EPA RCRA ID: PAD061105441
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
An extensive review of both EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) files was conducted as well as tow site visits on December 18, 2008, and March 24, 2009. A Final Environmental Indicator Inspection Report for the Ephrata Manufacturing Company (EMCO) facility was submitted on April 27, 2009. Results of the meetings and report have led the current owner, Ephrata National Bank, to seek assistance under the EPA Brownfields Program due to their desire to sell the property to the Borough of Ephrata which has plans to subdivide the property for multiple re-use scenarios. On December 8, 2009, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was submitted under the Brownfields Grants Program by ePhase Inc. The recommendations include further soil and groundwater sampling to determine the extent of impacts.
On May 5, 2009, EPA determined that contamination in groundwater and human exposures risk from contaminants were under control.
In August 2013, EPA has determined that corrective action is now complete with controls at the Facility. EPA’s remedy is to require the maintenance of the asphalt caps over Areas of Concern (AOCs One and Two) and compliance with land use restrictions to minimize the potential for human exposure to hazardous constituents that remain in Facility soils. The site is restricted to non-residential use under the existing Environmental Covenant.
In March 2011, Ephrata National Bank (ENB - current site owner) elected to remediate the Facility pursuant to the Pennsylvania Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2) Program and submitted a Notice of Intent to Remediate. The Facility also enrolled in the One Cleanup Program under which Pennsylvania facilities with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act corrective action obligations may complete federal corrective action and, concurrently receive a liability release from Pennsylvania Department of the Environment (PADEP) under Act 2.
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 |
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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 EMCO facility operated from 1922 to July 31, 2006 primarily manufacturing iron castings. The process involved pouring of molten metal into sand molds. As such, the facility produced approximately 12,000 tons per year of non-hazardous foundry sand. In addition to the foundry sands, the facility also produced hazardous wastes including sludge, flyash, and wastewater, containing heavy metals from air-pollution controls. From 1975 through 1982, the wastewater and flyash were disposed in a natural depression (pit) on site. Samples collected from this pit were found to contain toxic levels of lead, mercury and cadmium. As a result in 1982, the PADEP ordered the facility to cease all discharges and develop a closure plan for the pit. The facility started recycling the wastewater and dewatering the flyash for offsite disposal. The pit and the foundry sand and slag pile were closed initially in 1989 and completed in 1991.
EMCO was the sole owner and operator of the plant from 1922 to 2006. The facility closed in July 2006 and the equipment was auctioned. Prior to 1922, the ownership of the property is unknown. On November 11, 2004, EMCO mortgaged the facility to Ephrata National Bank and on December 12, 2006, sold the property to the bank. The current owner, Ephrata National Bank, plans to sell the property to the Borough of Ephrata. The property underwent a Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessment and a Phase II soil investigation in support of transfer of property.
EMCO occupied a 3.71 acre parcel in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. The rectangular shaped parcel is orientated in a northeast to southwest direction. The property is generally flat with paved areas around the buildings. Two groundwater springs were located northeast of the property in 1989. The northeastern edge of the property was noted to be steeply sloped towards the neighboring residential property, which is at a lower elevation. The western/northwestern edge of the property slopes towards the neighboring property belonging to the Borough of Ephrata.
On November 11, 2004, the Ephrata Manufacturing Company mortgaged the Facility to Ephrata National Bank (ENB). Following the end of operations in July 2006, the Facility was acquired by ENB on December 12, 2006. ENB is the current owner.
Two buildings, an office and a production building were located on the property in 1989. The office was a small building approximately 900 square feet in size and is located near the southeast corner of the property. The production building or plant was approximately one acre in size and it was irregularly shaped. The southwest portion of the building was utilized for warehousing while the central portion contained the furnaces used in the facility’s foundry operation. A sludge collection room occupied the northeast portion of the plant. Within the sludge collection room was a venturi scrubber, a sludge separator, and two (2) two-cubic yard sludge collection tubs. Immediately outside of the sludge collection room was a sludge storage area which had a macadam surface.
In the far northeastern corner was an unlined former sludge disposal pit and foundry sand disposal area. The pit was approximately 16 feet in diameter and 13 feet deep. Foundry sand and slag had been used as fill, covering an 180,000-square foot area. In 1989, the fill was mounded at an eight to ten percent slope to an elevation of 20 feet. This pile was subsequently graded and the area capped with clay as part of its closure. The surface of the clay-covered area was paved at a later date, presumably in 1990. Subsequently, an exposed portion of foundry sand discovered during a site inspection was covered, thereby completing the closure process in 1991.
Currently, access to the facility is the driveway off of Pine Street. The buildings are present, although most of the salvageable equipment was sold, according to the bank representative. Within the production building, in a room adjoining the former furnace, the venturi scrubber, sludge separators, and sludge collection tubs are no longer present; although signs of the former equipment are visible. Remnants and portions of equipment associated with the former cupola furnace are visible in the furnace room. The outside area north of the building where the former disposal pit and foundry sand/slag disposal area existed in 1989, is entirely paved and generally flat. A stormwater catch basin is present in the northwestern corner of the paved area, and reported to have been constructed recently. The northern portion of the property is surrounded by a chain-link fence. An additional section of the fence surrounds a portion of the northern slope of the property where some of the foundry sands had been deposited.
Contaminants at this Facility
Contaminants of concern are heavy metals.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The Institutional Controls enforced via an environmental covenant are the restriction of the site to non-residential use and the maintenance of asphalt caps.
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?
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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.