Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Safety-Kleen Systems Incorporated in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
EPA identified three Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and one area of concern (AOC) at the Facility. The three SWMUs are the return/fill area, the container storage area, and the exterior tank farm. The AOC is the ethylene glycol release described below.
Small quantity spills and releases have occurred in the SWMUs and other general Facility locations during routine operations and have been documented in a Spills Release Inventory. These spills and releases have been limited to concrete or paved areas which cover approximately 93 percent of the Facility. All of these small quantity spills and releases have been cleaned up with vacuum trucks and/or absorbents.
Two large quantity spills have been documented at the Facility. On April 23, 1993, approximately 2,500 gallons of waste antifreeze leaked into the secondary containment system of the exterior tank farm from an above-ground storage tank (AST). No waste antifreeze was released to the soil or groundwater. The secondary containment area and AST were pressure washed and a full report of the spill incident was sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). After cleaning, rinse samples analyzed were found to below EPA Region 3 Regional Screening Levels.
The second spill occurred on September 8, 2011, when a tanker truck tipped and released 3,029 gallons of ethylene glycol into a drainage swale. Approximately 729 gallons of waste ethylene glycol was recovered and approximately 22-tons of soil was excavated and disposed. Confirmatory sampling results within the excavation area were below laboratory detection levels and EPA Region 3 Regional Screening Levels.
EPA, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and Michael J. Baker Inc. visited the Facility on January 12, 2012 as part of the Environmental Indicator (EI) process and to document the findings of the releases described above. Based upon information in the EI Inspection Report, EPA considers the spills and releases to have been remediated appropriately and protection of human health and the environment to have been achieved.
The facility has completed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action requirements and a Statement of Basis has been completed and a public notice has been issued by EPA. The Agency has determined, based on available information, that there are no unaddressed releases of hazardous waste or hazardous constituents from the facility. On October 2, 2012 , the EPA issued a Final Corrective Action Determination that Corrective Actions are complete without controls.
Site Description
The Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. Facility is a 2.4-acre treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facility (USEPA ID No. PAD987266715) located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. The Facility consists of a 10,000-square foot warehouse building which includes office space, a return/fill area used for processing waste mineral spirits, and a container storage area. Additionally, there are six Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs) located in an exterior tank farm (two covered AST containment areas). A paved parking lot is also present. A six-foot high chain link fence surrounds the active area of the Facility.
The Facility has been operational since August 1, 1988. The Facility operates as a collection and distribution service center for parts washer, dry cleaning, and fluid recovery service wastes, as well as paint waste and waste antifreeze collection. The Facility is an accumulation point for waste solvents (primarily mineral spirits) and waste antifreeze (ethylene glycol) generated by Safety-Kleen customers. Wastes are ultimately shipped to a Safety-Kleen recycling Facility or a contract reclaimer and then returned to the customers as product.
The property was vacant land when purchased by Safety-Kleen Corporation on December 29, 1987. Prior to December 1987, the property was owned by WMI Properties, Inc. (WMI) who created the industrial park. It is believed that the property was owned by West Dairies prior to WMI’s ownership.
On July 7, 1998, Safety-Kleen Corporation merged with LES Acquisition, Inc. (a subsidiary of Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc.) and the corporate name would change to Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. with lead operations at 1301 Gervais Street Columbia, South Carolina, 29201. Change of name to Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. occurred on July 1, 1998.
Contaminants at this Facility
No contaminants above levels of concern exist at the facility.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls were not required at the facility.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The site is being reused.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3.