other Names: None
Last Updated: December 2012
You will need the free Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Contacts
Remedial Project Manager
John Banks
215-814-3214
banks.john-d@epa.gov
Community Involvement Coordinator
David Polish
215-814-3327
polish.david@epa.gov
Government Relations Coordinator
Eric Carlson
304-234-0233
carlson.eric@epa.gov
John Banks
215-814-3214
banks.john-d@epa.gov
Community Involvement Coordinator
David Polish
215-814-3327
polish.david@epa.gov
Government Relations Coordinator
Eric Carlson
304-234-0233
carlson.eric@epa.gov
Bulletin Board
- To date, 545 home exteriors and 383 home interiors of residential properties have been cleaned up.
Questions
The EPA is dedicated to providing you with timely and accurate information about our work at this site. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: David Polish 215-814-3327
On This Page
Related Links
Site Status
- EPA is in the process of cleaning up approximately 554 residential properties in Hamburg, Berks County, Pa. that were determined initially to be contaminated with lead, under its Emergency Removal Program.
- To date, 545 home exteriors and 383 home interiors of residential properties have been cleaned up.
- Residents are temporarily housed in hotels, during cleanup work at their homes.
- EPA is addressing properties with the highest lead concentrations and/or the most vulnerable populations first.
- A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) is ongoing to determine the full nature and extent of contamination in the community.
- Exide Corporation, the company potentially responsible for the contamination, has been carrying out a separate RI/FS on the Price Battery plant property since September 2008.
Background
- The Price Battery plant operated in the Borough of Hamburg, Berks County, Pa., from approximately 1940 to the mid-1990s.
- Hamburg is located at the foot of the Blue Mountains along the Schuylkill River. The site, about three-fourths square mile in size, is located in a mixed commercial/residential area in the vicinity of the former Price Battery facility.
- During operations, battery casings were broken open and the lead plates were removed for smelting.
- The on-site lead smelter, which was dismantled in 1971, produced emissions from its stack that contaminated the residential areas around the facility.
- In addition to the lead emissions, lead-contaminated battery waste and casings were used as fill material throughout the Borough of Hamburg.
Cleanup History
NPL Listing History
| Status: Final | Added: 2005 |
| Deleted: |
- The site is being addressed in three concurrent stages: 1) immediate cleanup of the residential exteriors and interiors; 2) a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to determine the exact nature and extent of contamination throughout the community; and 3) an RI/FS to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the Price Battery plant, itself.
- The residential portion of the cleanup is known as Operable Unit No. 1 or OU-1, and the plant portion of the cleanup is known as Operable Unit No. 2 or OU-2. A new Operable Unit No. 3 (OU-3) has been initined to determine ecological risk.
- In 2002 EPA’s Removal Program assessed:
- surface and subsurface soil, air, groundwater and waste at the plant.
- surface soil and the interiors of residences located east of the plant.
- The plant was found to be contaminated with lead, arsenic and antimony, including deteriorating drums. On-site sumps and trenches had high acid contents.
- Some residential surface soils, historically, had lead concentrations above 50,000 parts per million. The cleanup action level is 572 parts per million. These soils were assumed to have been tracked into homes, posing an additional risk to residents.
- In November 2002, EPA initiated the removal cleanup on residential properties that had lead levels above EPA’s cleanup action level.
- In June 2003, EPA signed an Administrative Order on Consent with Exide Technologies to perform a removal cleanup at the plant.
- In the fall of 2005 EPA started the RI/FS for OU-1 to determine the exact nature and complete extent of the lead contamination throughout the community.
- As part of that RI/FS, an air dispersion model showed that lead emissions may have been deposited throughout the borough of Hamburg.
- In May 2007, EPA and Exide signed a second Consent Order for Exide to perform an RI/FS on all Exide-owned properties, including the former Price Battery plant itself.
- Exide demolished the plant and disposed of its debris by late winter 2008, and began the RI/FS field work in September 2008.
- In September 2009, EPA issued an interim ROD to continue residental cleanups under remedial authority.
- In September 2010, residential cleanups were transferred from removal authority to remedial authority and residental cleanups are continuing.
- In September 2012, EP Ainitiated an RI/FS for OU-3 to determine potential risks to ecological receptors a the site.
Contaminants and Risks
- The contaminant of concern associated with past site operations is primarily lead; however, arsenic and antimony may also be attributable to past smelter operations. Residential soils and interior dust of residences surrounding the former Price Battery facility have been found containing significant amounts of lead contamination.
Documents and Reports
- To search an on-line database of all documents and reports on the Price Battery site, go to EPA’s Administrative Record Database.
- All documents and reports can also be reviewed in person at these locations:
Hamburg Public Library
35 North Third Street
Hamburg, PA 19526
610-562-2843
U.S. EPA Region III
1650 Arch Street-6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 814-3157
Call for an appointment.
- Some of the site’s key documents of interest are accessible below.
Human Health Risk Assessment (PDF) (309 pp, 18.6MB)
Enforcement Documents- Bankruptcy Settlement Agreement - May 2011 (PDF) (47 pp, 1.82MB)
- Bankruptcy Settlement Agreement - May 2011 (PDF) (47 pp, 1.82MB)
- Submit a FOIA Request
Get instructions on how to submit a FOIA request. $Fee$ for requests over 100 pages.
Photos, Maps and Diagrams
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Interior residential basement cleaning. | Applying interior "leadlock" a special paint to seal interior porous surfaces. | Exterior residential cleanup. | Exterior residential cleanup. |
(Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the photo)
Map of plant location and approximate area of contamination (PDF) (1 p, 168K)
Map of Price Battery plant layout
Community Information
- Site Progress Profile — a quick reference sheet, linking to EPA's Headquarters.
- Fact Sheets
June 2009 (PDF) (2 pp, 30.9K)
October 2004 (PDF) (2 pp, 158K)
- Press Releases
04/27/2005: Price Battery and Safety Light Corporation Added to Superfund Hazardous Site List
04/27/2005: Ten Final, Seven Proposed Superfund Sites Announced
09/24/2004: EPA Adds New Hazardous Waste Sites to the NPL
09/23/2004: Price Battery, Safety Light Proposed for Superfund List
09/23/2004: EPA Adds Two New Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund National Priority List, and Proposes Fourteen More
Reuse Information
- No plans to reuse the site at this time.
- Want more information about how to reuse a Superfund site?