Summit Equipment & Supplies, Inc.

Site Information

Akron, OH (Summit County)
EPA ID# OHD055523401

Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Susan Pastor (pastor.susan@epa.gov)
312-353-1325 or 800-621-8431, ext. 31325

Remedial Project Manager
David Seely
(seely.david@epa.gov)
312-886-7058 or 800-621-8431, ext. 67058

Repository

(where to view written records)

Akron-Summit County Public Library
Science & Technology Dept.
60 S. High St.
Akron, Ohio

Links

EPA Superfund Home Page
Region 5 Superfund
Superfund Frequent Questions

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

Background

The 7.5-acre former salvage yard and scrap metal facility, located at 875 Ivor Ave., Akron, is bordered by the Akron-Barberton Beltway Railroad tracks to the north; a low-lying woodland and marsh to the east; a residential area to the south; and a light industrial area to the west. The marsh to the east of the salvage yard is immediately adjacent to Lake Nesmith, a local recreation area.

Operating from the 1950s to the 1980s, Summit Equipment accepted large numbers of transformers containing PCB oils. It also stored transformers and batteries intended for scrap and reclamation. In the early 1970s, batteries were recycled while metals from electrical equipment were smelted on-site in a small furnace. Oil reclaimed from the transformers reportedly provided fuel for the furnace. These activities resulted in on-site PCB contamination of soil and off-site movement of the PCBs. These site operations also resulted in ground water contamination under the site.

In 1987, EPA conducted an emergency action to stop the PCBs from moving off-site. About 300 capacitors and 1,300 transformer carcasses were also removed to stabilize the site and protect neighbors’ health as well as the environment.

In 1991, EPA also oversaw removal and disposal of:

2,000 tons of contaminated scrap, motors, and stone
over 160 drums containing various items including furnace residue, metal grinding dust, and PCB- and mercury-contaminated soil
non-hazardous waste oil, paint residue, and batteries
over 432 cubic yards of tires
219 tons of building demolition debris
two large transformer carcasses weighing 2,500 pounds
three mercury rectifiers and eight compressed air cylinders

In 1998, the EPA finalized a long-term cleanup plan, called the record of decision, which included:

clearing unexploded ordnance
excavating all contaminated soil
backfilling and regrading the excavated areas with clean fill
transporting contaminated soil to a permitted landfill for disposal
monitoring the ground water
restricting future land and ground water use

All of these actions were completed by 2000 along with continued ground water monitoring. The 1998 cleanup plan was slightly modified in 2004 to remove unnecessary land-use restrictions.

Site Updates | Latest Update | Technical Documents || Five-Year Reviews || Legal Agreements

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Site Updates

December 2012 Update

EPA is doing a status review of the cleanup. This type of review is required at least every five years where the cleanup is complete but hazardous waste remains managed on-site. These reviews are done to ensure that the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. This is the third five-year review for Summit Equipment. Contact the site community involvement coordinator and/or the remedial project manager to provide input on this review process.

The review will include: