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NPL Site Narrative for Peck Iron and Metal
PECK IRON AND METAL
Portsmouth, Virginia
Site Location
The former Peck Iron and Metal facility (Peck Iron) is located at 3850 Elm Avenue in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Site History
From 1945 to 1999, Peck Iron purchased, processed, stored, and shipped metal scrap from various military bases; other Federal, state, and local government agencies; and local businesses. Scrap metal handled at the facility included damaged and obsolete equipment, attachments, parts, and other miscellaneous materials, including scrapped naval vessels. Some of these scrap materials contained cadmium (automobile parts), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) (insulated wire, gaskets, fluorescent lights and transformer oils) and lead (scrapped bridge sections and automobile batteries). PCB-containing transformers were disassembled at the facility and the wires were burned to remove insulation.
Site Contamination/Contaminants
The primary contaminants are PCBs and lead.
Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment
PCBs and lead have been detected in a wetland on the southwest border of facility and the bank of Paradise Creek. Paradise Creek, a tidal estuary of the lower Chesapeake Bay, is a human food chain fishery and is used for recreation activities, including swimming, boating, crabbing and fishing.
Response Activities (to date)
Between approximately 2004 and 2007, the current owner of the facility conducted a study to determine the extent of the contamination on the facility and in the Paradise Creek wetland.
Need for NPL Listing
Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated but were not viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.