Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Berks County
Sinking Springs

EPA ID# PAD000651810

6th Congressional District

Last Update: November 2009

Other Names

Stabatrol
Berks County Landfill

Current Site Status

EPA prepared a final close-out report (FCOR) in March 2008 that documents the cleanup was fully implemented and the cleanup objectives have been met. EPA recommended removing the site from the National Priorties List (NPL) in the fall of 2008. The Berks Landfill site was removed or deleted from the National Priorties List in November 2008.

EPA will continue to oversee the operation and maintenance at the site. EPA will perform another five-year review in 2010.

Site Description

The Berks Landfill Superfund Site is located in Spring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately seven miles southwest of the City of Reading. The site consists of two closed landfills: a 49-acre eastern landfill and a 19-acre western landfill.

The property historically was used as an iron ore mine. Later from the 1950s to the 1980s, the Berks Landfill operated as a municipal landfill. In 1975, the landfill was granted a permit by the state to discharge leachate from its collection system into an adjacent stream. Also, in 1975, the eastern landfill was granted a solid waste permit to accept municipal refuse and demolition refuse. In 1986 landfill operations ended and the landfills were closed with a soil cap. Later on a fence was erected around the eastern landfill, the existing cap was repaired, and a pumping station was constructed to convey the leachate to the local wastewater treatment plant.

Site Responsibility

Cleanup of this site is the responsibility of federal and state governments and parties potentially responsible for site contamination.

NPL Listing History

This site was proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) on June 24, 1988 and formally added to the NPL October 4, 1989.

Threats and Contaminants

Sampling of on-site monitoring wells in the 1980's discovered the groundwater was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals. VOCs include vinyl chloride, trichloroethene, and cis-1,2-dichloroethene and metals include aluminum, iron, and manganese. The groundwater on-site can pose a threat to human health if consumed.

Contaminant descriptions and risk factors are available from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of the CDC.

Cleanup Progress

In July 1997, EPA selected a remedy to repair the eastern landfill cap; to repair and to continue operating of the existing leachate collection system; to perform long-term sampling and monitoring of a sentinel well, residential wells, on-site wells, landfill gas, and the creek; and to implement institutional controls to prevent future consumption of on-site groundwater and to restrict development on-site.

EPA gave the parties potentially responsible for the pollution (PRPs) the opportunity to provide good faith offers to do the cleanup work. None were recieved, so EPA ordered them to perform the work. In accordance with the order, a subgroup of the PRPs developed a remedial design that outlined how the landfill cap and leachate collection system would be repaired. EPA conditionally approved this final design on September 30, 1999. Following approval of the design, EPA approved a plan for implementing the design on January 13, 2000. The PRPs selected a construction firm to build the remedy in March 2000.

Construction Activities:

The PRPs submitted a plan detailing the management of construction and EPA approved the plan in May 2000. Construction started in June 2000 and continued until November 2000 with regular oversight from EPA. During the construction the eastern landfill was cleared of vegetation, covered by soil, and seeded and on the western landfill 7,000 feet of inspection trails were laid. The leachate collection lines and manholes were cleaned, inspected, and repaired and the three leachate collection ponds were re-shaped and re-lined for an approximate volume of 1.5 million gallons. The leachate is then pumped to the local wastewater treatment plant. To monitor the site gas monitoring probes and a groundwater monitoring well were installed. A total of 300 trees were planted to improve a wetland area on-site.

After construction was completed, EPA conducted two inspections: one in October 31, 2000 and a second on November 14, 2000. On December 22, 2000 EPA documented in a Preliminary Close-Out Report (PCOR) that the remedy was constructed.

Long-term monitoring of the site will continue to evaluate the groundwater, on-site wells and gas probes, residential wells, and the sentinel well. EPA prepared a final close-out report on the clean-up activities in March 2008 that documents the cleanup objectives have been met. EPA will recommend removing the site from the Superfund list in 2008.

Five-Year Review:

EPA completed a Five-Year Review of the Berks Landfill Superfund Site in August 2005. As part of the five-year review, EPA inspected the landfills and reviewed the monitoring data. The remedy currently protects human health and the environment because on-site and residential groundwater is being monitored; the leachate is collected and then discharged to the wastewater treatment plant; the eastern landfill cap was repaired; and there is regular monitoring and maintenance. EPA also recommended that institutional controls, or legal restrictions, be implemented in order for the remedy to maintain protective in the long-term. In follow-up to the five-year review, institutional controls were fully implemented. EPA will also perform another five-year review in 2010.

Site Deletion:

EPA prepared a final close-out report (FCOR) in March 2008 that documents the cleanup was fully implemented and the cleanup objectives have been met. EPA recommended removing the site from the National Priorties List (NPL) in the fall of 2008 and received no comment. The Berks Landfill site was removed or deleted from the National Priorties List in November 2008.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations