Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Talon Incorporated Plant 7 in Meadville, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
In September 2002, EPA and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) determined that the Human Health Exposures Under Control Environmental Indicators had been met. However in March 2006, EPA and PADEP determined that there was more information was needed for Groundwater Migration Envirnomental Indicator for it to be controlled.
Cleanup Background
Talon submitted a Closure Plan to PADEP in 1992 plus an amendment in 1993. This plan was approved in September 1993. The Closure Plan included removal of wastes and equipment, analyses of background and subsurface soil beneath the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and excavation of contaminated soils. In 1995, PADEP issued closure certification acknowledging that ‟clean closure" had been achieved for the site.
In December 2002, an investigation regarding the Talon Lagoon areas that were alleged to have been the repository areas for many barrels of cyanide or cyanide derived materials from the Talon Plant from 1960's (or earlier).
In January 2003, based on the investigation report submitted by the Facility, PADEP determined that no further action was necessary at the Talon lagoon.
In August 2005, based on the facility’s Baseline Environmental Report, the contaminated groundwater in the monitoring wells at the property boundary indicated that contamination was migrating from the facility.
Based on the 2005 Baseline Environmental Report, the monitoring wells at the facility contained metals and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds at levels above the used-aquifer medium specific concentrations for non-residential exposure as identified in Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Act. In addition, soils at the facility contained chromium, cumene, ethyl benzene, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene at levels above the used-aquifer, medium specific concentrations for non-residential exposure for soil to groundwater as identified in Pennsylvania’s Recycling Act.
In May 2007, PADEP and EPA initiated a groundwater off-site migration investigation.
Site Description
Talon Incorporated - Plant number seven, occupies approximately 13 acres, in Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and had been manufacturing slide fasteners since 1948. The manufacturing process included metal fabrication and metal finishing operations.
Plant number seven had a wastewater treatment plant that treated the acid wastes and cyanide wastes that were generated from the manufacturing process. The resultant treated metal hydroxide sludge was disposed, from 1948 to 1985, at the surface impoundment site located in West Mead Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.
The site is presently the home of an ‟Industrial Incubator" where several business tenants occupy the remediated buildings. The on-site tenants’ water supply is provided by the Meadville public water works.
Contaminants at this Facility
Contaminants of concern include the metals arsenic, cadmium, and chromium and specific groundwater quality indicators such as pH, specific conductivity and Total Organic Carbon.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
There are no institutional controls at this time.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The site is being reused.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of PADEP with assistance from EPA Region 3. The investigation and any necessary clean up activities are being implemented in accordance with the ongoing post closure groundwater monitoring program.