EPA RCRA ID: PAD004835146
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.
January 2001, EPA determined that no unacceptable human exposure to contamination and migration of groundwater contamination was under control.
The Facility, owned by MAX Environmental Technologies Inc. (formerly Mill Service), has operated under Consent Orders, Solid Waste Permits, and Hazardous Waste Permits issued by PADEP (formerly the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources). The orders and permits directed the disposal operations, unit closures, environmental investigations, and environmental remediation at the Facility.
Past remediation at the Facility includes:
- Impoundments 1, 2, and 3 – The disposal impoundments were closed with waste remaining in place in the late 1970’s with a compacted soil caps. In the mid-1980’s, PADEP determined that the caps were not effectively containing contaminants from the waste material. Under the direction of PADEP, MAX reclosed the impoundments by regrading with residual waste, then installing a low-permeable cap to seal off precipitation infiltration. These actions effectively remediated the Redstone Coal groundwater flow zone.
- Impoundments 4: Impoundment 4 was clean-closed in 1989 by excavating all accumulated waste material, PVC liner, dyke walls, and two feet (minimum) of subsoils. All the excavated material was deposited into Impoundment 5 prior to closure of that impoundment.
- Impoundment 5: Impoundment 5 was closed with waste remaining in place in 1990 with a multi-layer cap. Due to cap subsidence over time, it was reclosed in 2002 by regraded with a residual waste layer and installing a RCRA cap.
- Groundwater Remediation: The pump and treat groundwater remediation system, which has operating for over 25 years, has removed impacted groundwater from the Pittsburgh Coal flow zone. Accumulated coal mine water is withdrawn from pumping wells and conveyed to the on-site wastewater treatment plant. Only one of three pumping wells, PW-1, still produces enough water to pump. A time-trend analysis of groundwater over time (2007 through 2017) shows that water quality in the Pittsburgh Coal zone continues to improve over time.
EPA issued a Corrective Action Statement of Basis (SB) in August 2020. The SB described the environmental conditions at the site and asked for public comments on EPA's tentative decision. Based on public comments received, EPA held a virtual public meeting in November 2020 to discuss EPA’s tentative decision and field questions from stakeholders. EPA issued a Final Decision and Response to Comments in January 2021. The Final Decision includes:
- Continued compliance with the operating and post-closure care requirements of the PADEP Hazardous Waste Permit and PADEP Solid Waste Permit
- Additional monitoring of residential water supply wells adjacent to the active disposal area
A Corrective Action Permit was also issued in January 2021 to enforce compliance with EPA’s Final Decision.
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.
MAX Yukon is a treatment and disposal facility for hazardous and residual waste. It began operations in 1964 in the location of a former strip mine. Waste management units at the Facility include five (5) closed impoundments, an active landfill, waste storage tanks and containers, waste treatment tanks, and a leachate management-wastewater treatment system.
The Facility initially accepted acids and other inorganic wastes from the steel and glass manufacturing, electroplating, and other industries. The wastes were treated with lime to neutralize the acids and immobilize metals. The treated slurry was then placed in disposal impoundments. Historically, the largest volume wastes processed and disposed at the Facility were K061 (electric arc furnace dust) and K062 (spent pickle liquor). Since the 1990’s, the wastes received at the facility for treatment and disposal are primarily solids; including slag, electric arc furnace dust, metal-impacted soils, and drill cuttings from the oil and gas industry.
Disposal Area 6, also known as Landfill 6, is an active residual waste landfill unit opened in 1988. It covers approximately 16.5 acres, and operates under PADEP Solid Waste Permit No. 301071. It is constructed with a double liner, a leachate collection system, and a leak detection system. The Solid Waste Permit requires the disposal area to be capped within one year of final waste placement.
Contaminants at this Facility
Groundwater data shows sporadic exceedances of Pennsylvania Statewide Health Standard Medium Specific Concentrations (MSC) in groundwater for fluoride and several metals; including barium, cadmium, lead, and manganese. Domestic well water showed no exceedances MSCs, although the water samples are not analyzed for all contaminants related to the disposal areas. The Final Decision expands the domestic well water analysis to include all constituents related to the disposal units.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The requirements of the PADEP permits restrict the Facility to operation and maintenance activities prescribed under the permits. The permits require maintenance of the disposal area caps to prevent exposure to contamination.
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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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.