EPA RCRA ID: VAD003122165
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.
Prior to EPA involvement at the Facility, Hercules closed some units or solid waste management units under Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) direction. In October 1999, Hercules agreed to conduct further environmental investigation and clean-up under a Facility-Lead Agreement with EPA to satisfy Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program requirements. In October 2010, Hercules entered into a "RCRA 3013 Order on Consent" with EPA to finish Corrective Action at the Facility.
Hercules investigated contamination from chemical releases as documented in the Release Assessment (ERM; March 1999) and the Release Assessment Addendum (GES; January 2002). Site-related contaminants were identified in soil and groundwater and include: 1, 2 -dichloropropane (PDC), benzene, acetone, heptane, phenols, petroleum hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and organic peroxides.
At one unit, organic peroxides in groundwater is being treated by air-sparging. Hercules completed groundwater sampling of private wells located around the facility and found no site-related compounds. In 2010, Hercules stabilized, excavated and removed sludge in former waste pits and a lagoon located in the West Area. In July 2015, the Facility submitted their Corrective Measures Study (CMS) to EPA. Groundwater is the remaining media needing remediation. Various groundwater remedy options were evaluated for final remedy in the CMS. EPA approved the CMS in August 2016 and thereafter selected the Final Remedy for the Site in November 2016 after no comments were received during the 30-day public comment period.
The remedy consists of monitored natural attenuation of residual contaminants in groundwater (GW) and air-sparging in the Vul-Cup area until GW meets the clean-up goals. Restrictions on land use (restricted to industrial uses) and prohibiting shallow GW use for drinking water purposes will be implemented through an environmental covenant or other institutional control. EPA receives Annual GW Reports to document GW clean-up progress.
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 |
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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 Facility has been a chemical processing plant producing rosin, fatty acids and organic peroxides since 1955. The primary raw material used was 'tall oil', also called liquid rosin, derived from trees (mostly pine) during wood pulping. Historically, Hercules managed wastes on-site in landfills, a spray field, lagoons and pits, but discontinued these waste disposal methods and upgraded waste handling. The current processes generate wastewater, non-contact cooling water, biological sludge and some spent solvents (from the on-site quality control laboratory). The wastewater treatment plant was upgraded and produces little sludge, which is shipped off-site under State (VDEQ) permit. Waste stored in pits was excavated in 1999 and 2010 and removed. In 2010. a lagoon and sprayfield were closed after sludge in the lagoon was stabilized, excavated and removed to an off-site commercial landfill.
In 2001, Hercules began selling some manufacturing units at the Facility, while retaining ownership of the property and responsibility for past releases. In 2008, the Facility tall oil distillation process was discontinued. Currently, Aquapel, Pamolyn and Vul-Cup process units remain active. In August 2014, Solenis, LLC acquired the Facility. Hercules, LLC retains responsibility for historic contamination at the Site. The Site-wide GW remedy is currently being implemented.
Contaminants at this Facility
Contaminants of concern in groundwater were: Main Plant Area: 1,2-dichloropropane (PDC), benzene. Heat Generation Area: PDC, biphenyl, cresol m&p, naphthalene. Vul-Cup: PDC, heptane, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), organic peroxide. East Area: PDC. West Area: acetone, benzene, cresol m&p, naphthalene, phenol, arsenic, chromium, lead, vanadium, benzene, tetrachloroethene, benzo(a)anthracene, bis(2-ethylhexl)phthalate and PAHs.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls include:
1. For soils: implementation and maintenance of land use restrictions to prohibit use of Facility property for residential purposes.
2. For groundwater: continuation of active treatment in the Vul-Cup unit area and monitored natural attenuation/long-term groundwater monitoring in other areas where contaminants remain above EPA's Corrective Action Objectives.
3. For potential vapor intrusion into structures from subsurface contamination: installation of a Vapor Control System in any building with indoor vapor levels exceeding EPA' s acceptable levels.
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) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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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) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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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.