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Central Chemical
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EPA ID: MDD003061447
Location:
Mitchell Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Washington County
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Washington County
Congressional District: 6th
Other Names:None
Last Updated: February 2013
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Contacts
Remedial Project Manager
Mitch Cron (Soil, Waste, Lagoon)
215-814-3286
cron.mitch@epa.gov
Remedial Project Manager
Bob Wallace OU 2 (Ground Water)
215-814-3278)
wallace.robert@epa.gov
Government Relations Coordinator
Carrie Deitzel
215-814-5525
1-800-553-2509
deitzel.carrie@epa.gov
State and Congressional Liaison
Linda Miller
(215) 814-2068
miller.linda@epa.gov
Bulletin Board
- Field activities for the pre-Remedial Design Investigation will began in June 2011. Investigation activities have included drilling borings, trenching on-Site with an excavator, as well as the use of hand-held geophysics instrumentation. Treatability studies for Solidification/ Stabilization of the on-site former waste lagoon were performed in 2012 and are expected to be complete in early 2013.
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:Carrie Deitzel 215-814-5525, 1-800-553-2509
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Site Status
- In September 2009, EPA issued a Record of Decision which outlines the cleanup methods for contaminated soils and waste at the Site. The ROD includes on-site solidification/stabilization of a former waste lagoon; excavation, consolidation, and capping of contaminated soils; and the installation of a ground water extraction and treatment system.
- In 2010, the Site was divided into Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) for treatment of Site soils, principal threat waste and shallow groundwater and OU-2 for delineation and treatment of bedrock groundwater.
- A Pre-Remedial Design Investigation, to support the remedial design for the 2009 ROD selected remedy is currently being performed. 2012 activities will include lagoon treatability studies. The OU-2 bedrock groundwater investigation is expected to resume in the spring of 2013.
- Groundwater contamination has been confirmed to extend beyond the boundaries of the Central Chemical property. Therefore, further delineation of ground water contamination will be performed.
- OU-1 Pre-Design Investigation (PDI) field work including bench-scale testing for Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) and aquifer pump testing for the groundwater extraction and treatment system near the former lagoon will continue in 2012 and early 2013.
Background
- The Central Chemical Superfund site is located on 19 acres in the community of Hagerstown, Maryland in Washington County.
- An electrical substation owned by the City of Hagerstown is located in the northeast corner of the property. A new subdivision is located to the northeast of the site near the substation.
- From the early 1930's until the mid-1980's, the chemical plant at the site functioned as a blender of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers.
- Raw pesticides manufactured at other locations were blended with inert materials to produce commercial-grade products using air and hammer mills and wetting agents.
- Production ended in the 1980's and the old buildings were demolished during the Spring/Summer of 2005.
- Waste materials from the manufacturing processes, including waste generated during the cleaning of the processing equipment, were disposed in an on-site depression.
- Contaminants found in site soil, groundwater, surface water, and/or sediment, as well as in the tissue of fish caught downstream of the Site, include arsenic, lead, benzene, aldrin, chlordane, DDD, DDE, DDT, dieldrin, and methoxychlor.
Cleanup History
NPL Listing History
| Status: Final | Added: Status: September 1997 |
| Deleted: |
- In early 1997, it was discovered that elevated levels of site contaminants extended several feet beyond the old fence line along the northern end of the property. Land use north of the property is residential.
- In the spring of 1997, EPA entered into an agreement with the site owner under which the owner erected a new fence as an interim measure that now prevents people from coming into contact with these contaminants.
- EPA entered into an agreement with seven potentially responsible parties, including Allied Signal, FMC, Novartis, Olin, Shell Oil, Union Carbide, and Wilmington Securities, to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) at the site. These cooperating companies have notified EPA that an additional seven companies including the site owner, Central Chemical, have joined the group.
- In February 2003, the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) work plan was completed.
- In 2004, the majority of the environmental sampling at the site was completed.
- Samples were collected of site soil, groundwater, and storm water. In addition, samples were collected from surface water and sediment from the nearby Marsh Run and Antietam Creek.
- Sampling confirmed that pesticides and metals are present at elevated levels in surface soil across the site, and high concentrations of pesticides and metals have been buried in a disposal area in the north end of the property "Former Waste lagoon." To a lesser degree, pesticides were also detected in storm water leaving the site and in surface water and sediment samples from Marsh Run and Antietam Creek.
- Groundwater contamination has moved beyond the property boundaries and additional wells were installed and sampled in 2006/2007 to better determine the extent of off-site groundwater contamination.
- During the Spring and Summer of 2005, all former pesticide and fertilizer manufacturing buildings were decontaminated, demolished and disposed of in an appropriate manner.
- In December 2006, the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP) provided EPA with the final Remedial Investigation (RI) for the site. The final RI for on-site soil and waste is complete.
- Groundwater contamination has been confirmed to extend beyond the boundaries of the Central Chemical property. Therefore, further delineation of groundwater contamination may be neccasary.
- In 2006, the PRP provided EPA with early portions of the Feasibility Study (FS), which evaluates the best cleanup options for the site.
- In 2007, the first draft of the feasibility study was completed and provided to EPA.
- In 2009, a Proposed Plan, describing EPA's preferred cleanup alternative for the site soils and wastes, was issued.
- In September 2009, EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for contaminated soils and waste at the site. The ROD includes on-site solidification/stabilization of a former waste lagoon; excavation, consolidation, and capping of contaminated soils; and the installation of a ground water extraction and treatment system.
- In 2011, the PRP’s began fieldwork for the OU-1 PDI, which included trenching in areas of concern, investigation of the liquid pesticide building and other hot spots; characterization of the former lagoon landfill for the for the S/S Treatability Study; and installation of monitoring and recovery wells around the former lagoon in preparation of aquifer pump tests.
Contaminants and Risks
- Contaminants found in site soil, ground water, and sediment downstream of the site, include arsenic, lead, benzene, chlorobenzene, benzo(a)pyrene, aldrin, alpha-chlordane, gamma-chlordane, Diphenamid, alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), beta-HCH, delta-HCH, gamma-HCH (Lindane), Heptachlor epoxide, DDD, DDE, DDT, dieldrin, methoxychlor, sevin, toxaphene and 2,4-T.
- At elevated exposure, these contaminants can cause a wide variety of health problems in both humans and animals.
- DDT is believed responsible for the decreased reproductive success of many bird species.
Documents and Reports
- To search an on-line database of all documents and reports on the Central Chemical site,
go to EPA’s Administrative Record Database.
- Some of the site’s key documents of interest are accessible below.
Record of Decision (ROD) 9/30/09 (PDF) (135 pp, 13.1MB)
Project Report, July 2000 (PDF) (86 pp, 2.57 MB)
ATSDR's Public Health Assessment (PDF) (37 pp, 696k)
- Submit a FOIA Request
Get instructions on how to submit a FOIA request. $Fee$ for requests over 100 pages.
Photos, Maps and Diagrams
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| Soil sampling at the central chemical property. | View of central chemical property - area of former waste lagoon. |
Soil sampling at the central chemical property. |
(Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the photo)
Site Map
Community Information
- This is Superfund: A Community Guide to EPA's Superfund Program (PDF) (12 pp, 1.1MB)
- Tell us how to better engage with your community.
- Site Progress Profile — a quick reference sheet, linking to EPA's Headquarters.
- Fact Sheets
April 2009 (PDF) (2 pp, 150K)
September 2006 (PDF) (2 pp, 610K)
March 2005 (PDF) (2 pp, 261k)
March 2004:| PDF (2 pp, 90 k)
March 2003: | PDF (2 pp, 1.45MB)
- Federal Register
11/28/2005: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Public Health Assessments Completed
- Press Releases
07/13/2000: EPA Grants Hagerstown $100K to Redevelop Waste Site
02/04/1999: Superfund Briefly - a Weekly Report for Maryland
Reuse Information
- This site currently does not meet the criteria for Site-wide Ready for Anticipated Use; however parts of the site may be suitable for reuse.
- Want more information about how to reuse a Superfund site?