Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Chester County
Malvern

EPA ID# PAD014353445

6th Congressional District

Last Update: December 2012

Other Names

Chemclene Corporation

Current Site Status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the cleanup of the Malvern TCE hazardous waste site. Previously, the parties potentially responsible for the contamination, or PRPs, Chemclene Site Defense Group (CSDG) began construction activities at the Site on May 31, 2005. The construction work included demolition of on site buildings and installation of a cap over the main plant area, installation of a soil vapor extraction and treatment system in the soil area known as the Former Disposal Area and removal of surficial soils impacted with PCBs. The construction activities for the soil vapor extraction system in the FDA/MA and the main plant area cap were completed in the Fall of 2005. In July 2009, following several years of extensive pilot testing, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences regarding the type of treatment to be used in the Main Plant Area ground water clean-up. The change allows for the use of an in situ bioremediation recirculation system to address treatment of the ground water. The final design of the MPA ground water remedy was completed in August 2009. EPA oversaw the construction of the system beginning in October 2009 and continuing through February 2010. The system is currently operating as designed and performance monitoring and operation and maintenance have begun. A five year review for the Site was completed in September 2010. The five year review found that the remedies at the Site are operating as designed and the Site is protective of human health and the environment.

Site Description

Malvern TCE, located in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, operated as a solvent reclamation facility from 1952 to 1992. The site is in a wooded area surrounded by residential and undeveloped areas bordering the property to the west, north and east. It consists of a main plant area connected to a former disposal area by a narrow meadow corridor. A portion of the site is owned and operated by Chemclene Corporation, which until a fire occurred in 1999, sold hydrogen peroxide and industrial cleaning solvents.

These solvents were used by local industries for degreasing metal parts and other cleaning purposes. Chemclene used a distillation process to remove impurities from the solvents which were then returned to a customer for reuse or held in bulk storage by Chemclene for resale. Prior to 1976, sludge from the distillation process was disposed of in the wooded area known as the Former Disposal Area. The former processing, chemical storage, and waste management practices at the property have lead to solvent contamination in the soil and ground water.

Sources of soil and ground water contamination are related to two areas at the site; the main plant area and the Former Disposal Area located 1,900 feet southeast of the main plant. Chemclene took several measures to clean up the site from 1982 until 1987, following the detection of soil and ground water contamination in 1980, with the oversight of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). As an operating hazardous waste facility, Chemclene signed an agreement with EPA in 1987, to continue the cleanup. When the company failed to carry out the agreement, the site was referred to the EPA's Superfund program in November 1993. Approximately 14,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the site.

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal, state, and potentially responsible parties' actions.

NPL Listing History

Our country's most serious, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sties 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 on September 8, 1983.

Threats and Contaminants

The groundwater and soil is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and 1,1,1 trichloroethane (1,1,1 -TCA). There are two separate areas which are contaminated; the Main Plant Area and the Former Disposal Area. Each area has a separate groundwater contaminant plume. The contaminated groundwater impacts approximately 50 residences downhill of the Former Disposal Area. Of the 50 residences, Chemclene supplied approximately 20 carbon filtration units. In February, 1995, EPA assumed control of maintenance activities and periodic sampling after it was determined that Chemclene was not following the proper procedures. In the summer of 2000, these residences were connected to a public water supply.

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

Cleanup Progress

EPA completed the study of the site and the evaluation of cleanup options in March 1997. The agency then issued a proposed cleanup plan in June 1997, outlining the preferred cleanup method and gave the public an opportunity to comment on it. The comment period ended in September 1997 and EPA selected the final remedy for the site in November 1997. Approximately 350 potentially responsible parties (PRPs) have been identified at the site. On December 13, 1999, 35 of the PRPS signed an agreement to carry out the full cleanup. The first phase was to provide a public water supply to homes impacted by contaminated groundwater from the site. Construction of the waterline began in January 2000 and was completed in the spring of 2000. Since the fall of 2000 CSDG has done soil borings, soil sampling, installed monitoring wells, tested existing monitoring wells and done pump testing. This preliminary work, plus more field work done fall 2002, provided additional detailed information on the volume and extent of the soil and groundwater contamination. The information is necessary to design the cleanup approach. The design was completed in Fall of 2004. The information collected for the design also indicated the need for a change in remedy for soils in the former disposal areas. The sampling showed a significant increase in the volume of soil which required cleanup. EPA evaluated changing the cleanup from excavation and off-site disposal of soils to soil vapor extraction and treatment to address the contaminated soils at the FDA. EPA's preference regarding this remedy change was presented to the public during a public meeting on September 22, 2004. The public comment period closed October 13, 2004. EPA issued the decision to change the FDA remedy in March 2005. The parties potentially responsible for the contamination, or PRPs, Chemclene Site Defense Group (CSDG) began construction activities at the Site on May 31, 2005. The construction work includes demolition of on site buildings and installation of a cap over the main plant area, installation of a soil vapor extraction and treatment system in the soil area known as the Former Disposal Area and removal of surficial soils impacted with PCBs. The construction activities for the soil vapor extraction system in the FDA/MA and the main plant area cap was completed in the Fall of 2005. In July 2009, following several years of extensive pilot testing, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences regarding the type of treatment to be used in the Main Plant Area ground water clean-up. The change allows for the use of an in situ bioremediation recirculation system to address treatment of the ground water. The final design of the MPA ground water remedy was completed in August 2009. EPA oversaw the construction of the system beginning in October 2009 and continuing through February 2010. The system is currently operating as designed and performance monitoring and operation and maintenance have begun. A five year review for the Site was completed in September 2010. The five year review found that the remedies at the Site are operating as designed and the Site is protective of human health and the environment.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations