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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Dal Tile International in Lansdale, Pennsylvania

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Cleanup Status

On February 2000, EPA issued a Final Determination that no further corrective action is required at this time at the Facility because the Facility has properly completed closure activities. Post-closure monitoring demonstrates that organic compounds found at the one upgradient well were not released by the Facility. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) determined that the source of this contamination originated from an off-site source. Moreover, PADEP concluded that random chromium, manganese and iron detections are inherent to the geological Brunswick Formation's Mineralogy. Therefore detected heavy metals were not released by the Facility. Based on EPA's review of PADEP's assessments, and the existing information, no further corrective action is required at the Facility at this time.

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Site Description

Interactive map of Dal Tile International, Lansdale, PA

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The Dal-Tile facility is located at the north end of Cannon Avenue in Lansdale Borough and Hatfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The industrial site manufactured glazed ceramic tiles at this location since 1927. Ownership of the property has changed several times since 1927. The Franklin Tile Company operated at this location from 1927 until the early 1950s. From the early 1950s until 1959, the name of the company was American Encaustic Tile Company. In 1959 the name of the company was changed to American Olean Tile Company. In December 1995, Dal-Tile International, then the largest U.S. manufacturer of ceramic tile acquired the American Olean Tile Company. After closure of the Dal-Tile facility in August 1998, the property was sold to Stoltz Management who is undertaking plans to redevelop the property into office space.

During its operation, the Facility manufactured a complete line of glazed wall tiles, glazed bathroom accessories, and glazed and unglazed floor tiles. The manufacturing processes were typical of the tile industry. For the tile bodies, the raw materials were flint, pyrophyllite, shale, clay, steatite, whiting and kaolin. These materials were prepared into tile bodies suitable for pressing into tile shapes by weighing, blending, tempering, and densifying. Tile glazes were prepared onsite via conventional methods. Heavy metal salts were commonly used as pigments in the glaze. Salts of heavy metals included Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Cobalt, Iron,Manganese, Nickel, Lead, Selenium, Tin, Zirconium and Zinc. The glazing materials were batched, milled and then sprayed onto the tile surfaces at spray booths. Tiles were then fired in tunnel kilns.

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Contaminants at this Facility

Primary concern was heavy metals used in tile which included Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Cobalt, Iron, Manganese, Nickel, Lead, Selenium, Tin, Zirconium and Zinc.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

    Institutional Controls were not required at the site.

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    Land Reuse Information at this Facility

    The site is being reused.

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    Site Responsibility at this Facility

    Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

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