Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Easton Utilities in Easton, Maryland
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
This facility is one of EPA Region III's high priority Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action sites. On July 8, 1999 and July 26, 2002, EPA and/or EPA's contractor conducted an Environmental Indicator (EI) inspection at this facility to determine if RCRA Corrective Action is necessary.
Cleanup Status
EPA evaluated the data gathered during the site inspections. The evaluation of the findings of the inspections showed that additional investigation and/or clean-up measures are not necessary at this facility. This proposed determination was public noticed in the Statement of Basis for this facility on February 14, 2003. On March 17, 2003 the public comment period for the Statement of Basis closed. No comments were received. Therefore, EPA's decision remained unchanged from the decision proposed in the Statement of Basis. EPA issued a Corrective Action Complete Without Controls determination on April 14, 2003. The determination completes the corrective action process under Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984. The Facility must continue to comply with all applicable parts of RCRA.
Site Description
The facility is an electric power plant which occupies approximately 11 acres within the city limits of the City of Easton in Talbot County, Maryland. The facility is located at 219 North Washington Street; one mile west of Route 322. The facility is bordered on the east by Washington Street. The southern boundary of the facility is surrounded by residential housing on Bay Street and a dry cleaners. The facility is bounded on the west by a bank and an open lot. A commercial building complex is located on the northern boundary of the facility on Marlboro Road.
The facility is comprised of 10 powered alternating generators that are fueled by No. 2 or a combination of No. 2 fuel oil and natural gas. The facility serves electricity to the City of Easton and the surrounding area. The facility serves approximately 9,000 customers in a service area of approximately 52 square miles in and around (mostly to the north) the Easton, Maryland area.
The Easton Utilities Commission filed a Part A RCRA Application on November 14, 1980 and claims to have never operated as a treatment, storage or disposal facility (TSD) in accordance with the federal RCRA Corrective Action Program. The Easton Utilities Commission operates as a small quantity generator under the RCRA Program. Easton Utilities Commission registered on April 21, 1997 under the State of Maryland Underground Storage Tank Program and was issued a Permit # 0000515. Easton Utilities Commission also has three operating permits: a State of Maryland water discharge Permit # 0502 (EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit # MD 0022772) which was effective on May 31, 2001 and expires on May 31, 2006; a State of Maryland Oil Operations Permit #99-OP-0908, effective August 9, 1999, expiration August 9, 2004; and a State of Maryland Air Permit #24-041-00029 which became effective in 1999 and expires in 2004.
Contaminants at this Facility
There have historical releases from the facility that have all been addressed. The releases consisted of sulfuric acid corroded stained concrete floor and four fuel oil spills from piping system that occurred in 1973, 1984, 1985 and 1989. There was also a reported spillage/release from a 275-gallon kerosene above ground storage tank (AST) during the 1999 environmental inspection on a sheet of plywood next to the AST and some trace of kerosene on the ground . However, this kerosene spillage/release was not noted during the 2002 environmental indicator inspection and in December 2002 the AST was removed from the facility.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
There was no requirement for institutional controls at the site.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
Site is under continued use.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from Maryland Department of Environmental Protection.