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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Procter and Gamble Manufacturing Company in Portsmouth, Virginia

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The P&G facility operated a hazardous waste management unit (HWMU) container storage area with a capacity of 550 gallons from November 19, 1980 to June 30, 1993. This HWMU container storage area was identified by P&G in a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part A Permit Application, dated November 17, 1980.

    Cleanup Status

    A site visit was conducted by EPA and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) at the Eagle Picher Automotive-Wolverine Gasket Division facility on Novemeber 8, 2008 to discuss the Proctor and Gamble Manufacturing Company (P&G) in Portsmouth, Virginia. The purpose of the visit was to gather relevant information to assess current and past environmental impact of P&G operations. After an extensive review of existing information and the site visit, EPA determined that there is no unacceptable human exposure to contamination nor is there any evidence of groundwater contamination caused by the Facility.

    EPA published a notice in a local newspaper detailing the proposed Agency decision of no further corrective action. The thirty (30) day public comment period ended on July 17, 2009 and no comments were received during that time.

    On August 7, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Final Determination of Corrective Action Complete without controls, no further corrective action is required at this time at the Proctor and Gamble Mfg Co (P&G) in Portsmouth, Virginia facility.

    Cleanup Background

    The P&G facility operated a hazardous waste management unit (HWMU) container storage area with a capacity of 550 gallons (10 drums) from November 19, 1980 to June 30, 1993. The HWMU container storage facility operated under Interim Status from November 19, 1980, until March 28, 1989, the date the facility requested the closure verification site visit by the Virginia Department of Waste Management (VDWM), predecessor to the VDEQ. (Interim Status was officially terminated by the VDWM on June 19, 1989.) Apparently, the same HWMU container storage area was operated under both a large quantity generator (LQG) and a small quantity generator (SQG) status under 40 CFR § 262.34, until the P&G facility closed. P&G deactivated the entire facility on May 22, 1995. The HWMU container storage area accepted wastes from the P&G facility's Quality Assurance Laboratory.

    A Closure Plan was submitted by P&G, dated July 19, 1988. On August 18, 1988, the public notice was published for the Closure Plan. On October 6, 1988, the VDWM provided P&G with comments on the initially submitted Closure Plan. P&G submitted the revised Closure Plan, dated October 14, 1988. The VDWM approved the revised Closure Plan on October 27, 1988. The VDWM received the closure certification according to the Closure Plan on March 28, 1989, and the facility requested the closure verification inspection by the VDWM. The Closure verification inspection by the VDWM staff occurred on June 2, 1989. The facility, under Arreff is currently is not a generator of hazardous waste.

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    Site Description

    Interactive Map of Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, Portsbouth, VA

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    The 21-acre Facility is located at 3600 Elm Ave. in Portsmouth, Virginia. The Facility is surrounded by the Portsmouth Naval Reservation. The Facility utilized an 11,000 square foot, multi-story plant building to manufacture and package peanut butter beginning in 1931. The site is currently occupied by Areff Terminals Inc., with a number of shipping containers present on the site. Arreff Terminals provides transloading / warehousing for the Virginia Port Authority.

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    Contaminants at this Facility

    The P&G facility operated a hazardous waste management unit (HWMU) container storage area with a capacity of 550 gallons (10 drums) from November 19, 1980 to June 30, 1993.

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    Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

     Institutional Controls were not required at the site.

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    Land Reuse Information at this Facility

    The site is in 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 EPA Region 3 with assistance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

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