Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Schuylkill County
Borough of McAdoo

EPA ID# PAD980712616

17th Congressional District

Last Update: December 2009

Other Names

None

Current Site Status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deleted this site from the National Priorities List of most hazardous waste sites in the country because the cleanup is complete. The agency managed the removal of surface debris and contaminated soil, and clean top soil and a cap have been placed over the area of soil excavation at the McAdoo Associates site. The manual pumping and treatment of the contaminated groundwater at the Blaine Street location continues. EPA conducted the third Five-Year Review for the Site in June 2005. Annual groundwater monitoring well sampling is being completed at both the Kline Township and Blaine Street locations. EPA completed this annual sampling at the Blaine Street location on December 8, 2009. Additionally, EPA is currently conducting a focused feasibility study at the Blaine Street location to fully delineate the nature and extent of remaining contamination and evaluate the potential for vapor intrusion at the Site to determine if the current remedy will restore groundwater to beneficial use.

The next Five Year Review is scheduled to be completed by June 2010. EPA has begun reviewing site-related data, and will include the results of the focused feasibility study in the Five Year Review report.

Site Description

The McAdoo Associates site, located in Schuylkill Co., Pennsylvania, consists of two areas approximately 1 1/3 miles apart. One area, in the Borough of McAdoo, covers about 1/3 of an acre. The other, in Kline Township, covers 8 acres. From 1884 until 1969, the site was mined for anthracite coal. In 1975, the property was acquired by McAdoo Associates. Wastes were stored at these sites from 1978 until 1979, when the State revoked McAdoo's permit to operate. At that time, the McAdoo Borough facility had five underground storage tanks that contained a mixture of petroleum products and organic solvents. The Kline Township area, used as a metal reclamation and incineration facility, consisted of approximately 7,000 drums and six above ground tanks. Soil and groundwater contamination threats existed at both McAdoo locations. Approximately 5,100 people live within a 1-mile radius of the site.

Site Responsibility

Cleanup of this site is the responsibility of Federal and State governments 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 on September 8, 1983.

Threats and Contaminants

The soil at the Kline Township location is contaminated with heavy metals and low levels of various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the former waste storage practices. Direct contact with contaminated soils was formerly a risk to the nearby population; however, as a result of the completion of a cap, the risk of direct contact with contaminated soil has been eliminated. Groundwater at the Blaine Street location is contaminated with VOCs consistent with petroleum products, as well as low concentrations of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. Area residents receive municipal water and are therefore not exposed to contaminated groundwater.

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

Cleanup Progress

In 1980, the site owner removed the incinerator, the buildings, and three temporary underground storage tanks and sampled the soil. In 1982, the owner removed all surface wastes and visibly contaminated soil to a federally regulated off-site facility. Between 1988 and 1989, the last remaining tank and surface debris were removed. Soil sampling and a mine subsidence study also were conducted.

In 1985, EPA chose a remedy to clean up the site, which included: removing all surface tanks; excavating contaminated soil, then backfilling the excavated area with clean topsoil; and constructing diversion ditches to prevent off-site surface water from draining into the site. The potentially responsible parties completed excavating the contaminated soil, backfilled the area with clean soil, and capped the site in the spring of 1992. This portion of the site is now the Operation and Maintenance Phase. Monitoring conducted by the Potentially Responsible Parties at the Kline Township area continues. The removal of contaminated materials and soil and the subsequent capping of the Kline Township area have reduced the potential for exposure to hazardous materials.

In 1992, EPA completed an investigation into the nature and extent of any contamination in the groundwater and off-site surface water. The investigations concluded that no further actions were required to cleanup the contaminated groundwater and off-site surface water. After additional studies, EPA determined that groundwater at the Blaine Street location is contaminated with organics. In late 1993, EPA amended the earlier “no action” decision. During the summer of 1995, EPA began manually removing and treating contaminated groundwater. The removal and treatment of the contaminated groundwater at the Blaine Street location was completed 2001.

A Prospective Purchaser Agreement between Albert P. Mertz (More Mobility Inc.) and EPA became effective on August 6, 1999. The subject of the Agreement is property which comprises, in part, the Blaine Street Location of the McAdoo Associates Superfund Site. In consideration of and in exchange for the United States’ Covenant Not to Sue in Section VII of the Agreement, the Settling Respondents agree to pay to EPA the sum of $500.00.

On August 15, 2001 EPA signed the Final Close out Report for the McAdoo Associates Site. A Notice of Intent to Delist the site was published in the Federal Register on October 3, 2001, including a 30-day public comment period. No comments were received and a final Notice of Deletion was published in the Federal Register on December 13, 2001. Groundwater monitoring will continue at the site.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations