Hazardous Waste Cleanup: United States Army Garrison Adelphi Laboratory Center in Adelphi, Maryland
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
EPA made its Corrective Action Remedy Decision on August 23, 2018, of "Corrective Action Complete with Controls" at the Adelphi Laboratory Center (ALC), consisting of ‘no further action’ for soil, and for groundwater, implementation of an institutional control prohibiting use of site groundwater for drinking water purposes.
Site Description
The Adelphi Laboratory Center (ALC) is an active 207-acre U.S. Army research and development Facility located at 2800 Powder Mill Road in Adelphi, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
ALC activities have included development of electronic fuses for projectiles (i.e., mortar, artillery, rockets, missiles) and associated electronic technology, research on fluidics and nuclear weapons effects technologies. Operations are conducted on a small or prototype scale rather than full scale production.
Contaminants at this Facility
Residual or remaining contamination is in groundwater only, in a defined plume located in the eastern area of ALC. The primary contaminant is trichloroethylene (TCE), a dissolved solvent, that was released on the adjacent property, the former Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Detachment, and flowed downgradient in groundwater (GW), impacting ALC GW. GW was actively treated and is monitored for attenuation annually by the U.S. Navy.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Land Use Controls were developed and are implemented by the Navy on the former Navy Site, which includes ALC and the General Services Administration (GSA) properties. On-site GW use is prohibited for drinking water purposes.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
Site is under continued use.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3.