Mid-Atlantic Corrective Action

TRC Spent Cathode Storage Pile
Formerly: Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation
Spent Potliner Pile

On This Page

• Status
• Background
• Contaminants and Risks
• Community Interaction
• Documents and Reports
• Photos, Maps and Diagrams
• Reuse Information
• Questions

EPA ID:WVD988766127
Location:
Willow Grove Road
Ravenswood, WV 26164
Property Area 2.7 Acres
Congressional District: 29
Other Names: Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp
Spent Potliner Pile
FINAL UPDATE

Contacts

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Status

The Spent Potliner (SPL) Pile is a 2.7-acre, encapsulated deposit of aluminum-smelting wastes located southwest of Ravenswood, West Virginia.  The site is completely surrounded by an active aluminum smelting facility (Century Aluminum) .

An Administrative Order on Consent requiring investigation of the site was signed by EPA and the owner  (Kaiser) on April 3, 1995.  In compliance with the order, the following activities have been completed:

• A RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) was performed to evaluate the impact of the site on surrounding soils and groundwater.  The RFI was completed on March 10, 1997.
• A Part I Corrective Measures Study (CMS) was completed on January 22, 1998, and identified the need for testing of the facility cover.
• A Part II CMS involved field and laboratory testing of the cover material.  The draft CMS Report was submitted to EPA on May 28, 1998.

The draft CMS Report concluded that the most effective option for elimination of risk due to the facility was leaving the material in its present location, performing initial repairs to the seams in the cover, and then continuing to maintain the cover, replacing as necessary.

In 2004, Kaiser divested itself of the SPL Pile as part of bankruptcy proceedings.  At that time, TRC Environmental Corporation took ownership of the Spent Potliner Pile

EPA concurred with the recommended remedy in the CMS Report, and on August 25, 2011 the proposed remedy was put out for public comment.   No comments were received during the 30 day public comment period and a Final Decision and Response To Comments (FDRTC) was issued to TRC on November 8, 2011.

EPA and TRC both signed an 7003 Consent Order in August 2012.  The Consent Order is the authority EPA uses to enforce the selected remedy with TRC. 

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Background

The SPL Pile was originally part of an integrated aluminum manufacturing facility which began operation in 1957 by Kaiser Aluminum. Between 1972 and 1980, spent potliner from the smelting process was stockpiled on concrete and clay pads, awaiting shipment for mineral recycling. An EPDM cover was installed in 1981 to isolate the material from the environment and to prevent contact with rainwater. The site is completely enclosed by a chain-link fence and is located wholly within an active industrial facility.

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Contaminants and Risks

SPL was designated by USEPA as a listed hazardous waste under RCRA in 1988. The main contaminants in soil and groundwater are cyanide and fluoride.

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