EPA RCRA ID: PAD004318416
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 issued its Statement of Basis for the Facility on August 18, 2015. The proposed remedy consisted of continued compliance with the restrictions and requirements contained in the environmental covenant and its associated Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)-approved Post Remediation Care Plan in order to control human and environmental exposure to hazardous constituents in Facility soils. Since no comments were received during the 30-day public comment period which ended September 18, 2015, EPA issued its Final Decision on September 23, 2015. The Final Decision was unchanged from the remedy proposed in the Statement of Basis.
EPA conducted a Long Term Stewardship (LTS) assessment of the Facility in September 2023. The assessment confirmed that the engineering and institutional controls described in EPA’s Final Decision remain protective of human health and the environment.
Cleanup Background
United States Bronze Foundry and Machine, Inc. (USBFMI) has been the owner/operator of the Facility since 1988. A contractor for Pneumo Abex LLC (former Facility owner) submitted a Site Characterization Report (SCR) in 2006. The SCR focused on the following five areas: South Parking Lot, Fuel Tank Area, Facility-Wide Groundwater, Metals Impacted Soils and Sediments (MISS) and the Slag Reclamation Basin/Bank (SRB) Area.
A Final Report was submitted for the Fuel Tank Area in September 2009. This Area is located on the northeastern portion of the Facility where four (4) decommissioned 20,000-gallon aboveground fuel oil storage tanks (ASTs) that were used from 1947 through 1984 are located. Based on soil sampling results no additional work is required at the Fuel Tank Area.
A Final Report was submitted for the South Parking Lot area in October 2009. From 1959 through 1969, spent foundry sands containing elevated levels of metals, primarily lead, and limited quantities of other fill materials generated from facility operations were placed in the South Parking Lot Area to bring that area to grade. In Fall 2008, an asphalt cover system was placed over the existing parking lot and a geocomposite cover system was placed on the western slope of this Area. The covers, along with institutional controls designed to maintain the engineered components and limit future site activities in this Area, effectively eliminate potential future exposure pathways.
A Cleanup Plan for the MISS/SRB areas was submitted in January 2011. The SRB is comprised of a former wastewater management basin and its adjacent bank located in the north central portion of the Facility. The SRB was used to manage solids from the reclamation process. At the time of the SCR, the SRB had been filled to grade with sludge, debris, and soils containing elevated concentrations of metals, primarily lead. Waste materials including dried sludge and foundry sand were also present in the adjacent bank and on adjacent residential property. Approximately 4,500 cubic yards of waste materials were deposited in the SRB. The MISS Area includes the remainder of the Facility property. Most of the surface and subsurface soil samples collected from the MISS Area did not exhibit elevated constituent concentrations. However, metals, primarily lead, were detected at elevated levels at a 2-acre area adjacent to the SRB Area, at a 0.5-acre area in the Equipment Storage Area north of the foundry building, at a 0.1-acre area north of the entrance road, in sediments in a portion of the unnamed tributary adjacent to the SRB Area, and in drainage features adjacent to stormwater outfalls. The Cleanup Plan, approved by both EPA and PADEP, proposed excavating and relocating contaminated soils from the MISS Area to the SRB Area and then capping the SRB Area.
A Site Cleanup Final Report was submitted in October 2013. The site was remediated in Fall 2012 in accordance with the approved Cleanup Plan. These institutional controls were included as activity and use limitations (AULs) in an environmental covenant recorded in Crawford County, PA in June 2010.
The contractor for Pneumo Abex executed an environmental covenant on behalf of USBFMI in August 2014. The covenant contained institutional controls that designated usage of the site for non-residential use only, instituted inspection and maintenance requirements for the cover systems at the Facility, spelled out measures to prevent disturbance of the cover systems, and prohibited groundwater usage for potable purposes within the cover boundaries.
In August 2010, EPA determined that contamination in groundwater and human exposures risk from contaminants were under control.
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 Facility is located on approximately 40 acres in the southwest corner of Woodcock Township in Crawford County, approximately 2.5 miles north of Meadville, Pennsylvania. USBFMI is bordered on the north and south by residential areas, on the west by French Creek and on the east by Conrail tracks and U.S. Route 19.
The Facility has been operated since 1947 by several companies including Pneumo Abex Corporation (ABEX), ABC Rail Corporation, and USBFMI for the production of non-ferrous brass and bronze castings. USBFMI currently owns the Facility. Prior to USBFMI's ownership, solid waste was disposed in an on-site landfill, liquid wastes were reclaimed in lagoons and basins, and foundry sands were used as fill material in the south parking lot and placed on the ground surface in various areas. USBFMI currently operates the Facility as a foundry and machine shop producing non-ferrous castings, and semi-finished and finished machined products.
In the early 1960s, ABEX used a 3.1-acre portion of the Facility southwest of the main building and South Parking Area as a landfill (Landfill) for the storage and disposal of various types of high metals content wastes. The Landfill, which contains approximately 31,600 cubic yards of waste, was closed in 1985 under an approved Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) closure permit. ABEX also treated industrial waste in two clay-lined wastewater treatment lagoons located west of the North Parking Area (Lagoons). The Lagoons were also closed in the mid-1980’s under an approved RCRA closure permit. The remainder of the areas of concern at the site were discussed in the Status section above.
Contaminants at this Facility
Metals, primarily lead, were historically seen in soils throughout the Facility property. All of the soils containing elevated metals concentrations have been excavated and placed in various locations at the Facility beneath engineered covers, effectively eliminating the direct exposure pathway. Dissolved phase metals in groundwater have consistently been below PADEP’s non-residential medium specific concentrations. The environmental covenant will add an extra layer of protection by prohibiting the use of groundwater beneath cover systems on site for potable purposes.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The contractor for Pneumo Abex executed an environmental covenant on behalf of USBFMI in August 2014. The covenant contained institutional controls that designated usage of the site for non-residential use only, instituted inspection and maintenance requirements for the cover systems at the Facility, spelled out measures to prevent disturbance of the cover systems, and prohibited groundwater usage for potable purposes within the cover boundaries.
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) |
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.