The former Metro Container Site is located in Trainer, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The site has a history of industrial use in the form of a chemical production plant and drum reclamation and recycling facility. Stauffer Chemical occupied the site during the years of 1920 until 1959. During that period the site housed a carbon disulfide production plant. From 1963 until 1988 the site ownership transferred to Universal Container Corporation, then later to Metro Container Corporation.
Background
In December 1987, EPA Region III was notified by PADER (PADEP today) of a potential emergency at the site due to the presence of thousands of drums in poor condition and leaking. EPA informed Metro Container of the condition in which the drums were and the need to perform a cleanup. Metro Container ceased operations in 1988. Subsequently that year, Metro failed to initiate cleanup action, prompting a federal response. ERCS constructed a fence around the site to restrict entry and a 300-foot retaining wall to prevent migration of contaminants from the site. In June 1989, a consent agreement was signed between EPA and a Potential Responsible Party (PRP) Steering Committee to conduct the removal of drums from the abandoned site. Removal activities related to this consent agreement were completed in February 1990. In July 1990, EPA's Criminal Investigation and NEIC conducted and investigation at the site and uncovered 25 drums and 12 drum remnants. These were removed from the site during the period of September 1990 through November 1991. The site remained closed until it was acquired during a sheriff sale by Trainer Industries. Trainer Industries is a services company specializing in industrial painting. Trainer Industries signed a Prospective Purchaser Agreement with EPA at the time of purchase.
In 2005, Conoco Phillips refinery (formerly British Petroleum) expressed interest in purchasing the property. They tasked MWH in conducting an assessment of subsurface soils and groundwater. This investigation determined the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and metals in groundwater. Several seeps were found on the embankment of Stony Creek. The confluence of Stony Creek to the Delaware River is less than one thousand feet downstream. Based on Conoco Phillips Site Characterization Report, PADEP asked the EPA Removal Program to conduct a removal assessment to determine the need to implement a removal action to mitigate potential threats to human health, welfare and the environment.
In March 2007, EPA conducted sampling at the Site to confirm the onsite data presented in the Conoco Phillips Report. EPA also collected offsite samples in Stoney Creek and two samples in the Delaware River to characterize offsite migration and to evaluate potential threats. Based on review of the data generated by EPA's March 2007 sampling event, the EPA Biologist had recommended additional sampling in the mudflats in the Delaware River to adequately identify and evaluate the potential threats to human health and/or the environment posed by the migration of Site contaminants
The Removal Assessment is ongoing. On July 11, 2008 EPA OSC Scharr and former EPA OSC Aquino met with Trainer Industries's owners to discuss upcoming sediment sampling in the mudflats of the Delaware River.
On August 7, 2008 the EPA OSC, EPA Biologist, the Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS) Biologist and START personnel accompanied by an escort provided by Conoco Phillips conducted a reconnaissance visit to the mudflat area to determine if access to the mudflats would be possible by foot and to identify areas to be sampled.
On August 18th and 19, 2008, EPA START contractors collected a total of 13 surface and subsurface 5-point composite samples in areas designated by EPA and FWS. During sampling an oil-saturated layer was encountered about twenty feet from the shoreline at approximately two feet below the surface. START hand-augered nine borings, north, south, east and west of the oil-saturated area. START collected three discrete samples from this area which was estimated to extend approximately 3000 square feet.
All samples will be analyzed for total Polychorinated Biphenl(PCB)congeners,
Target Analyte List Metals, and semi-volatile organic compounds.
Validated data will be evaluated to determine whether a removal action is necessary.
OSC Scharr has taken the lead for the Site.
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