EPA RCRA ID: PAD004344222
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.
In November 2006, EPA determined that no unacceptable human exposure to contamination and migration groundwater contamination caused were under control.
Cleanup Background
Tecumseh Redevelopment Inc. (TRI) continues to monitor and assess environmental conditions at their Johnstown and East Taylor Township location (known as the Riders Disposal Area) under the regulation of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). Several distinct disposal units at Riders Disposal Area including the Site four Residual Waste Landfill, the Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAF) Dust Landfill, Spent Pickle Liquor Treatment and Disposal Area, Ferro manganese Landfill, and Hot Forming Sludge Dewatering Lagoon have been closed, or are in the process of being cleaned up under PADEP-approved closure plans or permit. Groundwater and surface water continue to be monitored on a regular basis.
Bethlehem Steel Corporation (BSC) wastes that were historically managed at the Facility include waste pickle liquor, lime-stabilized waste pickle liquor sludge, ferromanganese sludge and slag, oils & grease, acid rinse water, coal tar sludge, zinc ore leach sludge, EAF and other baghouse dusts, brass foundry waste, filter cake from the wastewater treatment plant. These wastes were disposed at several areas at the Facility.
The ferromanganese landfill (non-hazardous waste) was closed with a soil cover. The hazardous waste EAF Dust landfill was closed with a low-permeability cap. The non-hazardous waste hot forming sludge lagoon was clean closed by removing all waste, bulking and dewatering as necessary and disposing of the non-hazardous wastes in the Site 4 residual waste landfill. The Site 4 landfill has been closed with a soil cover and was capped with a low permeability geomembrane liner in 2005 and "re-closed" to reduce precipitation infiltration and impacts to groundwater and surface water. The hazardous waste spent pickle liquor treatment and disposal area closure permit has been approved, and the ferromanganese metal and slag are being mined under a state mining permit.
As part of the closure/post-closure requirements for these disposal units, the Facility continues to monitor groundwater, seeps and surface water as well as the condition of the final covers on the closed units.
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.
Bethlehem Steel Corporation operated hazardous and residual waste disposal facilities on approximately 220 acres of property they own known as the Riders Disposal Area in East Taylor Township, and Johnstown Cambria County, Pennsylvania, from 1967 to 1996. This facility reaches from south of the Hinckston Run Reservoir to within two miles of the northern limits of the City of Johnstown (a 6 mile distance) and it rises in elevation 250 feet above the stream bed elevation of Hinckston Run which flows south into the Conemaugh River. Both rivers are degraded from acid mine drainage.
Contaminants at this Facility
BSC wastes that were historically managed at the facility include waste pickle liquor, lime-stabilized waste pickle liquor sludge, ferromanganese sludge and slag, oils & grease, acid rinse water, coal tar sludge, zinc ore leach sludge, EAF and other baghouse dusts, brass foundry waste, filter cake from the wastewater treatment plant. These wastes were disposed at several areas at the facility. The ferromanganese landfill (non-hazardous waste) was closed with a soil cover; the hazardous waste EAF Dust landfill was closed with a low-permeability cap; the non-hazardous waste hot forming sludge lagoon was clean closed by removing all waste, bulking and dewatering as necessary and disposing of the non-hazardous wastes in the Site 4 residual waste landfill; the Site 4 landfill has been closed with a soil cover and was capped with a low permeability geomembrane liner in 2005 and “re-closed” to reduce precipitation infiltration and impacts to groundwater and surface water, the hazardous waste spent pickle liquor treatment and disposal area closure permit has been approved, but closure has been delayed pending TRI’s plans to mine ferromanganese metal and slag around and through the disposal area. A new proposal to mine through this area was submitted in 2006 with mining to begin in 2007. As part of the closure/post-closure requirements for these disposal units, the facility continues to monitor groundwater, seeps and surface water as well as the condition of the final covers on the closed units.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Currently there are no Institutional Controls at the facility.
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.