BH has conducted numerous Act 2 site investigations, remedial actions, and groundwater monitoring events at the former Cole Steel/Northrop Grumman Facility located in Spring Garden Township, York County, PA.
The facility ceased operations in the early 1990s and had previously been used as an office equipment manufacturing facility. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of the facility was completed by BH in August 1998. We identified 45 areas of concern (AOCs) during the study. Subsequent remedial actions completed at the site included sludge removal, removal of containerized waste, removal of underground storage tanks, and other ancillary remedial actions. Documentation of this activity was provided to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). Soil and groundwater samples were subsequently collected to determine if contamination existed at selected AOCs. The original site characterization was performed concurrently with Kinsley Construction, who completed renovations to the site.
At the completion of the initial remedial actions, a Remedial Action Workplan was developed to address the remaining AOCs. The remaining AOCs included the following:
- Former incinerator area: AOC 22
- Poor House Run: AOC 28
- Paint sludge along Poor House Run: AOC 29
- Site-wide groundwater impacts: AOC 34
- Site-wide thallium issues
The paint sludge AOC was addressed in 2005 through excavation and sampling. Although a significant amount of paint sludge was removed from the banks of Poor House Run, it was not logistically possible to remove all of the contaminated material. As a result, a portion of the contaminated soils were left in place and was subsequently addressed through the Act 2 Site Specific Standard.
AOC 22, located at the southern end of the Cole Steel site, included property owned by Metso Minerals, Inc. A Statewide Health Standard Attainment was pursued for the Metso property. This Standard was selected so the property would not require a deed restriction after the remediation was complete. In order to satisfy the requirements of the Act 2 Process and attain the Statewide Health Standard, the impacted soil at the Metso Property was excavated to a depth of 15 feet and properly disposed of off-site. An Act 2 Statewide Health Standard Attainment Final Report was subsequently prepared to address this site and obtain a release of liability.
Contaminated soils and groundwater above the statewide health standard remained on-site even though significant remedial efforts were conducted at the Cole Steel/Northrop Grumman Facility to eliminate the contaminated material. Since the concentrations exceeded the Statewide Health Standard, a Site Specific Standard was pursued to address the remaining AOCs and obtain environmental liability protection for the site. A combined remedial investigation report, risk assessment report, and final report was prepared by BH in general accordance to the site-specific cleanup requirements outlined in Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program (Act 2).
Water Resources
