EPA RCRA ID: VAD070360219
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 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
EPA has determined that no further action under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action program is required at this time. A 45 day public comment period on the proposed decision extended from June 10, to July 26, 1999. No comments were received during that time. Therefore, EPA has issued a final Agency Determination that clean-up is complete at GE's Winchester Lamp Plant.
Only one area, a concrete pad used for storing drums of hazardous waste, was identified as potentially having a release at this facility. During a hazardous waste inspection, several overfilled drums were observed to be leaking waste material, but the waste was confined to the tops of the drums. In 1989, GE cleaned the concrete pad of any contamination. Soil sampling results in the area showed no detectable levels of contamination and Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) provided approval of the "clean closure" certification for the unit on November 4, 1998. "Clean closure" is a term that is used to define the process of completely removing all waste that was treated, stored, or disposed in a hazardous waste unit.
One other area of concern was the site of two former underground fuel tanks. These tanks were removed and GE sampled the soil and groundwater in the area to determine if there had been a release. No contamination was found and the site was deemed "cleaned closed" by VA DEQ Underground Storage Tank Program.
However, upon determining to sell the Property, GE performed Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments and supplemental investigations in 2011. One soil sample containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) exceeding screening levels and two soil excavations were conducted in 2011. Samples then confirmed all PCBs above screening levels were removed. Other site sampling in revealed Semi-volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) as a concern. An Environmental Covenant with deed restriction addressed this issue.
On September 19, 2016, the VDEQ conducted a Long Term Stewardship assessment to assess whether the remedy was implemented and protective of human health and the environment. VDEQ 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. 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 GE Winchester Lamp Plant is located about 3 miles south of Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia and the site is situated on a 125 acre parcel of land.
The facility began operation in 1975, and is currently producing household incandescent light bulbs under its own name and private brand names. The major components of the light bulb are produced at other facilities and shipped to Winchester Lamp Plant for assembly. Incandescent light bulbs were manufactured from the date when operations began on the Property until September 24, 2010, when operations on the Property ceased.
Contaminants at this Facility
During a hazardous waste inspection in the late 1980s, several overfilled drums leaking waste material were observed. That waste was confined to the tops of the drums. In 1989, GE cleaned the concrete pad used to store the drums of any contamination. Subsequent sampling showed SVOCS of concern on the site.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls ,enforced through an Environmental Covenant include:
- Residential use of the site is prohibited.
- Soil excavation must comply according with the VA DEQ rules.
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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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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.