Mid-Atlantic Corrective Action

Fareva Richmond Inc

On This Page

• Status
• Background
• Cleanup History
• Contaminants and Risks
• Institutional Controls
• Community Information
• Documents and Reports
• Photos, Maps and Diagrams
• Reuse Information
• Questions

EPA ID: VAD188141626
Location:
2848 Darbytown Road
Richmond, Virginia 23231-5404
Property Area 305 acres
Congressional District: 3
Other Names: Wyeth/AH Robins
Pfizer Consumer Health Care
Last Updated: April 2013

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Bulletin Board

Status

Environmental information is being gathered to determine the presence and extent of contamination and whether the environmental indicators are met. A remedy decision is expected within two years.

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Background

Pfizer, through legacy Wyeth, entered the USEPA's Region III Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Facility Lead Program in September 2006 to meet RCRA Corrective Action obligations associated with the former operation of a hazardous waste storage area. Previously, the Facility was enrolled in the Virginia Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) due to suspected releases of various constituents from the Former Plant A and its associated wastewater treatment plant. Pfizer sold Facility to Fareva in Fall of 2011. Current operations will continue under Fareva, and Pfizer will continue to oversee the RCRA Corrective Action.

The property is comprised of 305.7 acres and is located on the southeast side of Richmond. Two primary buildings currently are located on site: Plant B produces and/or packages over-the-counter medications, and Building 2300 operates as a warehouse and sample management laboratory. Past industrial operations at the property include the manufacture of pet pesticide products (flea collars, etc.) and of over-the-counter medicinal products (as well as a quality control/quality assurance laboratory) at the Former Plant A, which was constructed in 1975 and demolished in 2001. A distribution center also operated at the property. A farm is located on the eastern portion of the property. The land bordering the property to the north is largely wooded The surrounding area includes properties zoned for residential, industrial and agricultural use.  A residential development is being constructed immediately south of the Facility.   

Four solid waste management units (SWMUs) and eight areas of concern (AOCs) have been identified on the site. One of the SWMUs was eliminated as it was determined to have been incorrectly identified. EPA has provided tentative no further action, pending public review, for two SWMUs and four AOCs as a result of work completed under RCRA corrective action. Additionally, the groundwater component of one SWMU and two AOCs has been transferred and consolidated to one AOC, effectively leaving one SWMU and three AOCs open.

Cleanup History

In 1992, a release to the ground of flea dip product from a vent pipe on the west wall of the Former Plant A was discovered.  Impacted soil was excavated and disposed of off-site in two phases.  In April 1993, soil extending approximately 8 feet west from the west wall of the former Plant A and 3 feet deep was excavated.  In August 1993, soil extending approximately 10 feet by 35 feet along the west wall to a depth of 10 to 12 feet was excavated.   

Following soil excavation, a 10,000 gallon underground storage tank which formerly contained isopropyl alcohol was removed from the area, and the area was backfilled, leveled, and compacted.

In the early 1990’s, a break in an underground process sewer line at the former Plant A waste water treatment plant was discovered and repaired.

In 2001, the former Plant A, including the former Plant A waste water treatment plant, was demolished.  In addition, sewers associated with the former Plant A were excavated and removed.   During the demolition and removal activities, impacted soils were encountered.  

Impacted soils by the former Plant A waste water treatment plant were excavated. 

Soil samples were collected throughout the demolished Plant A area, including by the flea dip excavation area and by the former waste water treatment plant area.  The results indicated that the concentrations of chemicals that remained in the soil are below screening criteria applied to industrial soils.

An investigation of impact to groundwater was conducted.  Initial results detected elevated contaminant concentrations in groundwater in the area of former Plant A. Subsequent investigations have been and are being conducted to determine the nature and extent of the groundwater contamination.  Contamination has been found in groundwater extending east and southeast of the Distribution Center and extending to the southeast property boundary on Darbytown Road.  The primary constituent of concern ("COC") in groundwater is chloroform, with up to 470 ug/l of chloroform detected.   Secondary COCs in groundwater are chloroethenes, including tetrachloroethene (PCE), and trichloroethene (TCE) which are present at locations internal to the property and do not extend to the property boundary.  TCE has been detected at a concentration as high as 13 ug/L and PCE has been detected at a concentration as high as 4 ug/l.  In 2012, two new secondary COCs, 1,4 dioxane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, were identified in the groundwater.   Groundwater monitoring wells have been installed throughout the site to observe constituent concentration trends and the extent of groundwater impact.  A long-term groundwater monitoring program has been in place since 2007.    

The main process sewer line located north of Plant B and Building 2300 experienced a break in September 2005.  The line was repaired and the ground was treated with lime.  In April and May 2008, soil and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed to determine potential impacts from breaks in the main process sewer line.  Several constituents were detected.  The concentration of bis(2-ethylhexy)phthalate exceeded screening criteria in groundwater.  No constituents in soil or sediment exceeded screening criteria.  Groundwater continues to be monitored in the long-term monitoring program.  

A former process sump (AOC-1) was previously located at the facility where the new wastewater treatment plant (SWMU-1) is now operated in the northeastern corner of the site.  Soil, groundwater, and sediment were sampled using temporary borings in May 2008 and December 2009 to determine if impacts are present due to facility operations, sewer breaks, and a possible historical sump overflow.  Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were detected in soil and groundwater in exceedance of screening criteria.  The SVOCs included bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and 2-methynaphthalene in groundwater and benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene in soil.  The sum of a sub-class of SVOCs, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs), were elevated in soil.  Groundwater continues to be monitored in the long-term monitoring program.  

In 2010, a sub-slab vapor investigation was conducted below the Building 2300 Distribution Center.  The results indicated there are no current risks to workers in the Building.

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Contaminants and Risks

Contaminants are routinely monitored in onsite groundwater broadly throughout the RCRA Corrective Action Facility.   Data to date indicate a generally decreasing trend in the level of contamination that has been found in groundwater at the Facility. 

Contaminants detected in concentrations greater than risk based screening criteria in onsite groundwater include chloroform,1,4 dioxane, 1,1,2,2 tetrachloroethane, tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE).  The current EPA risk based screening levels for these contaminants in Tap Water are 0.19 ug/l, 0.67 ug/L, 0.066 ug/L, 0.67 ug/L and 0.066 ug/L, respectively.   As of February 2013, the maximum concentrations of these contaminants ever detected at the southeast property boundary were 36 µg/L, 1.6 µg/L, 0.15 µg/L, 0.30 µg/L, and 0.53 µg/L, respectively.  The maximum concentrations of these constituents detected across the site in February 2013 were 61 µg/L, 1.5 µg/L, 0.14 µg/L, 2.3 µg/L, and 1.9 µg/L, respectively.  These detections are lower than the Federal Maximum Contaminant Levels in a public water supply for PCE (5 ug/L) and TCE  (5 ug/L).  

EPA is using risk based screening levels solely to determine the extent of contamination.  At this time, it is not known whether the extent of contamination in groundwater extends offsite.   Remedial action goals will be developed based on a comprehensive understanding of the source, potential risks, maximum beneficial groundwater use, and pathways.  As groundwater is not ingested, there is no current risk associated with ingestion of groundwater.  Additionally, there is no potential for unacceptable vapor intrusion associated with impacts to groundwater which have been detected at the southern property boundary.    

Contaminants are present at AOC-1/SWMU-1.  The primary COCs in soil at AOC-1/SWMU-1 are PAHs; however, benzo(a)pyrene is the only PAH that exceeds its industrial soil screening level of 210 µg/kg.  Benzo(a)pyrene was detected in surface soil near SWMU 1 (New Waste Water Treatment Plant) at concentrations ranging from 28-1400 µg/kg.  Though most individual PAHs do not exceed screening criteria, total PAHs in soil are elevated in this area.  In groundwater samples collected from temporary borings advanced in the area in 2008 and 2009, bis(2- ethylhexy) phthalate was identified as the primary COC in groundwater at AOC 1/SWMU 1.  However, bis(2-ethylhexy) phthalate has not been detected in groundwater samples that have been collected from three permanent groundwater monitoring wells that were installed in the area in 2010.

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Institutional Controls

The need for institutional controls, such as deed restrictions, will be evaluated in the corrective action decision making process. Institutional controls to address groundwater contamination are anticipated.

Independent of EPA, the sales agreement between Pfizer and Fareva includes restrictions that prohibit digging at some locations at the Facility. EPA will consider these restrictions among the institutional controls in the context of identifying a remedy for the site.

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