Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Lehighton Electronics Incorporated in Lehighton, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
The following Corrective Action work has been completed at the facility:
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental contamination at the site;
- Corrective Measure Study to evaluate final clean-up measures needed;
- Installation and operation of a treatment system for groundwater clean-up;
- Installation and operation of a treatment system for a potable water supply to the building; and
- Removal of underground fuel oil tank.
EPA issued a Final Decision and Response to Comments to Lehighton on April 8, 2002. The Final Decision requires continued remediation and monitoring the contaminated groundwater, removal a former trichloroethylene (TCE) storage tank and a fuel oil tank, and the installation of a potable water supply that meets EPA drinking water standards. A RCRA Consent Order to complete the remediation was issued in June 2003. The facility is currently monitoring the groundwater treatment systems to assure they are providing adequate treatment.
The corrective action implementation order requires Lehighton Electronics to provide a potable water supply that meets the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act to any occupants of the property. The property is currently unoccupied. Institutional controls will not be required if the groundwater cleanup goals are achieved.
Site Description
Interactive map of Lehighton Electronics Incorporated, Lehighton, PA
The Lehighton facility manufactured printed circuit boards at this location from 1965 until 2001, when operation ceased. It is located about four miles southwest of Lehighton on a one-half acre lot in a sparsely populated area. Materials handled at the site include various metals and organic compounds. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was used as a solvent prior to 1980. 1-1-1-Trichloroethane has been used since 1980. Groundwater at the facility contains TCE at levels above drinking water standards.
Contaminants at this Facility
The groundwater contamination at the facility is now at approximately 30 parts per billion of TCE. The interim pump and treat system has reducing the levels of contamination in the groundwater. A few soil samples contained polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon compounds above EPA's health-based screening levels, but below State action levels. The soil contamination is not related to manufacturing or waste handling activities. Off-site properties are not impacted by facility contamination. Annual monitoring of surrounding residential wells shows no TCE or breakdown products in the well water.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls will not be required if the groundwater cleanup goals for TCE.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The site is unused.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.