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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Brooks Instrument - Division of Emerson Electric in Hatfield, Pennsylvania

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The Facility entered into the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (PADEP) Act 2 Land Recycling Program in February 2007.

Cleanup Status

The 2013 groundwater monitoring report concluded that concentrations of trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE) in groundwater have remained relatively stable over the last several reporting periods at MW-1 and MW-2, but have increased at MW-3, a well in the interior of the Facility near a suspected source area.  Further investigation of MW-3 is planned to determine how the treatment system may be enhanced in this area.

An Environmental Indicator (EI) inspection was conducted in April 2009, to determine whether human exposures to contamination and the migration of contaminated groundwater were under control.  EPA determined that the facility met the Migration of Contaminated Groundwater EI in September 2014.  While it is likely that the Human Exposures EI is presently met at the facility as suggested by a risk assessment performed by the facility’s consultant, more information is needed on the potential for vapor intrusion from soil and groundwater contamination beneath the southwestern side of the facility.

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Site Description

Interactive map of Brooks Instrument - Division of Emerson Electric, Hatfield, PA

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The 9.2-acre location was initially developed in 1935 as a textile mill.  The Brooks Instrument Division of Emerson Electric Company has occupied this location since 1957 and manufactures and assembles analytical and electrical flow meters.  Emerson Electric sold the Facility in December 2007, but retains ownership of the remediation activities of the Facility.

The Facility has been remediating soil and groundwater since 1979, when an inspection by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection noted that waste solvents including TCE had been released to the ground surface.  A groundwater pump-and-treat system has operated at the Facility since 1980; groundwater monitoring and treated groundwater effluent from this system is regulated under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.  Several soil removals have taken place to eliminate potential source areas of contamination.  A soil vapor extraction (SVE) system was installed in 2007 to further remediate soils in the grassy area adjacent to the parking lot and garage.  The groundwater recovery system was expanded in 2009 with the addition of a second recovery well installed downgradient of the facility to reduce the off-site migration of contaminated groundwater.

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Contaminants at this Facility

Primary contaminants at the facility include the chlorinated volatile organic compounds TCE and PCE.  Soil and groundwater have been impacted by the contaminants.  Potential exposure to this contamination may be possible via vapor intrusion into the southwestern side of the main building or by ingestion of contaminated groundwater.  Although private wells exist within a half-mile radius of the facility, none of the wells downgradient of the facility are used for potable purposes.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

    The need for Institutional Controls has yet to be determined.

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    Land Reuse Information at this Facility

    Brooks Instrument continues to use the facility to manufacture analytical and electrical flow meters.

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