EPA RCRA ID: PAD014512388
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.
The final remedy for the facility is complete and consists of an institutional control to prohibit residential use of the property. This institutional control is codified in an environmental covenant, which can be accessed below. The Final Decision for the facility was issued by EPA on July 12, 2011.
In response to concerns raised by Nockamixon Township in correspondence to EPA from March 2012, to June 2014, including inadequate restoration and characterization following closure of the Facility, EPA ensured that the Facility removed remaining debris from a small area of the Facility and completed restoration activities to the satisfaction of the Bucks County Conservation District. EPA also directed and oversaw sampling of the former quenching pond performed by the Facility’s consultant in December 2014 and August 2015. Results from this sampling revealed slight exceedances of arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in most sediment samples but higher concentrations of these contaminants in background samples taken upgradient of the Facility, suggesting that the former quenching pond was not impacted by industrial activity above background levels. As a result, in October 2015, EPA determined that the additional activities performed at the Facility were complete and no further investigation was warranted.
On May 19, 2020 , 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.
Several environmental investigations occurred at the facility in the 1980s, among which were a preliminary assessment and a site investigation that characterized soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater. Further investigations in the 1990s focused on low-level radioactive slag that was characterized and deemed safe for unrestricted use in 2001 (this material was subsequently removed from the facility in 2006). Site decommissioning activities, buried drum and underground storage tank removals, and fire pond characterization activities occurred in the 2000s. More information on the investigation and remediation of the facility can be found in the Statement of Basis.
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 |
|---|
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 former Cabot Performance Materials facility is approximately 102 acres in size and is bordered by Rapp Creek to the north, wooded areas to the east and west, and farmland and private residences to the northwest and south. The property is currently owned by the Cabot Corporation.
The facility began operations in 1959 as Penn Rare Metals. Penn Rare Metals primarily extracted beryllium from beryl ore. The Kawecki Division of Cabot Corporation began purchasing interests in Penn Rare Metals in 1960, and by 1963 obtained full ownership. Cabot Corporation continued to operate the facility for the production of cesium, rubidium, and niobium alloys and high-purity germanium and tellurium until 2002, when all operations ceased. All but two buildings (an office building and a warehouse/garage) have been demolished, and the facility is currently vacant.
Contaminants at this Facility
Primary contaminants at the facility included heavy metals and low-level radioactive slag material that was determined not to be of concern to human health or the environment (the slag was nevertheless removed from the facility in 2006). The 2004 Summary Environmental Report included a risk assessment that determined that the levels of heavy metals (primarily arsenic and vanadium) remaining in facility soils fall within acceptable risk levels protective of human health and the environment. However, since the concentrations of these heavy metals exceed Residential Soil Risk-Based Concentrations, an institutional control preventing residential use of the facility property is required.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
An environmental covenant between EPA and the facility was recorded in 2011 and includes an institutional control restricting land use of the property to non-residential purposes.
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: |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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.