EPA RCRA ID: PAD004316832
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The EPA is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
The Cleanup Plan for the facility was approved by PADEP in May 2017. A larger 166-tree phytoremediation area was planted within a 5-acre area of the facility downgradient of the main source area in late 2016. Based on the success of the pilot tests, full-scale bioremediation via enhanced reductive de-chlorination was implemented beneath the floor slab in the source area in September 2017, with further full-scale injections into two water-bearing geological units forthcoming to help clean up contaminated groundwater beneath the facility.
Cleanup History
Remedial investigations and cleanup of the facility began soon after plant closure in 2000, and the facility entered the Act 2 Program in February 2001. The Final Report addressing the impacts from mercury contamination to the facility was approved in April 2011. The Final Report included an environmental covenant that codified restrictions on groundwater and land use at the facility, in addition to containing a Soil Management Plan for any necessary future land disturbances. Remedial measures addressing volatile contaminants are ongoing.
The Remedial Investigation addressing chlorinated solvent contamination at the facility was submitted in October 2011 and approved in December 2011. Soil contamination is generally limited to source areas, the majority of which have been removed. The soil vapor extraction system continues to extract volatile contaminants from the primary source area. A 56-tree phytoremediation plot was planted between the main source area and the eastern property boundary in 2012 to help contain and treat contaminated groundwater. Three bioremediation pilot tests were also conducted at the facility in 2014 that were successful in degrading contaminants in groundwater.
The Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment of the facility was approved by PADEP in June 2015.
In November 2013, EPA determined that contamination in groundwater and human exposures risk from contaminants were under control.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
|---|
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The former Robertshaw facility was constructed between 1959 and 1960 on a 193-acre plot of land in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. The facility manufactured various controls for residential and commercial appliances including electric and gas thermostats for ranges and water heaters, pressure switches and regulators, valves, timers, sensors, and other miscellaneous components. The facility has been operated by Siebe Appliance Controls and owned by Invensys Appliance Controls, who purchased the facility from Robertshaw in 2000. Schneider Electric acquired Invensys in 2014. Appliance control manufacturing operations have been inactive since January 2000. Westinghouse currently leases a majority of the facility and has occupied a portion of it since 2000.
Contaminants at this Facility
Primary contaminants at the facility include chlorinated volatile organic compounds including trichloroethene and trichloroethane and their degradation products, in addition to tetrachloroethene and mercury. Groundwater and soil at the facility are known to be contaminated; however, exposures to these media are limited to intrusive activities typically conducted by personnel using appropriate protective measures. Groundwater is not used as a drinking water source in the vicinity of the facility. The potential for vapor intrusion into facility buildings is currently mitigated by the soil vapor extraction system.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls included in the covenants on the facility property include restrictions prohibiting residential use of the property, prohibiting any use of groundwater beneath the facility, prohibiting intrusive activities unless in compliance with the approved soil management plan, and prohibiting building construction without installing a vapor barrier.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
|
Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.