Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Sechan Limestone Industries Incorporated in Portersville, Pennsylvania

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Cleanup Status

The site was formerly a limestone mining operation. In the late 1970s the facility began to close-out the remaining solid waste management units. These units consisted of and not limited to several on-site landfills, impoundments and sedimentation ponds. These units were closed under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). With the closures of the former land fills and required by law, the Sechan facility continues to monitor the groundwater wells to ensure that the leachate in the former landfills does not migrate off-site.

In April 2001, EPA and PADEP conducted a site visit. The visit consisted of a site tour, and information gathering to assess the current status of the site. EPA determined that both Environmental Indicators for human exposures and groundwater migration are under control. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 with assistance from the State. The facility will continue to implement the existing groundwater monitoring program to ensure that groundwater migration will continue to be under control. 

A corrective action statement of basis was issued in August 2016 which proposes institutional controls be implemented to restrict land use and groundwater and enforced via an environmental covenant.

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Site Description

Interactive map of Sechan Limestone Industries Incorporated, Portersville, PA

The Sechan site is located in a predominantly rural area of western Pennsylvania and occupies approximately 1500 acres. During its heyday from the 1940s through the early 1970s the facility principal operation was limestone mining. The lime was used during the highway construction boom. When the limestone sources were exhausted the facility began to close-out the remaining solid waste management units. The Sechan site no longer operates limestone mining. A small section of the site has been converted to a rental trailer park.

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Contaminants at this Facility

Although one down-gradient well (I-S) from the former disposal pits has detected lead concentrations slightly above EPA action level (0.015 ppm) from time to time, the lead concentrations at this well has consistently been below 0.020 ppm over the last several quarters. Taking into consideration that offsite down-gradient residential wells have not been affected, and monitoring wells located further down-gradient of the former disposal pits do not detect levels of concern, the potential lead plume that lies beneath the site is believed to be contained within the facility boundaries. All eight monitoring wells will continue to be sampled on a quarterly basis.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

The need for Institutional Controls is yet to be determined.  

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Land Reuse Information at this Facility

The site is under continued use.

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Site Responsibility at this Facility

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

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