Agreement Addresses TCE Cleanup at Foster Wheeler Energy Corp/Church Road TCE Site in Pennsylvania
In September 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation (FWEC) agreed to a settlement for interim cleanup work at the Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation/Church Road TCE site in Pennsylvania and to pay the EPA for its past and future costs. The site contains contaminated soil and groundwater, where trichloroethylene (TCE), was used as an industrial greaser. Addressing the TCE contaminated groundwater will help to protect the surrounding residential community. The value of the settlement is $4.150 million.
On this page:
- Information about Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
- Information about the Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation/Church Road TCE Superfund Site
- Overview of the Consent Decree
- Contact Information
Information about Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
Foster Wheeler AG (formerly Foster Wheeler Inc.) was a Swiss global engineering conglomerate. In November 2014 Foster Wheeler merged with Amec plc. to form Amec Foster Wheeler plc. Amec Foster Wheeler plc was a British multinational consultancy, engineering and project management company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. In October 2017, Amec Foster Wheeler plc was acquired by Wood Group. As a result of that 2017 acquisition Foster Wheeler Energy Company is a subsidiary of Wood Group.
Information about the Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation/Church Road TCE Superfund Site
The Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation/Church Road TCE Superfund site consists of the former Foster Wheeler Energy Corp. facility and the Church Road TCE site located in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania. FWEC manufactured and fabricated large pressure vessels utilized in oil refineries, electric utility plants, and the shipping industry from 1953 through 1984, which resulted in the soil and groundwater contamination. A groundwater extraction and treatment system has been in operation at the former FWEC facility since 1993. Groundwater contamination was identified in residential wells and impacted residences were connected to public water.
The site is being addressed thought the Superfund Alternative Approach, an alternative to listing a site on the National Priorities List.
More information about the site is available on the Agency’s Foster Wheeler Energy Corp./Church Road TCE Superfund site profile webpage.
Overview of the Consent Decree
The consent decree for interim remedial action requires FWEC to do the following:
- Perform the interim cleanup work selected by the EPA in its September 2018 interim record of decision;
- Reimburse the EPA $950,000 for its past cleanup costs at the site through February 27, 2018; and
- Pay all future cleanup costs and the state’s future cleanup costs, as defined in the settlement.
This is the latest agreement between the EPA, the Pennsylvania Department of the Environmental Protection and FWEC. FWEC has been performing cleanup activity at the site since 1988 under the Superfund Alternative Approach, which allows cleanup at a site to proceed without listing the site on the National Priorities List.
Contact Information
For more information contact
Jared Hautamaki
Attorney Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
202-569-0340
hautamaki.jared@epa.gov
Robin Eiseman
Senior Assistant Regional Counsel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 3
1650 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-814-2612
eiseman.robin@epa.gov