EPA RCRA ID: WVD061776977

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Cleanup Status
Facility Description
Contaminants at this Facility
Institutional/Engineer Controls
Enforcement and Compliance
Related Information
Contacts for this Facility

Cleanup Status

Note: The lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility is the EPA.

Former owner GE has been identifying contamination and taking interim measures to abate contamination under an Administrative Order on Consent issued by EPA in June 1990. The Order addresses the North Plant, the South Plant, a Former laboratory parcel, and four parcels adjacent to the North Plant.

Interim measures are being taken by General Electric to abate contamination in indoor air in the southern half of Building 175 at the North Plant, clean up contaminated groundwater at a certain area of the North Plant, and monitor contaminated groundwater at a certain area of the South Plant.

GE plans further investigation of impacts to indoor air from groundwater contamination.

Perimeter soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, and seeps at the North and South Plants and the Laboratory were investigated by General Electric (GE) in 1992 to 1993. Certain areas of subsurface soil and groundwater within the North and South Plants were investigated by GE in 1995. Certain areas of surface soil, groundwater, surface water and sediment within the North and South Plants and the Laboratory were investigated by GE in 2003. Certain areas of bedrock groundwater at the North and South Plants were investigated by GE in 2004 and 2005.

In 2004, Chemtura evaluated the potential for airborne releases from the wastewater plant operations to impact human health. The evaluation indicates there is no unacceptable human health impact resulting from contaminants known or estimated to be released to outdoor air from the wastewater treatment plant operations.

Additionally in 2004, GE conducted a radiation survey at the North and South Plants and the former Laboratory. The investigation yielded no evidence of radiological contamination. In 2004 and 2005, GE conducted evaluations of subsurface fracture zones and contamination in bedrock.

Since then, certain areas of soil and groundwater within the North and South Plants have been investigated by GE. More recently, the potential for vapors to emanate from contaminated groundwater into occupied structures at the North and South Plants and the Laboratory has been assessed and investigated by GE. Additional information was provided during a due diligence investigation conducted by Crompton Corporation prior to their acquisition of the Facility in 2003.

In 2004, based on available data and information, EPA determined there are no current unacceptable human exposures to contamination at the North Plant, the South Plant and the Laboratory (collectively called the Facility). In 2005, EPA determined contaminant migration in groundwater is under control at the South Plant and the Laboratory. In 2011, EPA determined contaminant migration in groundwater is under control at the North Plant. Supplemental monitoring is being conducted to sustain the groundwater determinations for each plant.

It is anticipated that remedy decisions for the North Plant, the South Plant and the Laboratory will be developed over the next several years that will include indoor air abatement where needed, groundwater remediation where needed, and institutional controls to prevent exposure to contamination in fill, soil, and groundwater, and ensure the protectiveness of any long term remedial measures which may be put in place (e.g., easements and covenants, title notices, and land use restrictions).

Cleanup Background

In 2000, GE removed coal tar from locally impacted soil and from the partial bottoms of two former coal tar tanks at the South Plant. A fact sheet announcing the remediation was issued on July 21, 2000. Clean fill and vegetation were placed in the area in 2008.

In 2003, Chemtura removed contaminated soil that it had stored at the South Plant following a construction related excavation at the North Plant.

Contamination associated with historic industrial processes has been found in soil and groundwater at both the North and South Plants and the Laboratory, and in North Plant bedrock groundwater. Areas containing fill (predominantly fly ash) also are present throughout the Facility.

Between 2009 and 2013, GE implemented a pilot study to inject food grade material (molasses and emulsified vegetable oils) into groundwater at the North Plant to enhance dechlorination of 1,2 dichloroethane at a localized area. GE continues to implement and monitor remedial activities in this area.

In 2010, GE conducted a pilot test to extract vapor from a localized area at the South Plant to remove volatile organic contamination. The pilot test was unsuccessful. GE continues to monitor groundwater in this area.

In 2025, GE installed air filters inside of Building 175 at the North Plant to abate indoor air contamination sourced from vapors emanating from recently found subsurface contamination. GE plans to design and implement additional remedies to address the contamination.

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
(CA725)
(CA750)
(CA400)
(CA550)
(CA800)
(CA900)
(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 Facility consists of three non-contiguous properties within the Morgantown Industrial Park, an industrial complex located along the west bank of the Monongahela River in Morgantown, West Virginia. The three properties are the North Plant, a South Plant, and a former and currently inactive Laboratory located on property between the North and South Plants. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) identification numbers for the North Plant and the South Plant/Laboratory are WVD980552384 and WVD061776977, respectively.

The North and South Plants are located on approximately 30 acres, each, while the former Laboratory is located on approximately half an acre. The Facility is located east of and downhill from a former mine. Acid mine drainage impacts surface water in a tributary at the North Plant. The City of Morgantown is located across the Monongahela River and to the north of the Facility. The Facility is located within an area commonly referred to as the Morgantown Ordnance Works ("MOW"). Although the MOW has

never been placed on the Superfund National Priorities List ("NPL"), EPA conducted investigations at the MOW in the late 1980's due to its association with a proximate landfill on the NPL. Additional information about the MOW can be found at Morgantown Ordnance Works Superfund website. The North Plant converted to less than 90-day storage in 2003 after a container storage area and two tanks were certified as clean closed. Two Marcellus Shale natural gas wells were installed approximately 4000 feet below the ground surface near the South Plant in 2011 and 2012.

The Facility continues to operate as an active manufacturing facility. Antioxidants, hydrochloric acid, and organophosphorus polymer additive stabilizers are manufactured at the North Plant and alkyl phenols, hydrochloric acid, and organophosphorus polymer additive stabilizers are manufactured at the South Plant.

Site History

From 1940 to 1958, successive owners and operators, including the U.S. Government, Dupont Corporation, Sharon Steel, Heyden Chemical Corporation (Tenneco) and Matheson Chemical (Olin) used coal to produce coke, ammonia, methanol, formaldehyde, and hexamine at the MOW. From 1943 to 1945, heavy water (deuterium) was manufactured at the MOW to support the Manhattan Project. From 1951 to 1958, Matheson Chemical (Olin) additionally produced ethylene diamine. Disposal of fly ash, coal ash, cinders, excess coal, and coal tar wastes occurred throughout the property during the nearly 20 years of coal-related processing operations associated with the MOW. The Facility was inactive from 1958 to 1962.

In 1964, Weston Chemical Company, Inc. (Weston) purchased certain parcels of property from the MOW industrial park and began operation of an organic chemical production facility (the current RCRA Facility). Weston was later acquired by Borg Warner Chemical Corporation.

In 1988, GE purchased the stock of Borg-Warner Specialty Chemicals, Inc. and the Facility name was subsequently changed to GE Specialty Chemicals, Inc. In 1990, GE Specialty Chemicals entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with EPA to conduct investigations at the North Plant, the South Plant, the former laboratory, and four parcels adjacent to the North Plant. In 2003, in response to a request from GE, EPA revised the order recipient to General Electric Company; and GE sold the 62-acre Facility to Crompton Corporation. As a result of the sale, GE retained responsibility for addressing most of the requirements of the Consent Order and Crompton Corporation took on responsibilities of the Consent Order related to current operations and any new releases. In 2005, the Chemtura Corporation acquired Crompton Corporation and the Facility name changed to Crompton Corporation. On April 30, 2013, Chemtura's Morgantown, West Virginia facilities were purchased by SK Capital and the Facility was renamed Addivant USA LLC. In October 2018, SK Capital acquired the SI Group and merged it with Addivant. The combined company is now marketed under the SI Group brand.

Contaminants at this Facility

Detections of benzene and toluene in groundwater at the North Plant and detections of toluene and phenol in groundwater at the South Plant were cited by EPA as rationale to enter the 1990 Administrative Order on Consent. Site wide investigations conducted subsequent to the Order indicate that the current concentration of these chemicals is within an acceptable risk range. However, other contaminants have been found in soil and/or groundwater. These contaminants include 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and their breakdown products at the North Plant; perchloroethylene and its breakdown products, as well as polyaromatic hydrocarbon compounds at the South Plant; and perchloroethylene at the Laboratory.

Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

It is anticipated that the final remedy will include institutional controls to prevent:

Restrictions on potable use of contaminated groundwater
Restrictions on residential use of contaminated land
Exposure restrictions to contamination in soil and groundwater
Vapor intrusion restrictions

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:
(CA 772)	(ID)
	(GC)
	(EP)
	(PR)
(CA 770)	(GW)
(CA 770)

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.

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