EPA RCRA ID: PAD003018256
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The EPA is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
EPA’s review of available information indicates that there are no unaddressed releases of hazardous waste or hazardous constituents from the Keystone Color Works, Inc. facility (KCW or Site). On March 6, 2014. EPA determined that contamination in groundwater and human exposures risk from contaminants were under control.
The final remedy for the facility was completed and posted in a statement of basis on June 24, 2014, and consists of institutional controls to restrict land use and groundwater use on a portion of the facility property. EPA's proposed remedy for Facility soils consists of the inspection and maintenance of the existing concrete slab in the KCW Building. The concrete slab eliminates direct contact with contaminated soils and prevents migration of contamination.
EPA's proposed remedy would allow some contaminants to remain in the soils directly beneath the concrete floor above levels appropriate for residential and non-residential (e.g., commercial, industrial) uses. Therefore, EPA proposes to establish activity and use restrictions for the Facility, in addition to inspection and maintenance requirements for the concrete slab through an enforceable control such as an order and/or an Environmental Covenant.
Cleanup Background
Between 2004 and 2012, a variety of surface and subsurface investigations were conducted at the Site. Lead contamination was discovered in the surface and subsurface soils outside of the building footprint, in addition to the discovery of lead and arsenic contamination in the subsurface soils beneath the existing building concrete slab. No contamination was discovered in the groundwater beneath the Site.
Contaminated soil was excavated from along the western side of the KCW building to a depth of up to approximately two feet in the areas where exceedances of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP’s) Residential Statewide Health Standards (SHSs) were detected. Following soil excavation, post-excavation confirmatory soil sampling for lead was conducted and all post excavation sample results were below the applicable PADEP Residential SHSs. Approximately 156 tons (104 cy) of contaminated soils were removed from the Site.
With respect to the subsurface soils beneath the existing building concrete slab, excavation and removal of these soils is not considered to be practical without the demolition of the building and removal of the concrete floor slab. Because the concrete floor slab has been a stable and competent barrier to prevent any direct contact exposures to soils below the floor slab, remediation of these soils has been accomplished through in-place containment and exposure pathway elimination.
On October 14, 2013, a revised Remedial Investigation Report and Final Report for the NWT properties was submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) for final review and approval.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, 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 |
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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 Site is located at 151 West Gay Street and is comprised of two (2) adjoining parcels totaling 0.725 acres. The building and/or former building components cover much of the property. The eastern third of the property consists of a concrete pad that had been the floor for a section of the former building that was demolished in the 1990s. The remainder of the property consists of narrow grassy strips of land located to the north and west of the building.
The earliest known use of the property was in the manufacture of farm machinery from 1887 to 1908. Keystone has produced organic and inorganic pulp pigments for the wallpaper and surface coating trades at the facility since 1919. Hazardous substances, in the form of raw materials, finished product, and waste materials, have historically been stored throughout the building. Until the 1980s, pigment production consisted of mixing raw materials in 300 and 3,000-gallon wooden tanks, collecting the resultant pigment solid, pressing it in filter presses to remove the water, and packaging the finished product.
KCW is enrolled in EPA’s One Cleanup Program, the Agency’s vision for how different cleanup programs at all levels of government can work together to meet that goal, and ensure that resources, activities, and results are effectively coordinated and communicated to the public. It is a long term initiative designed to support the ongoing planning and quality improvement efforts of EPA cleanup programs. Investigation and remediation of the Site is being primarily addressed in accordance with Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2).
KCW is part of a larger cleanup initiative referred to as the Northwest Triangle (NWT) which consists of a multi-block area of separate properties that cover 14.5 acres in the northwestern corner of the City of York. The City of York Redevelopment Authority (RDA), a non-profit organization, is remediating, rehabilitating, and/or redeveloping these impacted and underutilized properties as part of the city’s revitalization activities. The NWT area is generally bounded to the north and west by the Codorus Creek, and is bisected by various rail lines operated by York.
Contaminants at this Facility
Some contamination remains in-place at the Site in the soils beneath the existing building concrete floor slab. Lead and arsenic were detected in the soils beneath the concrete floor at concentrations above PADEP’s Residential SHSs. However, exposure pathways to contaminated soils have been eliminated through in-place containment under the existing building concrete slab.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls include:
- Prohibiting any use that requires removal or disturbance ofthe concrete floor slab and exposure to the underlying soils.
- All earth moving activities in the area outlined , including excavation, drilling and construction activities, shall be prohibited unless it is demonstrated to EPA that such activity will not pose a threat to human health or the environment.
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?
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Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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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
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.