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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Penn Dye and Finishing Plant in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania

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Cleanup Status

The final remedy for the facility is complete and consists of a combination of engineering and institutional controls, which are described in more detail below and in the Statement of Basis. The Final Decision for the facility became effective on September 29, 2015.

The facility submitted a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Closure Report in April 2015, that included the characterization of sediments in the water reservoir, the performance of a well survey, and the discussion of institutional and engineering controls anticipated to be part of the final remedy for the facility. Results from the sediment sampling suggested that the reservoir is not contaminated above appropriate risk-based levels. The well survey identified 17 wells within a half-mile radius of the facility; however, none of these wells are used for potable purposes as all properties within this area are served by a public water supply. Finally, an analysis of the groundwater pumping system demonstrated that it maintains capture of contaminated groundwater on-site and could thus be used as a component of the final remedy for the facility.

The alternative remedial measure of an aeration system in lieu of the carbon adsorption system to further reduce the low levels of remaining groundwater contamination beneath the facility was approved in May 2012.  Results from a 6-month pilot study of the aeration system demonstrated that the performance of the system (i.e., chlorinated volatile organic removal efficiency) is comparable to the removal efficiency of the carbon adsorption system.

The permanent shutdown of the soil vapor extraction system was approved in September 2011 after a temporary shutdown and soil sampling event demonstrated that the system had adequately remediated soils in the source area beneath the facility.

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Site Description

Interactive map of Penn Dye & Finishing Plant, Pine Grove, PA

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Since 1960, Gold Mills has operated a synthetic fabric dyeing and finishing facility on the banks of Swatara Creek at the intersection of Penn Dye Street and Tulpehocken Street in Pine Grove Borough, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Guilford Mills, of Greensboro, North Carolina, bought the facility in 1986, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary. Guilford Mills was acquired by the Lear Corporation in May 2012; however, Guilford Mills remains the legal owner and operator of the facility. Tanneries operated at the site prior to 1960.

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Contaminants at this Facility

The main contaminants at the Facility are tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), and 1,1,1- trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA). The most significant pathway for human exposure or ecological effects would be through off-site migration of contaminated groundwater. However, continued groundwater pumping is preventing contaminants from leaving the site.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

    The following institutional and engineering controls are part of the final remedy for the facility and are anticipated to be implemented via an environmental covenant and post-remediation care plan:

    • Institutional control restricting facility land use to non-residential purposes
    • Institutional control restricting groundwater use to industrial or remedial purposes
    • Engineering control to limit migration of contaminants into groundwater (asphalt cap surrounding main building)
    • Engineering control to prevent off-site migration of contamination (groundwater pumping)
    • Engineering control to allow industrial use or discharge of pumped groundwater (groundwater treatment)

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    Land Reuse Information at this Facility

    Guilford Mills continues to use the property for fabric finishing and dyeing.

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    Site Responsibility at this Facility

    RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from PADEP.

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