E. I. DuPont De Nemours Site (Newport Landfill)

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EPA ID:DED980555122

Location:

James & Water Sts
Newport, DE 19804

Congressional District: 1st

Other Names:DuPont-Newport
Newport Pigments

Last Updated: September 2011

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Contacts

Community Involvement Coordinator
Anthony Iacobone
215-814-5237
iacobone.anthony@epa.gov

Community Involvement Coordinator
Trish Taylor
215-814-5539
taylor.trish@epa.gov

State and Congressional Liaison
Amie Howell
215-814-2068
howell.amie@epa.gov

Bulletin Board

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:
Trish Taylor
215-814-5539

Site Status

EPA completed the second Five-Year Review for the DuPont site in March 2010, and the review found that the cleanup continues to be protective of human health and the environment.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed the cleanup of the DuPont site in September 2002.
DuPont hosted a media event at the South Landfill that included presentations by EPA, DuPont, and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to celebrate the 2002 completion.
The operations, maintenance, and monitoring activities of the ground water recovery, wetlands, and river areas are ongoing.
In March 2005 EPA completed the first Five-Year Review of the overall remedy of the DuPont site.

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Background

The E.I DuPont, Newport site encompasses a pigment-manufacturing facility and two industrial landfills.
The Christina River flows between the seven-acre North Landfill and the 15-acre South Landfill.
From 1902 to 1929, Henrik Krebs built the plant and used it to manufacture a white zinc and barium-based pigment called Lithopone.
In 1929, DuPont bought the plant.
DuPont phased out Lithopone production and started making organic pigments, inorganic pigments, and other assorted products including chromium dioxide (a synthetic magnetic substance).
As part of the plant’s operations, waste was disposed of in landfills which flowed into bordering wetlands and the Christina River.
Wastes put in these landfills contained metals such as lead, cadmium, zinc, barium, mercury, and copper.
Prior to Superfund laws, the State purchased a section of the South Landfill as part of a highway construction project.
In 1984, Ciba-Geigy (now Ciba Specialty Chemicals) bought the pigment plant.
DuPont retained the chromium dioxide manufacturing facility, which has since been shut down.
There are public water supply wells within a three-mile radius of the site, however they have not been impacted by the site.
The river that flows between the landfills is used for recreational purposes.

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Cleanup History

NPL Listing History

Status:	Proposed: 1982
Deleted:	Final: 1983

In August 1993, the EPA issued a formal cleanup strategy known as the Record of Decision or ROD.
In April 1994, under an EPA order (Unilateral Administrative Order), DuPont carried out the rest of the cleanup work.
In 1994, as a result of a legal consent agreement with EPA, DuPont installed a steel wall using sheet piles along 700 feet of the Christina River. This barrier prevents oil from seeping out of the river bank.
In 1995, several cubic yards of lead-contaminated soil were removed from an adjacent baseball field. The same year, DuPont installed a water line to nearby residents who were drinking from private wells.
In 1997, the south river bank was covered with rocks, preventing further erosion into the South Landfill.
In August 1997, work started to remove highly-contaminated sediments from the North Wetlands.
Approximately 10,000 yards of wetland sediments were dug up and disposed of on-site in the North Landfill.
The North Wetlands were replanted and restored.
The EPA, Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), and DuPont excavated more contaminated sediments than originally planned increasing the biodiversity of the area.
In November 1999, DuPont finished dredging the Christina River.
Dredged sediments were put in the South landfill (DuPont capped this area in 2002).
Approximately 11,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments were removed from the three areas.
In May 2001, DuPont completed capping the North Landfill. To capture polluted groundwater from underneath the landfill and Ciba plant, DuPont also installed a groundwater capture system.
Groundwater is being treated on-site before it is pumped to the Wilmington Treatment Plant.
In May 2001, under an EPA Explanation of Significant Difference (ESD), an in-ground reactive wall (to treat groundwater), and a landfill cap were installed for the South Landfill.
Constructed started in December of 2001 and ended in September 2002.

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Contaminants and Risks

Heavy metals and chlorinated solvents were detected in ground water.
Lead, cadmium, zinc, barium, mercury, and copper were found underneath the Ciba plant, in river and wetland sediments.
Contaminant descriptions and associated risk factors are available at: (ATSDR web site).

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Documents and Reports

To search an on-line database of all documents and reports on the E. I. DuPont De Nemours Site (Newport Landfill) site, go to EPA’s Administrative Record Database.

All documents and reports can also be reviewed in person at these locations:

Contact Charles Silverman at 302-995-7663
Kirkwood Highway Library
6000 Kirkwood Highway
Wilmington, DE 19808

Newport Old Town Hall
15 North Augustine St.
Newport, DE 19804

U.S. EPA Region 3 NPL Public Docket
c/o U.S. EPA Region 3 Library
1650 Arch Street, 2nd floor (3PM52)
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029

Some of the site’s key documents of interest are accessible below.

Record of Decision

Community Relations Plan - June 1997 (PDF) (38 pp, 220KB)
Submit a FOIA Request
Get instructions on how to submit a FOIA request. $Fee$ for requests over 100 pages.

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Photos, Maps and Diagrams

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Community Information

This is Superfund: A Community Guide to EPA's Superfund Program (PDF) (12 pp, 1.1MB)
Tell us how to better engage with your community.
Federal Register
11/06/2006: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Delaware Hazardous Substances Cleanup Act

10/12/2006: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Delaware Hazardous Substances Cleanup Act.
Fact Sheet
March 2000
Public Notice
April 1999