Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Lyncott Corporation - Landfill in New Milford, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The remediation efforts have been implemented in accordance with the requirements of a September 4, 1981, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Consent Order, an October 22, 1984, Order of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, and a September 28, 1984, Stipulation of the Parties.
EPA has determined that the cleanup levels are protective of human health and the environment for non-residential land use, and on May 9, 2014, EPA issued a Corrective Action Statement of Basis with remedy that included controls for groundwater monitoring, land and groundwater use restrictions, operation and maintenance of cap relying on this new institutional controls (IC) and continuation of the PADEPs monitoring requirements under an existing approved 1994 Post-Closure Plan. The remedy for groundwater consists of monitored natural attenuation until drinking water standards are met, and compliance with and maintenance of groundwater use restrictions at the Facility to prevent exposure to contaminants while levels remain above drinking water standards.
Site Description
The Facility is situated on approximately 192 acres of land located in New Milford Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Ten acres of the total 192 acres located in the north central portion of the property were utilized for waste disposal, storage or processing. The facility is characterized as a rolling upland with open fields in the upland area which are bordered by hardwood and conifers. Land in the surrounding area consists of overgrown grasses and scrub brush. The steeper slopes on the Site are forested. The surface topography in the disposal areas generally exhibits slopes of less than 11 percent and surface drainage from these areas is to the southeast to an unnamed tributary of Meylert Creek. There is overland flow of water during precipitation events to the northwest of the landfill site to an unnamed tributary of Martins Creek.
The entire Facility is surrounded by a six-foot, chain-link fence which is gated at the entrance. The north, east, and south portions of the property are bounded by forested land. Access to the property is limited to a single, unimproved dirt road located along the western boundary.
The Site was developed in the mid-1970’s as a lined Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Area. At that time municipal waste was deposited into a 410 feet by 200 feet area with a leachate collection system. Industrial waste began to be deposited on-site in the third quarter 1979 and by the end of 1979 the Facility began accepting industrial wastes exclusively. The Facility applied as a hazardous waste facility in November 1980 as a result of the corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity of the disposed waste. The areas where wastes were disposed and/or stored during operation of the Facility have been identified as modules and SWMUs.
- Module #1 – Vault #1 with Sedimentation Pond #1(SWMU (Solid Waste Management Unit) #1) and the Sludge Storage Area (SWMU #2);
- Module #2 – Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Area (SWMU #3), the proposed Vault #2 Area (SWMU #4) and Vault #3 with Sedimentation Pond #3 (SWMU #5);
- Module #3 – IBM Stabilized Sludge Area (SWMU #6), the McGraw Edison Storage Pad (SWMU #7);
- Module #4 – Drum Storage Barns (SWMU #8).
Industrial waste disposal ceased on March 31, 1981, under an order by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (PADER) ,which was the predecessor to PADEP. A response action carried out at the industrial waste storage and disposal areas during the summer of 1982 included the removal of all drummed waste (over 6,800 drums) located in two storage barns; 9,500 tons of stored sludge and contaminated soil; 165,600 gallons of water from two sedimentation ponds and two leachate tanks. Additional cover material was applied to the disposal vaults and the sanitary cell. As part of a September 4, 1981 PADER order, SWMU #1 and SWMU #5 were removed and shipped to an approved out-of-state hazardous waste landfill during the mid-1980’s. SWMU #4 was proposed and never constructed. Wastes and soil from SWMU #2, SWMU #7, and SWMU #8 were removed in 1981 and 1982. The two remaining SWMUs (SWMU #3 and SWMU #6) are being closed accordance with the PADER approved 1994 Post-Closure Plan.
Contaminants at this Facility
Contaminants of concern are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls consist of groundwater monitoring, land and groundwater use restrictions, operation and maintenance of cap.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The site under continued use.
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 PADEP.