Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Maryland
Allegany County
2 1/2 miles southeast of Cumberland

EPA ID# MDD980691588

6th Congressional District

Last Update: December 2009

Other Names

Cumberland Cement & Supply
Diggs Sanitation

Current Site Status

The construction for this site is complete. The EPA issued its final cleanup decision, called a Record of Decision (ROD), for the site in June of 1996. The ROD called for the installation of a water line to service the residential area currently and potentially impacted by the site. Groundwater and surface water will continue to be monitored and both landfill properties will have restricted future use. Allegany County, Maryland began construction of the water line in August of 1999. The water line construction was completed in September of 1999. All 18 homes that were threatened by groundwater contamination have been placed on a county water line and are no longer using their private wells for potable purposes.

Site Description

The Limestone Road Site in Cumberland, 'Allegany County, Maryland includes two separate parcels of land on opposite sides of Limestone Road. Both properties were used for the disposal of commercial, residential, and demolition waste during the 1960's and 1970's. In 1981, approximately 110 tons of waste sludge containing chromium, lead, and cadmium were illegally dumped on both properties. In June of 1981, following an initial investigation by the State of Maryland, the property owners were ordered to clean up their respective properties. This order was eventually stayed when the EPA took over the lead at the site in 1982. Area residents had relied on ground water as a drinking water source. A stream which runs by the properties has also been shown to contain metals associated with the site.

Site Responsibility

Cleanup of this site is the responsibility of federal and state governments, and parties potentially responsible for site contamination.

NPL Listing History

This site was proposed to the National Priorities List of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites requiring long term remedial action on December 30, 1982. The site was formally added to the list September 8, 1983, making it eligible for federal cleanup.

Threats and Contaminants

Inorganic chemicals and heavy metals including zinc and lead were detected in on-site soils during test pit sampling. The surface water is contaminated with chromium, cadmium, and zinc. Site and residential wells have been found to contain manganese and nickel. Possible health threats include direct contact with, or accidental swallowing of, contaminated soil or surface water, or prolonged drinking of contaminated ground water.

Contaminant descriptions and risk factors are available from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of the CDC.

Cleanup Progress

EPA issued an interim ROD to address the immediate threats posed by the site in 1986. The ROD called for the capping and fencing of the landfill areas of both properties, as well as additional investigations to study the groundwater and streams which run by the properties. In February of 1990, EPA entered into a Partial Consent Decree with Fairchild Industries (whose waste was illegally dumped at the site) and Cumberland Cement and Supply (one of the property owners) to undertake this work. Construction of the caps and fences was completed in November of 1994. Early results of the supplemental groundwater study indicated some residential wells were contaminated with metals. To address this immediate threat, the Potentially Responsible Parties entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with EPA, under which they agreed to regularly test residential wells and to provide bottled water to residents whose water is not safe to drink. All currently and potentially impacted residences are served by the water line that was constructed. A five-year review was completed in January 2006. EPA is drafting a Final close out report in prepartion for deleting the Site from the Natonal Priorities List (NPL). Deletion fro the NPL shoule occur during 2010.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations