News Releases from Region 03

EPA Removing Portions of the North Penn Area 6 Site from List of Nation’s Most Contaminated Sites

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: R3press@epa.gov

EPA Removing Portions of the North Penn Area 6 Site from List of Nation’s Most Contaminated Sites

PHILADELPHIA (May 20, 2021) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the partial deletion of 1.66 acres from the North Penn Area 6 site in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a list of the nation’s most contaminated hazardous waste sites. EPA published a Federal Register Notice on May 14 that finalized the partial deletion of 1.66 acres from the North Penn Area 6 Site. 

EPA deletes sites, or portions of sites, from the NPL, with state concurrence, when all site cleanup goals have been met; no further response is necessary; and the remedy is determined to be protective in the long-term. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work have gone into getting these sites to the point where they can be deleted from the NPL.

“Deletions from the NPL can revitalize communities, raise property values,  and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete,” said Acting  EPA Regional Administrator Diana Esher “This can be especially impactful for disadvantaged and over-burdened communities.”

The North Penn Area 6 Site is located in the Borough of Lansdale and small portions of Hatfield, Towamencin, and Upper Gwynedd townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  The Site was discovered after high levels of trichloroethene were detected in several wells within the Lansdale area. EPA has implemented cleanup actions to address soil and groundwater contamination at the Site. 

The former Tate Andale property located at 135 East Hancock Street is the parcel within the Site affected by the partial deletion.  EPA removed contaminated soils from the property in 2001.  In 2012, EPA constructed a treatment system on the property to extract and treat contaminated groundwater.  EPA has determined that all appropriate Fund-financed response under CERCLA has been implemented, and no further response action by responsible parties is appropriate in the area proposed for deletion.

EPA announced its intent to partially delete the Site on December 30, 2020, beginning a 30-day public comment period.  EPA has published a Responsiveness Summary which addresses all comments received during the public comment period.  The Responsiveness Summary and other relevant site information and documents may be found at the Superfund Site profile page for the North Penn Area 6 Site.