EPA RCRA ID: MDD980829873
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. Corrective action is a requirement under RCRA that facilities that treat, store or dispose of hazardous wastes, or did so in the past, investigate and clean up hazardous releases into soil, groundwater, surface water and air. For more information, and for more information on RCRA-specific terms used on this page, please visit EPA’s umbrella RCRA web page or EPA’s RCRA Corrective Action page.
On this page:
- Cleanup Activities
- Facility Description
- Institutional/Engineering Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information and Publicly Available Electronic Records
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Activities
The EPA is the lead agency for cleanups at this facility.
In September 1991, EPA issued a Corrective Action permit to University of Maryland (UM). The permit required UM to investigate whether releases occurred from various Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs). UM conducted soil and groundwater investigations at the SWMUs. Areas identified with soil contamination were remediated as follows: (1) soil was removed from the Pesticides Wash and Diesel Fuel Tank Areas; and (2) a Diesel Fuel Tank was removed and replaced. EPA determined that other areas did not require remediation. Groundwater investigations showed some low level dioxin and methane in the three Paint Branch Landfills and the Metzerott Road Landfill. EPA concluded that the low level dioxin and methane, coupled with the low risk of human exposure, would not pose a risk to human health and the environment under current conditions. Ground water underlying the University is not used for drinking water.
In January 2007, EPA reissued the Corrective Action Permit to UM. UM completed work on all of the SWMUs, with remaining work to be completed at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) property located on campus. The permit requires a Corrective Measures Study (CMS) for MFRI, and also includes a Notice for Use Restriction (an institutional control) to prevent future use of groundwater beneath the former landfills (including MFRI) as a drinking water supply. EPA approved UM's CMS workplan in June 2007, and the Use Restriction was is recorded in Prince George County Land Records. Ground water monitoring for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, naphthalene and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) will continue at MFRI for the natural attenuation remedy. The permit also requires EPA review for future development that requires excavation in the former landfills.
On March 6, 2014, the EPA conducted a Long Term Stewardship assessment to assess whether the remedy was implemented and protective of human health and the environment. EPA determined that the remedy institutional and engineering controls have been fully implemented and no control deficiencies were identified.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
|---|
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The University of Maryland at College Park is a state owned and operated higher education institution. The facility is comprised of a complex of academic and research buildings designed and used for performing the University's primary broad educational and research missions, complemented by residential, services, and support buildings.
The surrounding land use is primarily residential property on the north, south and west property lines. The area east of the campus has been developed for light industrial/commercial business and residential uses. Surface water runoff is directed toward Paint Branch Creek located on the eastern margin of the campus. A portion of the eastern section of the campus is located in the 100-year floodplain. Based on landfill area studies, groundwater depth ranges from two to 15 feet and appears to flow south. Ground water beneath the campus is not used for drinking water purposes.
At the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, a limited area of petroleum related groundwater contamination has been delineated and benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, naphthalene and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) contaminants remain at low levels. Human exposure to contamination is prevented because most of the surface area is paved and groundwater contaminants are declining from natural processes over time.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The University registered a ground water use restriction with the County Land Use records, which prohibits ground water use for drinking water purposes. Also on the landfills certain activities, including but not limited to, excavation, grading, dewatering, sheeting or shoring, are prohibited without prior written approval in following areas:
- Point Branch Landfills : Area 1A :9.74 Acres; Area 1-B: 54 Acres; Area 1-C: .9 Acres; and Area 2: 1.01 Acres;
- Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute (MFRI - Landfill Area 3A): 10.86 Acres;
- Metzerott Road Landfill Area - 4.35 Acres
Also in MFRI (Landfill 3A) Area : Ground water monitoring for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, naphthalene and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) will continue at MFRI for the natural attenuation remedy.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
|
Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | |||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information and Publicly Available Electronic Records
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.