Companies to Help Cleanup Superfund Site in Pennsylvania

Dec. 28, 2000
Three major U.S. companies have agreed to continue the cleanup of hazardous waste at the Boarhead Farms Superfund site in Pennsylvania, under a partial settlement filed this week in federal court in Philadelphia. The site formerly was home to the now defunct DeRewal Chemical Co., a chemical and waste hauling company.

The three companies -- Cytec Industries, Inc., Ford Motor Co. and SPS Technologies, Inc. -- are believed to be responsible for some of the contamination at the 120-acre site in Bridgeton Township and have agreed to work out this settlement. EPA has already started the cleanup there, and the companies will now take over a portion of the effort.

The environmental concern regarding the site began back in the 1970s, when state and local officials responded to several chemical spills there and found discarded and buried drums of hazardous waste throughout the property. The soil, surface water and groundwater all remain contaminated with concentrated acids and caustics, paint solvents, pesticides, chloride, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc, copper ammonium sulfate, arsenic pentoxide, and copper naptholate.

Clean-up measures by Cytec, Ford and SPS will include pumping and treating contaminated groundwater, treating residential water supplies, and installing six additional monitoring wells.

EPA is continuing additional work at the site, including soil aeration, treatment of volatile organic compound hot spots, excavation and off-site disposal of buried drums. The agency is continuing its investigation of other parties that may be liable for additional cleanup costs under Superfund.

The proposed settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

(SOURCE: EPA Region 3)

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