Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Air Liquide Delaware Research and Technology Center, Glasgow, Delaware

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Cleanup Status

The Statement of Basis (SB) describing the initial remedy at the facility was issued in June, 2000. A thirty-day public comment period extended until July 7, 2000 on the proposed remedy, no comments were received during that time and, as a result, the proposed remedy was implemented. The Record of Decision, which included the Final Decision and Response to Comments, was issued in August, 2000.

The initial remedy specified in the SB at the DuPont Glasgow facility consisted of the following items:

  • Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 12 (Well No. 4): COMPLETED - DuPont performed the final confirmatory groundwater monitoring requirements to document the removal of VOCs in the year 2000.
  • SWMU 13 (Permasep Building) - DuPont sampled groundwater wells bi-annually at this area to ensure in-situ degradation processes were reducing the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) contaminated groundwater plume. These results were reported to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) as part of a Sampling, Analysis, Monitoring and Reporting (SAMR) program.
  • Area of Concern (AOC) D: COMPLETED - DuPont excavated zinc and copper contaminated sediments present at this location and performed confirmatory sampling in early 2002.
 
On February, 2010 EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) and Corrective Action Completed report for the facility removing two requirements:
 
  • EPA removed the requirement for the facility to maintain a deed notice for SWMU 13. It was replaced with other protective institutional controls (IC) by the State of Delaware. The IC is in the form of a Ground Water Management Zone which will control groundwater use for drinking water purposes.
  • EPA also removed the requirement for on-going ground water monitoring at SWMU 13. The effected groundwater is not used as potable water and the contaminant of concern in groundwater were just above drinking water standards.
 

The ESD was public noticed from March 9 - April 8, 2010, no comments were received. On April 13, 2010 EPA issue DuPont a No Further Corrective Action letter for the Glasgow facility.  Also a Memo of Agreement was signed by Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) on April 29, 2010 establishing a groundwater monitoring zone (GMZ) and a copy is included in the "Documents and Records" Section of this webpage.

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Site Description

Air Liquide Delaware Research and Technology Center, Glasgow, Delaware Interactive Map


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Located in Glasgow, New Castle County, Delaware, the site was acquired by DuPont in 1966 and was farmland and undeveloped woodlands. DuPont constructed several buildings, which it used as a manufacturing facility for medical instrument systems and products and for the assembly of reverse osmosis water filters (Permasep Business).

In 1994 much of the farm land and wooded areas were sold to Glasgow Farms, Inc. The majority of this land has been sold to the State and the County and is the current home of the Glasgow Regional Park. In 1997 most of the remaining acreage was sold to Dade-Bering Inc. and Sterling Inc. as part of DuPont's sale of its Medical Products business.

As cleanup was completed and approval obtained from EPA/DNREC, DuPont was able to sell parts of the site no longer subject to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action. These parts of the site were put into beneficial reuse by third parties. DuPont currently owns only a small portion of the original 977-acre site; the 22 acres around SWMU 13 (Permasep Building). Once the remediation was completed at SWMU 13 the deed for the 22 acres passed from DuPont to a third party who is currently redeveloping the area.

The EPA proposed the "no further action" decision in a document called an "Explanation of Significant Differences" (differences from the Final Remedy, issued by EPA to the Facility in August 2000) or "ESD" to account for the Corrective Action work completed at the Facility between 2000 and 2009.

The public was invited to comment on the ESD in the Delaware Journal classifieds on March 9, 2010. The ESD was posted on EPA's website and was available at DNREC and EPA offices. EPA and DNREC received no public comments on the proposed decision in the 30-day comment period.

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Contaminants at this Facility

The main contaminants in the groundwater and soil were VOCs which included tetrachloroethylene. Only SWMU 13 (Permasep area) groundwater currently has VOC contaminants slightly above EPA limits. This groundwater is not used for drinking.

The metals zinc and copper were found in one 10 foot by 130 foot area of soil at AOC D. These soils were removed by DuPont in 2002.

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    Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

    The Institutional Control is in the form of a Ground Water Management Zone which will ensure groundwater is not used for drinking water purposes.

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      Land Reuse Information at this Facility

      The facility is under continued use and also has reused land parcels.

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      Site Responsibility at this Facility

      RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility were conducted under the direction of DNREC, which has been authorized for the RCRA Corrective Action program. EPA provided support during these activities.

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