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Salford Quarry Site Added to Superfund List

Release Date: 09/23/2009
Contact Information: Roy Seneca seneca.roy@epa.gov, 215-814-5567

PHILADELPHIA (September 23, 2009) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the addition of the Salford Quarry site in Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, Pa. to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The national priorities list is a national list of sites where hazardous contaminants could impact public health and/or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation to determine the full nature and extent of contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then address whatever risks the sites pose to human health and the environment.

The 3-acre Salford Quarry site, located at 610 Quarry Road, was used as a shale quarry in the 1900s and then in the 1950s as a dumping ground for industrial, commercial and industrial waste. In the 1960s, American Olean Tile Company used the quarry to dispose of sludge and other waste from its nearby manufacturing plant.

EPA has been involved with the site since 1987 to address boron contamination in nearby residential wells. In 1993, EPA installed a new municipal water line that initially connected 73 residences with public water, and then in 1994 and 1995, 40 additional homes were added. The site has been added to the NPL in part because high levels of boron remain in the groundwater, which has the potential to migrate to wells not served by the water lines.

Exposure to large amounts of boron over short periods of time can affect the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and brain. Studies in animals indicate that the male reproductive organs, especially the testes, are affected if large amounts of boron are ingested for short or long periods of time.

For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for this and other sites, please visit https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm . More details on the Salford Quarry site can also be found at https://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/npl/PAD980693204.htm .