The Site is located in a mixed industrial and residential area of Trainer, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Site includes a chemical manufacturing facility consisting of about 200 tanks, several buildings, a laboratory, a wastewater treatment facility, and many processing vessels, equipment items, systems, and pipelines which were used in or are related to the chemical manufacturing processes. Chemicals at the facility included oleum, methanol, heptane, mineral spirits, sulfuric acid, and others including many mixtures. The facility abuts an active railroad carrying freight and passenger traffic. Residences are located directly across the street from the facility. The Site drains to Stoney Creek and discharges wastewater to a regional wastewater treatment authority (DELCORA).
Stoney Creek Technologies primarily manufactured base products to be used in corrosion inhibitors, motor oil additives, and grease feed compounds. On April 12, 2007, the OSC was notified by EPA Region III staff that the facility was in bankruptcy court and that chemical substances remained at the facility which may pose a threat. The OSC reviewed the April 4, 2007 bankruptcy Order dismissing Stoney Creek Technologies’ bankruptcy case, coordinated with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and local authorities, and initiated an evaluation of the Site. The OSC participated in information-gathering meetings and visits to the facility between April 13 and April 17, 2007. CERCLA funding not to exceed $250 K was authorized on April 17, 2007 to assure that the chemicals at the facility are safeguarded in the absence of the Company's ability to do so.
On July 27, 2007, EPA Region III approved additional funding and exemptions from statutory limits for removal actions to allow for actions relating to the removal of chemical inventory from the Site should Stoney Creek Technologies be unable to do so. EPA also issued Orders to Stoney Creek Technologies and other companies to remove the inventory at the Site in order to reduce the potential threats. The Respondents to these orders were allowed to use the facility as a means to reduce the inventory (e.g., produce to reduce).
The facility contained flammable, combustible and/or corrosive chemicals in dozens of tanks, many of which would pose a fire risk if improperly handled. Other chemical materials were also present in drums, open and closed containers of varying sizes, water treatment vessels, fuel vessels, trenches, drains, and other places. In October 2008, EPA initiated activities relating to the removal of the chemical inventory from the Site since Stoney Creek Technologies and 2 other companies which received orders from EPA have failed to remove the inventory from the Site. EPA completed the disposal of bulk liquid chemicals posing flammable threat in January 2010. EPA completed the removal of bulk acid chemicals in June 2010.
From June 2010 through October 2012, EPA conducted additional removal activities including: removal of non-liquid chemical waste from storage tanks; decontaminating solid surfaces and the site drainage system; and removal of contaminated surface soils in trageted areas. Prior to completion, the site's waste water treatment plant was decommisioned and storm water was re-routed to flow freely to Stoney Creek. Storm water sampling was conducted throughout the project to ensure that concentrations of site related contaminats in storm water are less than any applicable standads or regulations. All planned removal work at the site is now complete
