EPA RCRA ID: PAD981739758
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The EPA is the lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility.
Honeywell is currently investigating groundwater conditions at the Delaware Valley Works (DVW) South Plant proximate to the Delaware River and any potential impact the groundwater may have on the Delaware River sediments in that area. The EPA determined on August 11, 2016, hat no unacceptable human exposure to contamination is at the facility.
Cleanup Background
Honeywell has completed several phases of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) to evaluate and characterize potential sources of contamination at the Delaware Valley Works facility. This has resulted in proposed interim remedial measures to excavate and remove contaminated soil from four solid waste management units (SWMUs). Additional investigation activities are continuing in the south west section of the facility’s north plant to identify and characterize a potential source to groundwater contamination.
In the Fall of 2008, EPA collected sediment samples in the Delaware River basin in areas contiguous to the General Chemical Corporation's (GCC) facility. The data resulting from this effort indicated elevated levels of arsenic, lead and DDT in the sediment media. Since then site specific preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) have been established for the contaminants of concern in the river sediments. Sampling in the river, to fully delineate the extent of the contaminated sediments, will continue until the PRGs are achieved. Additionally, the scope of the investigation has increased to include the groundwater of the DVW South Plant as a potential source of the arsenic contamination and the DVW storm water sewer system, believed to be a transport mechanism for contamination getting to the river sediments. Accumulated soil/sediments from the pipelines of the storm water sewer system in the DVW North Plant and the North Parcel of the DVW South Plant were removed and the system was cleaned in the Spring and Summer 2012.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
|---|
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The Honeywell facility also known as the Delaware Valley Works (DVW) is a chemical manufacturing plant located in Claymont, Delaware and Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. The facility consists of approximately one hundred acres, which is divided by Route 13 into two separate plants, referred to as the “DVW North Plant” and “DVW South Plant”. Two-thirds of the DVW North Plant is located in Pennsylvania with the remainder situated in Delaware. Virtually all of the DVW South Plant is located in Delaware. A variety of inorganic chemicals and pesticides were manufactured at the Facility during different periods since it began operation in the very late 1890’s. General Chemical Corporation (GCC) acquired the facility from Allied Signal (now known as Honeywell International Inc.) in 1986. Allied Signal retained ownership of several contiguous parcels of property at the DVW North Plant, upon which chemical operations were conducted and continue today, and one inactive parcel known as Solid Waste Management Unit-9 (SWMU-9) in the DVW South Plant.
In October 2002, GCC and certain of its affiliates filed a voluntary petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware for reorganization relief. GCC subsequently emerged from bankruptcy under an approved Reorganization Plan in October 2003. In 2004, Honeywell re-acquired the DVW North Plant from GCC.
In September 2011, EPA issued an Administrative Order to Honeywell International Inc., which requires a facility wide investigation. The Administrative Order was issued pursuant to Section 3008(h) of the RCRA. The requirements of the order include:
- Interim measures/stabilization to achieve the initial goal of controlling ground water releases and controlling current human and ecological exposure to contaminated media
- RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI), to provide more in-depth information about Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs)
- Corrective Measures Study (CMS) if warranted, to propose final cleanup actions needed
Contaminants at this Facility
Metals, volatile organic compounds and pesticides, are the main constituents of concern found in soils, sediments and groundwater at the facility.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional controls, if required, will be determined at the time of remedy selection.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
|
Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
|||
|
Governmental Controls (GC) |
||||
|
Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
||||
| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
|
Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
|||
|
Non-Groundwater |
||||
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.