Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Marjol Battery in Throop, Pennsylvania
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Cleanup Status
EPA approved the final remedy and reported construction complete on 8/5/2010. The remedy consisted of:
- Moved contaminated material away from near-surface, mined coal seams at the northern part of the site;
- consolidated the waste in a secure, on-site landfill, approximately ten acres in area
- stabilized the top layer of waste with a cement mixture to provide redundant protection from releases;
- installed an engineered combination cap (soil and synthetic layers);
- planted and maintains a vegetative cover;
- cleaned the entire site surface to less than 500 parts per million lead (unrestricted use);
- continues monitoring, including blood lead screening;
- resampled community soil and demonstrated no recontamination;
- provides financial assurance for the maintenance of the remedy; and
- performs on-site and off-site sampling when necessary
- operates and maintains water runoff controls
As of August 5, 2010, clean-up at the site is complete. All contaminated waste and soil is consolidated into a central containment area. The contaminated material is covered with a layer of clean, solidified soil, and an engineered synthetic cap. The construction of the final cap started in late spring and was completed in mid-summer 2010. PADEP and EPA are satisfied through sampling data that contaminated material was not released during the construction activities and that the cap is properly installed.
Since the remedy is a permanent containment landfill, controls are required to prevent any unauthorized breach of the landfill cap. The area surrounding the landfill has been cleaned to allow unrestricted use. A Notice of Institutional Control and Access (Instrument Number 200714776, Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds) restricts the use of the landfill cap area to operation and maintenance activities.
The groundwater aquifer is not impacted by the site contamination. The aquifer beneath the site is a Class III aquifer that is not suitable as a water supply source. Therefore, no site controls on groundwater use are required.
The owner has provided financial assurance for the construction and maintenance of the project by deposition money into a trust fund.
Site Description
Interactive map of Marjol Battery, Throop, PA
The Marjol Battery and Equipment Company is a former battery processing facility located in the Borough of Throop, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. From 1963 to 1981, Marjol operations involved battery crushing, lead reclamation, and on-site disposal of spent battery casings. In May 1980, Gould purchased the Marjol Battery and Equipment Company and subsequently shut down plant operations in April 1982. The site was stabilized in 1992 to prevent the continuing release of contamination from the site. Construction of the final clean-up started in May 2008.
Prior cleanup actions by Gould include the cleanup of 133 residential and commercial properties adjacent to the site, and the stabilization of the site to prevent releases of contamination from the site.
Contaminants at this Facility
Lead is the primary constituent of concern at the Site. Lead is present in approximately 372,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil, battery casing material, and debris at the Site. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were identified in surface soil in former operational areas on Site. Lead was also identified in off-site soils in the surrounding community
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls include land use restrictions and maintenance of the landfill cap.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The site is currently in use.
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 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.