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Spectron Inc.
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EPA ID: MDD000218008
Location:
111 Providence Rd
Elkton, MD 21921
Cecil County
Elkton, MD 21921
Cecil County
Congressional District: 1st
Other Names: Spectron
Last Updated: November 2011
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Contacts
Remedial Project Manager
John Epps
215-814-3144
epps.john@epa.gov
Community Involvement Coordinator
Carrie Deitzel
215-814-5525
1-800-553-2509
deitzel.carrie@epa.gov
State and Congressional Liaison
Linda Miller
215-814-2068
miller.linda@epa.gov
John Epps
215-814-3144
epps.john@epa.gov
Community Involvement Coordinator
Carrie Deitzel
215-814-5525
1-800-553-2509
deitzel.carrie@epa.gov
State and Congressional Liaison
Linda Miller
215-814-2068
miller.linda@epa.gov
Bulletin Board
- Record of Decision Operable Unit #1 Amendment (PDF) (139 pp, 4.01MB)
- Public Comment Period Extended for Spectron Proposed Plan (PDF) (1 p, 290k)
- EPA Seeks Public Input on Soil and Groundwater Cleanup (PDF) (2 pp, 245k)
- Proposed Plan for Soil and Groundwater (PDF) (58 pp, 2.33MB)
Questions
The EPA is dedicated to providing you with timely and accurate information about our work at this site. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:Carrie Deitzel 215-814-5525, 1-800-553-2509
On This Page
Related Links
Site Status
- For the purposes of investigation and remediation, the Site was divided into two Operable Units (OUs). OU-1 consists of Soil and Overburden Groundwater and OU-2 consists of Bedrock Groundwater.
OU-1 – Soil and Overburden Groundwater
- On September 16, 2004 the Record of Decision (ROD) for Operable Unit 1 - Soil and Overburden Groundwater (OU-1) was signed.
- In July 2006, EPA and the Potentially Responsible Party Group (PRP) entered into an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent (AOC) for Remedial Design and in August 2007, EPA approved the Remedial Design Work Plan.
- Remedial Design tasks consisted of:
- A Treatability Study to evaluate the in-situ reductive dechlorination component of the remedy selected by the ROD.
- A Pre-Design Investigation (PDI) to characterize overburden groundwater.
- A Focused Feasibility Study (FFS) to evaluate additional in-situ overburden groundwater treatment options.
- The Pre-Design Investigation/Focused Feasibility Study Report was approved by EPA in September 2011.
- The Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP) to modify the 2004 OU-1 ROD based on the findings of the PDI/FFS was issued on October 14th, 2011, followed by a 30-day public comment period. After EPA considers any comments, a Record of Decision Amendment (ROD Amendment) for OU-1 is expected to be issued in late 2011 or early 2012.
- In accordance with the initial 2004 OU-1 ROD, demolition of onsite structures is expected to commence in late 2011 or early 2012.
- A Treatability Study to evaluate the in-situ reductive dechlorination component of the remedy selected by the ROD.
- In accordance with a May 1996 AOC, the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for Operable Unit 2 - Bedrock Groundwater (OU-2) has been ongoing since 2001.
- In mid-2009, fieldwork for the RI/FS concluded. Fieldwork generally consisted of the following actions:
- The installation of additional bedrock monitoring wells
- The abandonment and replacement of existing monitoring wells
- The collection and analysis of groundwater samples
- Groundwater elevation monitoring
- A vapor intrusion evaluation
- The installation of additional bedrock monitoring wells
- The Final Remedial Investigation Report was approved by EPA in October 2010. The Final Feasibility Study Report is currently being revised by the group of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), who are cleaning up the site, to address EPA and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) comments.
- The Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP) and subsequent Record of Decision (ROD) for OU-2 are expected to be issued in mid-to-late 2012.
- As described in more detail under the Cleanup Progress section, the Stream Isolation/GWTS system continues to operate as designed.
- ·In September 2010, the office building located across Little Elk Creek from the Plant Area was demolished.
- On September 16, 2004 the Record of Decision (ROD) for Operable Unit 1 - Soil and Overburden Groundwater (OU-1) was signed.
Background
- The Spectron, Inc. Superfund Site is located on approximately 8 acres near Elkton, Maryland, in a rural residential area.
- The Site was operated as a paper mill until it was destroyed by fire in 1954.
- The mill buildings, except for the former powerhouse, were subsequently razed.
- Solvent recycling operations occupied the Site from 1962 to 1988.
- The recycling facilities, constructed on the fill material, reportedly handled more than 1 million gallons of liquids per year during its operation.
- The liquid materials processed at the facility included volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as chlorofluorocarbons, halogenated ethenes and ethanes, and chlorobenzenes (denser than water) and various alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons (less dense than water).
- Many of these compounds are not very soluble in water and tend to remain as non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) when released to the environment.
- Both light and dense NAPLs (LNAPLs and DNAPLs, respectively) were released while the solvent recycling operation was active, resulting in contaminated soil, overburden groundwater, bedrock groundwater, and DNAPL seeps along the western bank of Little Elk Creek.
- The State of Maryland designated the creek as a potential drinking water source and a stream targeted for protection and the maintenance of its aquatic life.
- Approximately 5,200 people obtain their drinking water from private wells within four miles of the Site with the nearest private wells within several hundred feet.
Cleanup History
NPL Listing History
| Status: Final | Added: May 1994 |
| Deleted: |
- Following the abandonment of the Site by the owner in 1988, more than 500,000 gallons of solvents and other liquids were left on-site in tanks and drums; these materials were removed by a PRP Group in late 1989 and 1990, under the oversight of the EPA.
- Residential wells surrounding the Site have been sampled on a regular basis, and potable water from these wells does not exceed drinking water standards for federally regulated VOCs.
- Approximately 2,000 cubic yards of affected stream sediments were excavated by the PRP Group from Little Elk Creek in 1998, and the Group constructed a Stream Isolation/Ground Water Collection and Treatment System (GWTS) in 1999 to intercept VOC-bearing ground water from the overburden and bedrock before it can discharge to the stream.
- Since operations began in March 2000, the GWTS has removed an estimated 23,000 lbs of VOCs. Because of the improvements in stream water quality due to the GWTS, restrictions on the use of the stream have been removed.
- For the purposes of investigation and remediation, the Site was divided into two Operable Units (OUs). OU-1 consists of Soil and Overburden Groundwater and OU-2 consists of Bedrock Groundwater.
- The ROD for OU-1 was issued in September 2004.
- The OU-1 remedy consists of a number of actions:
- Continued operation of a Stream Isolation/Groundwater Collection and Treatment System (GWTS)
- Consolidation of debris and capping of the Plant Area
- In-situ reductive dechlorination of overburden groundwater
- Land use restrictions
- Remedial Design for OU-1 began in August 2007 and is currently ongoing.
- Based on the findings of a Pre-Design Investigation and Focused Feasibility Study (PDI/FFS) conducted during Remedial Design, EPA expects to issue a ROD Amendment modifying the 2004 OU-1 ROD in late 2011 or early 2012.
- A Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) began for OU-2 in 2001.
- Field work for the OU-2 RemediaI Investigation/Feasibility Study has concluded and the Final Remedial Investigation Report has been approved by EPA. The Final Feasibility Study Report is currently being revised by the PRP Group to address EPA and MDE comments
- EPA expects to issue the ROD for OU-2 in late 2012.
Contaminants and Risks
- Onsite soil, overburden groundwater, and bedrock groundwater are impacted by VOCs from historic facility operations.
- Additionally, DNAPL and VOC-impacted groundwater seeps historically discharged into Little Elk Creek.
- The seeps are now being captured and treated by the Stream Isolation/GWTS and no longer contribute to contamination in the Creek.
- Potential risks exist if contaminated groundwater is used as a drinking water source, however, nearby drinking water supply wells are not impacted and treatment systems have been installed on multiple residential wells to further eliminate exposure pathways.
- The risks associated with coming into direct contact with seeps along Little Elk Creek have been eliminated by the installation of the Stream Isolation/GWTS.
- Contaminant descriptions and risk factors are available from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of the CDC.
Documents and Reports
- To search an on-line database of all documents and reports on the Spectron Inc. site, go to EPA’s Administrative Record Database.
- All documents and reports can also be reviewed in person at these locations:
Cecil County Library
301 Newark Avenue
Elkton, MarylandU.S. EPA Region III
1650 Arch Street-6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 814-3157
Call for an appointment.
- Some of the site’s key documents of interest are accessible below.
Proposed Plan for Operable Unit - 1 Remedy Modification (PDF) (58 pp, 2.33MB)
Record of Decision Operable Unit #1 September 16, 2004
Record of Decision Operable Unit #1 Amendment (PDF) (139 pp, 4.01MB)
Proposed Plan "Contaminated Shallow Site Soils" Operable Unit #1
- Proposed Plan Operable Unit #1 June 20, 2003 (Figures are in Adobe PDF format )
- PowerPoint Presentation from Public Meeting, June 2003 (6.18 MB, MS .ppt)
De Minimus Settlement Information
- Alphabetical listing of most (PDF) (11 pp, 2.01MB) of the Potential Responsible Parties.
- 12/09/2002: "DE MINIMIS" PARTIES AGREE TO PAY $5.8 MILLION TOWARD CLEANUP OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES AT SPECTRON SUPERFUND SITE
- Submit a FOIA Request
Get instructions on how to submit a FOIA request. $Fee$ for requests over 100 pages.
Photos, Maps and Diagrams
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| 1999: Workers at the Galaxy/Spectron site place topsoil atop the island created in the upper portion of the stream. | 1999: Workers at the Spectron site fill metal mesh gabion baskets with stones. The baskets keep the stones from shifting out of position while the stream returns to a natural state. |
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| Site Map (PDF) (1 p, 305K) | Stream Isolation and Groundwater Treatment System Conceptual Layout (PDF) (1 p, 131K) |
Community Information
- Fact Sheets
November 2011 (PDF) (2 pp, 245k)
September 2007 (PDF) (4 pp, 447K)
June 2003 (PDF) (11 pp, 2.01MB)
February 1998
May 1997
June 1996
- Federal Register
02/09/2006: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
12/11/2002: Notice of Lodging of De Minimis Consent Decrees Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. Department of Justice.
05/31/1994: National Priorities List for Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites; Final Rule
- Public Notice
May 2012 (PDF) (1 p, 53.8k) Record of Decision Amendment Issued
December 2011 (PDF) (1 p, 290k) Public Comment Period Extended for Spectron Proposed Plan
September 27, 2007 (PDF) (1 p, 34.1K): Cleanup Work Started At The Spectron, Inc. Superfund Site.
July 18, 2003: Public Notice Ad Extension of Public Comment Period OU1
June 20, 2003: Public Notice Ad Start of Public Comment Period OU1
May 2000: Swimming Advisory, Little Elk Creek
September 2, 1999: an event to commemorate the completion of the stream containment system
November 14, 1998: Open House
Reuse Information
- This site currently does not meet the criteria for Site-wide Ready for Anticipated Use; however parts of the site may be suitable for reuse.
- Want more information about how to reuse a Superfund site?