Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Martins Creek (also known as: PPL - Pennsylvania Power and Light Company) in Bangor, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
EPA sets national goals to measure progress toward meeting the nation’s major environmental goals. For Corrective Action, EPA evaluates two key environmental indicators for each facility: (1) current human exposures under control and (2) migration of contaminated groundwater under control. In September 2000, EPA determined that both the Human Exposure and Groundwater Environmental Indicators had been met.
In 2001, EPA conducted a thorough site inspection of the Facility, and evaluated past environmental cleanup activities, current operating procedures, and environmental monitoring data. The evaluation included the sampling of well water from adjacent residential properties. On September 4, 2001, EPA issued a Corrective Action Final Decision that no further corrective action was necessary at the Facility.
In August 2005, a major release occurred from a coal ash disposal basin (Ash Basin #4). The ash discharged to the Delaware River and Oughoughton Creek. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) directed the cleanup from September 2005 through March 2006.
All ash basins were closed as of November 2014, under the direction of PADEP. An industrial waste treatment basin is still in use.
Site Description
The Facility is located along the Delaware River, off Foul Rift Road in Martins Creek, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in a mixed agricultural/residential area. The site is a steam-powered electric generating station. It previously used coal and oil to fuel the boilers, generating waste coal ash (fly ash and bottom ash). The ash was disposed of in on-site basins that operate under Residual Waste Permits issued by PADEP. The Facility no longer uses coal as fuel; therefore, it no longer generates coal ash. The ash basins are closed.
Contaminants at this Facility
Coal ash is confined within the closed basin areas. Groundwater monitoring continues for the closed ash basins and the treatment basin.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Maintenance of the closed basin caps is required by PADEP Residual Waste Permits.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is 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 PADEP with assistance from EPA Region 3.