Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Raymark Industries (Formerly: Manheim Area Economic Development Corporation) in Manheim, Pennsylvania

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Cleanup Status

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at the Raymark facility are being conducted as a joint effort of EPA and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), with PADEP taking the lead. The investigation and any necessary clean up activities are being implemented in accordance with 1) the January 25, 2001 Consent Order and Ageement with Phoenix Group (for the Raymark Industries Landfill), 2) the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program (Act 2) (for other areas at the site), 3) The Pennsylvania Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) program (for the Lower Mill Landfill and Gibbles Quarry, and 4) Federal corrective action authorities (for releases from Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs)).

EPA is currently reviewing the existing environmental information to determine if further investigation and/or corrective action will be required at the site. EPA will first focus on the health and groundwater impacts, if any, presented by the facility.

In April 2005, EPA determined that the Human Health Exposures Under Control Environmental Indicator had been met.  This Environmental Indicator evaluation took into account the investigations completed under the Pennsylvania’s Act 2 Program as well as the on-going cap maintenance and groundwater monitoring of the two landfills under PADEP’s RCRA and HSCA programs.  The Phoenix Group is restricting the future use of the land to non-residential scenarios only, and the groundwater to non-potable uses.  EPA is still reviewing data for evaluation of the Environmental Indicator for groundwater.

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Site Description

Interactive map of Raymark Industries (Formerly: Manheim Area Economic Development Corporation), Manheim, PA


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The site has undergone closure under the Act 2 Program.

Historically, this site was part of the Raybestos-Manhattan Inc. plant operations that manufactured friction product material including automotive brake linings, clutch facings and other specialized friction products since 1908.  Onsite waste disposal occurred in several areas and is assumed to be the source of groundwater contamination.

There were eight Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) areas on the site determined to have possibly impacted the environment.  These units areas include 1) Raymark Industries Landfill (a RCRA-regulated hazardous waste landfill), 2) Former Hazardous Waste Landfill (Lower Mill Landfill which is pre-RCRA), 3) North Hazel Street Quarry (Gibbles Quarry, not on Raymark’s property), 4) Drum Storage Area, 5-7) Hazardous Waste Drum Holding Areas, and 8) Asbestos/lead Slurry Transfer Stations. 

The RCRA-regulated landfill is an unlined earthen landfill with few engineering controls.  It operated from 1972 until 1989, and received and estimated 9,663 tons of asbestos and lead wastes each year.  Some stormwater run-off controls and a 1-inch asphalt cover were added after 1977 to help reduce the environmental impact of the landfill.  Groundwater contamination, attributable to the landfill was found in 1983.  Between 1983 and 1989, Raymark monitored the groundwater for lead, sulfate and bicarbonate - groundwater quality parameters that were used as indicators of the impact of the landfill on groundwater.  Between 1989 and 1998, groundwater monitoring was sporadic due to bankruptcy actions.  In 1998, Raymark notified PADEP that Raymark Industries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and, therefore, groundwater monitoring would be discontinued. 

In December 2000, most of the closed Raymark property was purchased by Phoenix Group, who plans to clean-up the site and re-develop it for industrial use.  A Consent Order and Agreement was signed by Phoenix Group and PADEP on January 25th, 2001.  Capping of the landfill was completed by Phoenix group on December 20, 2000, under the direction of PADEP.  Groundwater monitoring responsibility has been taken over by Phoenix Group.

Five of the seven other storage/disposal on the site have been investigated for releases and impacts to the environment under the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program (Act 2).  The other two areas, (Lower Mill Landfill and North Hazel Street Quarry) are believed to be unlined and used for disposal of asbestos and lead wastes.  These areas will be evaluated under the PADEP HSCA program.

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Contaminants at this Facility

 Contaminants of concern are asbestos, lead, sulfates. 

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

The need for institutional controls has yet to be determined.

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Land Reuse Information at this Facility

The site is being reused.

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Site Responsibility at this Facility

RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility have been conducted under the direction of PADEP with assistance from EPA Region 3.

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