Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Armstrong County
Parker

EPA ID# PAD980508527

3rd Congressional District

Last Update: August 2008

Other Names

Craig Lagoon
Craig Farm Disposal Site

Current Site Status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has overseen the cleanup of the Craig Farm Drum site by Beazer East, Inc. (Beazer, formerly Koppers Chemical), the Potentially Responsible Party (PRP).

The Remedial Action at the site consisted of the excavation and onsite stabilization of contaminated soils from two former waste disposal pits. The excavated materials were placed in a two-acre, onsite, double-lined landfill and a fence was installed around the perimeter of the disposal unit. Four groundwater monitoring wells were installed around the perimeter of the landfill to monitor contaminant migration. Two groundwater seeps identified at the site are currently intercepted by a seep collection system, collected in an aboveground storage tank, and transported to an offsite wastewater treatment facility. Construction of the remedy at the site was documented as complete in December 1995.

The wastewater treatment facility at which the seep water is currently treated will cease operations in the near future. Currently, the PRP is conducting a Focused Feasibility Investigation to evaluate alternatives to the existing treatment system. Reportedly, the field portion of the investigation will be completed in Summer 2008 and the report will be issued in Fall 2008. Until a treatment alternative is selected and approved, the PRP will continue to operate and monitor the current system.

Five Year Reviews were completed in April 1999 and June 2004. The third Five Year Review for the site began in June 2008 and will be completed in June 2009.

Site Description

The Craig Farm site consists of 117 acres located in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Between 1958 and 1963, approximately 8,000 tons of drummed waste material were deposited in two former strip mine pits on the site property and covered with topsoil. The waste consisted of still bottom residue from the production of resorcinol at the Koppers Chemical Plant located in Petrolia, Pennsylvania. Resorcinol, an organic compound, is used as an adhesive enhancer in commercial products such as automobile tires and pharmaceuticals. Approximately 1,700 people reside within a three-mile radius of the site, with the closest residence approximately a half mile away.

Site Responsibility

This site was the responsiblity of Federal and State governments, the site owner 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. This site was proposed to the list on December 30, 1982 and formally added to the list on September 8, 1983.

Threats and Contaminants

Prior to the Remedial Action, groundwater, soils adjacent to the disposal pits, and a nearby unnamed creek were contaminated with resorcinol and associated polymers and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene and toluene. The primary health threats were identified as direct contact with contaminated surface water and accidental ingestion of contaminated ground water.

Contaminant descriptions and associated risk factors are available on the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, an arm of the CDC, web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html

Cleanup Progress

Final remedy selection was documented by EPA in a Record of Decision (ROD) signed in September 1989. After a period of negotiation, Beazer signed a Consent Decree to perform the Remedial Design and Remedial Action in May 1990. The final design report was approved by EPA in September 1993 and Beazer completed the Remedial Action from May 1994 through December 1995. During the cleanup, all wastes and adjacent contaminated soils were excavated from the two on-site disposal pits, solidified onsite, and placed in a two-acre, double-lined landfill. The landfill was then capped, covered with a topsoil layer and seeded and a fence was erected around the perimeter. A total of 8,200 tons of treated waste and 21,000 tons of contaminated soil were placed into the on-site landfill. A one-acre wetland was also constructed at the site to replace a smaller area of wetlands lost in building the landfill.

Two seeps identified at the site are currently intercepted by a seep collection system, collected in an aboveground storage tank, and transported to an offsite wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater treatment facility at which the seep water is currently treated will cease operations in the near future. Currently, the PRP is conducting a Focused Feasibility Investigation to evaluate alternatives to the existing treatment system. Until a treatment alternative is selected and approved, the PRP will continue to operate the current system.

Beazer continues to perform operation and maintenance activities at the site. Groundwater and surface water sampling are conducted on a semi-annual basis and reported to EPA.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations