Hazardous Waste Cleanup: MPM Silicones LLC, (Formerly: GE Silicones) in Friendly, West Virginia
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Based on information provided in a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B permit application to the State of West Virginia, EPA Region III issued a RCRA Corrective Action Permit (CAP) in December 1990, to the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) to operate a hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facility in Friendly, West Virginia The permit was modified in 1997 to incorporate interim measures that the facility was initiating to address areas of contamination
Cleanup Status
EPA and the facility worked jointly to complete the requirements of the permits which included:
- Conducting a Verification Investigation (VI) and RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) to determine if any areas warranted any cleanup action.
- Preparing a Corrective Measures Study (CMS) to propose if final cleanup actions were needed.
- Implemented interim measures at Solid Waste Management Units (SWMU) including construction of a ten acre landfill cap, construction of a diversion ditch to capture runoff, stabilization of a wet weather stream bank, new fencing around disposal areas, periodic inspections of the cap, ditches and fencing with maintenance performed as needed, and removal of several buried drums.
- Conducting semi-annual groundwater monitoring for four years with quarterly monitoring of groundwater until levels are below maximum contaminant level (MCLs) for two consecutive quarters.
The facility has completed the required corrective action measures and continues to monitor groundwater. Additional monitoring wells have been installed at the request of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. The interim measures that have been implemented at the facility during the Corrective Action Program have been effective. Therefore, EPA has proposed and selected, after Public Notice, the on-going Corrective Action Remedy as a final remedy for this facility. The monitoring requirements of this Corrective Action Remedy have been incorporated into the new West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) RCRA Permit.
EPA’s final decision of Corrective Action Complete with Controls for the facility was provided in a July 2007, Public Notice.
Site Description
Located about six miles south of Sisterville, West Virginia, the OSI Specialities, Inc. site encompasses approximately 1300 acres with approximately 75 acres being the active facility. The nearest community is located within two miles of the facility. The facility produces organosilicones which in turn are used to produce polymers and silanes. Chemical production wastes are generated, stored, and treated. The Facility is located adjacent to West Virginia State Route 2, approximately 2.6 miles south of Friendly, West Virginia. The Ohio River is approximately 1,000 feet west of the Facility entrance. Sugarcamp Run, an intermittent waterway, flows in a westward direction across the north-central portion of the Facility and discharges into the Ohio River.
The Facility changed ownership from UCC to OSI Specialties, Incorporated (OSI) in 1993. OSi was purchased by Witco Corporation in 1995. On September 1, 1999, Witco Corporation and Crompton & Knowles (C&K) merged to form CK Witco Corporation, which underwent a name change to Crompton Corporation on April 27, 2000. On July 31, 2003, Crompton Corporation sold the Facility to GE Silicones West Virginia, LLC, which was merged into GE Silicones, LLC on August 1, 2004.
On December 4, 2006, GE Silicones, LLC was renamed to Momentive Performance Materials, also known as MPM Silicones, LLC. MPM Silicones, LLC maintains all of GE Silicones, LLC’s former responsibilities and obligations under all governmental orders, permits, authorizations and licenses in connection with the operation of the Facility.
Contaminants at this Facility
The main contaminants in the groundwater are Benzene, Monochlorobenzene, 1,2 Dichlorethylene, Toluene, and 1,1 Dichloroethane.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
| Restrictions or Controls that Address: | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
|
Groundwater Use
|
X
|
|
|
Residential Use
|
|
X
|
|
Excavation
|
|
X
|
|
Vapor Intrusion
|
|
X
|
|
Capped Area(s)
|
X
|
|
|
Other Engineering Controls
|
X
|
|
|
Other Restrictions
|
|
X
|
- Groundwater is monitored throughout the site. No explicit language stating potable Groundwater use is allowed. Monitoring wells will be sampled annual, semi-annually, or quarterly based on location and monitor results.
- The capped areas include the North Inactive Site and the South Inactive Site areas. Caps are inspected on a scheduled basis and repairs made as necessary.
- Groundwater monirotiring and leak detection is in the waste water treatment system area, the #3 sludge pond and BTEX Area. Leaks are repaired as necessary and groundwater capture increased as necessary.
- Additional Institutional Controls are in the form of fencing and access control through a security check point preventing trespassers from entering the property
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is in continued use.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
While RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from the WVDEP, a new WVDEP RCRA permit was issued that provides lead authority for Corrective Action to the State.