EPA RCRA ID: PAD059087072
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.
EPA issued a Corrective Action Statement of Basis (SB) in August 2021. The SB described the environmental conditions at the site and asked for public comments on EPA's tentative decision. Based upon public request, EPA held a virtual public meeting in November 2021 to discuss EPA’s tentative decision and field questions from stakeholders. EPA issued a Final Decision and Response to Comments in December 2021. The Final Decision includes:
- Completion and maintenance of impoundment caps and land use restrictions for soil
- Continued operation of pump-and-treat and leachate collection systems
- Monitored natural attenuation and use restrictions for groundwater
- Surface water monitoring
These remedial components are expected to be implemented through an environmental covenant and post-remediation care plan to be approved by EPA.
On August 16, 2023, EPA determined the facility was ready for anticipate use. Cleanup goals have been achieved current and reasonably anticipated future land uses of the facility so there are no unacceptable risks.
On August 16,2023, an environmental covenant was filed for the facility.
Cleanup Background
MAX Environmental Technologies Inc. (MAX; formerly Mill Service) currently operates a passive seep collection system and actively pumps groundwater from three wells onsite to control the migration of contaminated groundwater from the facility. Leachate and contaminated groundwater from the two onsite impoundments are characterized by elevated chloride and nitrate concentrations, which are indicative of the treated spent pickle liquors that were disposed of in the impoundments in the past. Contamination is primarily limited to the shallow groundwater zone. As both impoundments have soil covers, the concentration of contaminants in the groundwater has decreased over the past five years and is expected to continue to decrease over time. MAX will continue to conduct groundwater monitoring at the facility as required by EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). No drinking water sources were found to be within 1000 feet hydraulically down gradient of the disposal units.
Constructed from earthen materials, Impoundments 1 and 1A lie in the southern portion of the facility and received waste from the start of operations at the facility until November 1981 when it was closed. In 1979, a groundwater collection system was installed along the southeastern border of the impoundment and consisted of a 1600 foot French drain system to collect contaminated groundwater for treatment. This system is still in operation.
Impoundment 2 was in operation from 1981 to 1987. Leachate and contaminated groundwater from this impoundment are collected by way of French drains and pumping wells in order to contain off-site migration of groundwater contamination.
MAX continues to work cooperatively with PADEP to re-close the impoundments. Re-closure of Impoundments 1 and 2 were completed in 2021 and 2008, respectively, with re-closure of Impoundment 1A expected to be completed in 2022.
In December 2017 MAX submitted an application for a new residual waste landfill at the facility (Landfill 3), which was revised and resubmitted in November 2020. Landfill 3 would be approximately 21 acres and located directly to the east of Impoundment 1. The application is currently under review by PADEP.
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 Max Environmental Technologies Inc. Bulger facility is located approximately 1500 feet northwest of the town of Bulger, in Washington County, Pennsylvania. In operation since 1958, the facility used to treat, store, and dispose of hazardous wastes generated by the iron and steel, glass manufacturing, electroplating and metal finishing industries. These wastes included lime neutralized acids (pickle liquor), sludge from the various lime neutralized metal bearing wastes, and waste rolling oils. Many of these wastes were treated and processed before being disposed of in one of two onsite surface impoundments.
Contaminants at this Facility
Hazardous wastes included lime neutralized acids (pickle liquor), sludge from the various lime neutralized metal bearing wastes, and waste rolling oils.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls at this facility include:
- Land use restriction prohibiting residential use; and
- Groundwater use restriction prohibiting potable use.
Engineering controls at this facility include:
- Continued operation and maintenance of caps over Impoundments 1, 1A, and 2; and
- Continued operation and maintenance of groundwater pump-and-treat and leachate collection systems.
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: |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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.