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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Materion Brush Incorporated (Formerly: Brush Wellman Incorporated) in Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania

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Cleanup Status

EPA is currently reviewing the existing environmental information to determine if further investigation and/or corrective action will be required at the site.  EPA will first focus on the health and groundwater impacts, if any, presented by the facility.  Once EPA completes this review process, an environmental indicator determination will be prepared and posted to this website.

 
 


 

 
 
 

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Site Description

Interactive map of Materion Brush Incorporated (Formerly: Brush Wellman Incorporated), Shoemakersville, PA

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Operations at the site began in 1955 under the name of Penn Precision Company.  Brush Wellman purchased Penn Precision in 1957 and has manufactured beryllium-copper alloy strip at the site since 1960.  Prior to 1981, Brush Wellman also performed cadmium plating of beryllium-copper string.  Depending upon customer specifications, final finishing may include  additional steps such as degreasing, salt bathing, strand pickling, and slitting. 

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) has overseen closure of several tanks and a surface impoundment.  Groundwater has historically been impacted by operations at the site.  Constituents of concern include nickel, cyanide, cadmium, beryllium and nitrates.  As a result of resident’s complaints, Brush Wellman has redrilled several private wells in 1992 and 1999.  

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Contaminants at this Facility

Contaminants of concern include nickel, cyanide, cadmium, beryllium and nitrates.

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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

The site under continued use.

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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. 

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