Site Description: The Crater Resources Superfund Site consists of four inactive quarries located on a 95-acre parcel of land. Beginning in 1919, the Alan Wood Steel Company disposed of wastes generated by its coking facility into Quarries 1, 2, and 3. Various organics and tar wastes were disposed of in Quarry 1 via a pipeline from the Alan Wood Steel coking facility. Quarry 2 was filled with similar wastes as well as solid wastes, including cinders, bricks, and paint cans. Quarry 3, which received organics and tar wastes until 1980, was used as the main disposal quarry, receiving waste ammonia liquor (WAL) directly from the coking facility via pipeline. Quarry 4 was mined for sand and gravel and later backfilled with construction debris wastes. The soil and sediment of Quarry 3 and soil of Quarries 1, 2, and 4 were contaminated with organics such as phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene and toluene, cyanide, and heavy metals. Elevated levels of cyanide, ammonia, and phenol were also found in groundwater.
Scope of Work: Leed Environmental, Inc. was retained by the Crater Resources Cooperating Respondent Group (Group) to provide project coordination services for the remedial design and remedial activities at the site. The remedial activities for the site included removal and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and sediment from Quarry 3, construction of multi-layer caps to prevent infiltration of surface water into contaminated soil in Quarries 1, 2, and 4. Other remedial activities included excavation of WAL and contaminated soil, monitored natural attenuation of VOCs and metals in groundwater, assessment of potential vapor intrusion impacts, and removal of the pipeline (and impacted soil below the pipeline) that was used to convey WAL from the Alan Wood Steel facility to the quarries.
Special Features/Unusual Considerations: Because of its location in a highly populated area with large office complexes in suburban Philadelphia, remedial activities at the site were high profile and received priority attention from EPA. The site was divided into the following 10 operable units: OU-1 (Quarry 1), OU-2 (Quarry 2), OU-3 (Quarry 3), OU-4 (Quarry 4), OU-5 (cinder slag fill area), OU-6 (groundwater), OU-7 (off-site WAL pipeline investigation), OU-8 (Area 6, former dump area), OU-9 (Lot 44, southeast property area), and OU-10 (Lot 7). Remedial designs and remedial actions were required for each operable unit, were performed by different potentially responsible parties, and required extensive coordination and interaction with the responsible parties, property owners, regulatory agencies, and the public.
Responsibilities: In the role of project coordinator, Leed Environmental, Inc. was responsible for various forms of project documentation, for tracking compliance with the Unilateral Administrative Order, for preparing monthly and annual progress reports, for preparing access agreements, and for coordinating various activities with the members of the Group and other responsible parties and their consultants, with the Group’s supervising contractor, with regulatory agencies, and with property owners.
Project Status: Remedial activities at the site are continuing.
Project Duration for Leed Environmental, Inc.: Fifteen years, ongoing.
