Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Handy and Harman Tube Company Incorporated in Norristown, Pennsylvania

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Cleanup Status

Trichloroethylene (TCE) impacts to the bedrock aquifer were first discovered in 1979.

EPA visited the facility and met with company representatives on October 17, 2006 to focus on two interim Environmental Indicators. In December 2006, EPA determined that both Environmental Indicators were not under control.

In May 2007, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) received a notice of intent to remediate (NIR) under Act 2 Statewide Health Standard.

In January 2012, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) received a site characterization report and a cleanup plan. The report gave a thorough review because of the significant TCE contamination in the drinking water aquifer and the unnamed tributary to Stony Creek. However, the report was not required under Act 2’s Statewide Health Standard, so PADEP was neither approving nor disapproving it.

In April 2012, PADEP informed the facility additional characterization work was required.

The Facility is currently in the process of entering the One Cleanup Program.  EPA and PADEP will be conducting a site visit in 2014 before the facility enters the One Cleanup Program.

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Site Description

Interactive map of Handy & Harman Tube Company Incorporated, Lancaster, PA

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Handy & Harman is located at 701 West Township Road, at the intersection of West Township Road and Whitehall Road in East Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  Township Line Road borders the facility to the northeast while Whitehall Road borders the facility to the southeast.  The properties to the north Handy & Harman is located at 701 West Township Road, at the intersection of West Township Road and and east of the facility are commercial while the majority of the properties to the west and south of the facility are residential.  Stony Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, runs approximately 500 feet to the northwest and 3,000 feet to the southeast of the facility.  Stony Creek empties into the Schuylkill River about five miles downstream of the facility.

During operations, the facility manufactured small-diameter stainless steel, nickel alloy, carbon, and low-alloy steel tubing for use in medical and pharmaceutical applications, instrumentation, aircraft and automotive hydraulic lines, and appliances. However, the facility operations were discontinued in 2006.  The operations that occured during manufacturing were cold drawing, degreasing, annealing, and pickling of the steel tubing.  The degreasing process involved trichloroethylene (TCE) solvent and the cold drawing process uses chlorinated drawing compounds.  The facility has also been considered a major facility as defined in 25 PA Code § 121.1, because the facility exceeded the emission limits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and TCE.  The facility has been in operation since 1948 and was acquired by Handy & Harman in 1958. Degreasing operations were scheduled to be discontinued in 2006.

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Contaminants at this Facility

Primary contaminants of concern at the facility are Trichloroethylene (TCE) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) .

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

Institutional controls, if required, will be determined at the time of remedy selection.

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Land Reuse Information at this Facility

 The facility's future use is yet to be determined.

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Site Responsibility at this Facility

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from PA DEP.

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