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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: PECO Energy Company in Philadelphia, 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.   On March 31, 2020, EPA determined that the Human Health Exposures Under Control  had been met, and that the  Migration of Contaminated Groundwater Under Control  had been met

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Site Description

Interactive Map of PECO Energy Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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PECO Energy Co. purchased the entire 7.8-acre property from the Atlantic Richfield Company in 1976.  PECO originally purchased the property for future use.  The site would be used for a PECO substation if future electrical demands in the area were to increase.  To date, PECO has not had the need to construct a substation at the site. 

In November 1989, PECO leased the property to Colonial Salvage and Scrap Company for use as a disposal/storage area for construction debris, demolition debris, scrap metal, roll-offs, and truck trailers.  On May 5, 1990, EPA conducted an inspection of a portion of the property in response to illegal dumping reported by the Philadelphia Fire Department.  During the 1990 inspection the site was found to contain trucks, trailers, roll-off dumpsters, scrap metals, refuse piles, tire piles, and other miscellaneous equipment including two dumpsters containing drums of material.  Approximately 50-60 drums of unknown material were located in and around the two roll-offs at the site.  EPA observed material leaking from the drums and the roll-offs to the ground.  Air monitoring conducted by EPA, in and near the drums, indicated the presence of organic vapors as high as 580 parts per million (ppm).  Field testing for chlorinated compounds identified their presence in one of the drums.  On May 11, 1990 EPA issued an Administrative Order to PECO which required PECO to conduct certain removal actions at the site. 

The initial area of concern was approximately 5.1 acres on the south and west ends of the property.  An additional area of approximately 1.2 acres, bound by a chain-link fence, was later added to the initial area.  PECO conducted a soils investigation and  clean-up of the areas.  In 1992, EPA issued a memo that considered the Penrose Ave. Site (Administrative Order # III-90-30-DC) closed.

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Contaminants at this Facility

In 1990 te site was found to site was an illegal dumping ground with refuse piles, tires, old vehicles, and  approximately 50-60 drums of unknown material were located at the site some of which were leaking.   Field testing for chlorinated compounds identified their presence in one of the drums.  

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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 is unused.

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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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