Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Knoll Incorporated in East Greenville, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The Corrective Action Final Decision of Complete without Controls became effective October 2, 2012, after a 30-day public comment period. No further action is required to make the Knoll property suitable for any type of land use.
An Environmental Indicator (EI) Inspection was performed at the Knoll facility in September 2007. This inspection summarized several prior investigations including the preliminary assessment of 1989, several underground storage tank (UST) investigations and closures in the 1990s, and an incinerator dismantling/removal in 2002. The EI inspection identified several potential areas of concern, mostly associated with past UST closures and their impact to soil and groundwater in the area. Upon further investigation that included a site visit in June 2012, adequate remediation appears to have been performed. The monitoring well network adequately covered the UST areas and revealed little to no impact from previous UST activities. EPA determined that both EIs were met at the facility in July 2012.
Site Description
The Knoll facility is situated on 99 acres of land located in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The facility was built in 1964 and has produced office furniture, partitions, fixtures, and office systems throughout its history to the present. The facility comprises three separate buildings: the Fabrication building (original main facility), the Schlosser Warehouse building (completed in 1985), and the Lubin Assembly building (completed in 1986). The Fabrication building, as the main facility building and the location of any hazardous waste generation or handling, is the primary focus for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action purposes.
Contaminants at this Facility
Primary contaminants at the facility include volatile organic chemicals associated with petroleum hydrocarbons from previous UST use, and solvents and metals associated with painting operations; however, after the remediation of the USTs, little evidence of any contamination remains at the facility.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls were not required at the site.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
Knoll continues to use the facility to produce office systems and furniture.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3.