Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Ampac Chemicals Virginia, LLC (Formerly: Unitao Pharmaceuticals LLC) in Petersburg, Virginia

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Cleanup Status

A thirty day public comment period was held soliciting interested persons to review and comment on the Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ’s) proposed determination, as described in a Statement of Basis, that the facility completed the Corrective Action process demonstrating that no further action or evaluation is necessary.  No comments were received during the comment period.  Therefore, DEQ’s determination did not change and the final decision was issued in the Final Decision and Response to Comments, dated June 10, 2014.

Cleanup Background

The facility maintains a Facility Lead Agreement with the EPA for Site-Wide Corrective Action investigation and cleanup activities.  Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) and Areas of Concern (AOCs) at the Facility include underground storage tanks, above ground storage tanks, components of the waste water treatment systems and associated piping, former hazardous waste storage area, and areas at which releases have been documented and/or cleaned up in the past.

 In June 1995, a broken pipe was discovered below a manufacturing building.  Production activities ceased and the pipe was repaired within one month.   An estimated 300 cubic feet of potentially impacted soil attributed to the broken pipe was removed.

In 2004, a toluene release occurred from a 1,000 gallon process tank.  Initial abatement measures were implemented and included removal of the tank and soil excavation.  Prior to backfilling the excavation with clean soil an oxygen releasing compound (ORC) was applied to accelerate biodegradation of residual toluene in remaining soil and toluene dissolved in groundwater.  Subsequent soil sampling and groundwater monitoring from 2004 to 2011 indicate that toluene was successfully reduced to below laboratory method detection limits in groundwater.   

In November 2008, discolored perched water was discovered within bedding material surrounding a wastewater sewer pipe.  The release was determined to be the result of a hairline crack in a manhole.  The manhole was repaired.  2053 lbs of impacted liquid materials and 7.64 tons of soil were removed.

In January 2014, the facility submitted its final Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) Report, including a quantitative risk assessment, to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  The facility demonstrated through evaluating all environmental media that conditions at the facility meet criteria for unrestricted future use of the property.

In March 2012, the facility finalized a Conceptual Site Model in support of a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) Report.  In July 2013, the facility conducted field activities collecting additional soil, soil gas, and groundwater samples in support of demonstrating that conditions at the facility meet criteria for future unrestricted use of the property.

In October 2013, the facility submitted a draft RFI Report, which contained a quantitative risk assessment.  In response, DEQ issued comments. In January 2014, the facility submitted its final RFI Report, which addressed DEQ’s comments and demonstrated that the facility property meets criteria for unrestricted future land use. 

On March 6, 2014, DEQ completed an evaluation of available information and issued a “YES” determination for the “Migration of Contaminated Groundwater Under Control” Environmental Indicator (EI) and the “Current Human Exposures Under Control” EI in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

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Site Description

Interactive Map of Ampac Chemicals Virginia, LLC, Petersburg, VA

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The facility occupies 200 acres in an industrial park located in Petersburg, Virginia.  The facility is largely comprised of undeveloped forest areas with approximately 25 percent developed for production facilities and associated services including manufacturing buildings, process buildings, storage buildings, office space, parking lots, waste water treatment facilities, and landscaped areas.  The Facility manufactured active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry.  In 2013, the Facility announced that it would be implementing a phased shut down that will occur over the next two years.

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Contaminants at this Facility

The facility demonstrated through evaluating all environmental media and performing a quantitative risk assessment that there are no unacceptable risks to human health and the environment for future unrestricted land use.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

Institutional Controls were not required for the site.

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Land Reuse Information at this Facility

This facility is under continued use.

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Site Responsiblity at this Facility

RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the VADEQ with assistance from the EPA Region 3.

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