Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Centre County
State College Borough

EPA ID# PAD000436261

11th Congressional District

Last Update: August 2008

Other Names

RÜTGERS Organics
Ruetgers-Nease Chemical Company
Nease Chemical

Current Site Status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overseeing the cleanup of the Centre County Kepone Site. The cleanup is being carried out and paid for by RUTGERS Organics Corporation (ROC), a potentially responsible party (PRP), that owns and operated a chemical manufacturing plant at the Site. In March of 2004, chemical manufacuring operations ceased. ROC's closure of the State College, PA plant did not affect their commitment to a Consent Decree which requires them to clean up the Site.

EPA entered into an Administrative Settlement and Order on Consent (AOC) with the PRP for a removal response action at the Site in May 2007. The AOC addresses contaminated sediments from the lower portion of the freshwater drainage ditch and Thornton Spring drainage channels. Work for this removal was completed in July 2008.

A Feasibility Study for Operable Unit 2 (OU2) is under development. OU2 will address the soils from the riparian-areas of Spring Creek and the 15-acre former spray field area, and sediments from the lower portion of the freshwater drainage ditch and Thornton Spring. EPA plans to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) for OU2 in 2008.

Site Description

The 32-acre Centre County Kepone site, located in State College, Pennsylvania, was a chemical manufacturing facility that produced the pesticide kepone in 1958, 1959 and 1963, and the pesticide mirex in 1973 and 1974. Process wastes originally were disposed of on site in a spray irrigation field, a concrete lagoon, and two other earthen lagoons. Process wastes also were stored in drums on-site. After leaks were discovered, the material in the lagoons was solidified and disposed of in the two earthen lagoons and capped. However, the material failed to solidify, and hazardous materials leached into the groundwater and surface water. Spring Creek is located adjacent to the Site and in 1982, a section of the creek was designated as a catch and release zone for fishing as a result of high levels of pesticides in fish. Fish tissue levels have declined and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania determined that the catch and release regulation was no longer required for contamination reasons in 2001. Approximately 2,100 people live within a one-mile radius of the site. The closest residence is less than a quarter mile from the site.

Site Responsibility

Cleanup of this site is the responsibility of the Federal government and parties' potentially responsible for site contamination.

NPL Listing History

Our country's most serious, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites can be cleaned using federal money. To be eligible for federal cleanup money, a site must be put on the National Priorities List (NPL). This site was proposed to the NPL on December 30, 1982 and formally added to the list September 8, 1983.

Threats and Contaminants

Various volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are chemical components of solvents, and the pesticides kepone and mirex have been detected in on-site soil and in on-site and off-site groundwater, sediments, and surface water. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), by-products of petroleum products, have been detected in on-site sediments and soils. Current threats to human health are associated with the use of contaminated ground water.

Contaminant descriptions and associated risk factors are available at: (ATSDR web site) http://www.atsdrcdc.gov/hazdat.htm

 

Cleanup Progress

In 1982, Ruetgers-Nease, a party potentially responsible for site contamination, completed limited cleanup measures under orders from the state, by excavating and removing contaminated material from lagoons, removing drums, excavating surface soil from the drum storage area, and disposal of the waste material in a landfill. Ruetgers-Nease also started a groundwater recovery and treatment program.

In April 1995, EPA signed a Record of Decision (ROD) for a more comprehensive cleanup of the site. The selected cleanup methods included extraction and treatment of contaminated groundwater; excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils and sediments; surface water system improvements; additional soil/sediment sampling; monitoring of ground water, surface water, stream sediments, and fish tissue; on-site and off-site fencing; and deed restrictions.

A Consent Decree was signed by Ruetgers-Nease Corporation in September 1996, that requires the company to perform the cleanup outlined in the record of decision. Occidental Chemical Corporation, another PRP for the site, had declined participation in the cleanup. In March 1997, EPA issued an order to Occidental Chemical Corporation for the remedial design and remedial action.

In March 2001, EPA issued an Amendment to the April 1995 ROD. The Amendment provided an improved cleanup approach for contaminated soils. An enhanced soil vapor extraction (SVE) system will be used to clean up volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from subsurface soils. Excavation and off-site disposal will continue to be used for soil contaminated with pesticides. ROC conducted additional soil excavation in Fall 2001.

In November 2001, EPA approved the Interim Remedial Action Report which established the following construction activities required by the ROD have been completed: 1) Installation of the new groundwater extraction wells and conveyance system, 2) demolition and installation of a new groundwater treatment plant system, 3) excavation and reconstruction of an existing drainage ditch, 4) upgrades to surface water management controls, and 5) fencing at Thornton Spring. Operation and maintenance of the groundwater extraction and treatment system, including groundwater, surface water, and treatment plant monitoring, will continue to remain in operation as specified by the ROD.

In early 2003, the enhanced soil vapor extraction (SVE) system called for in the ROD Amendment of March 2001 became operational. This system removes volatile organic compounds (VOC) from subsurface soils at several locations on the Site, including the tank farm area.

An eight-acre area of the Site, referred to as the "Administration Parcel" was partially deleted from the NPL in November 2004. The Administration Parcel includes the current RUTGERS Organics Corporation administration building, associated parking lot, and open areas. The Administration Parcel was never used for manufacturing operations and is located upgradient from the contaminated portion of the Site.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations