EPA RCRA ID: WVD980552384
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
Note: The lead agency for managing cleanups at this facility is the EPA.
In 2004, based on the results of extensive investigations, EPA determined there are no current unacceptable human exposures to contamination at the North Plant, the South Plant and the Laboratory (collectively called the Facility). In 2005, EPA determined contaminant migration in groundwater is under control at the South Plant and the Laboratory. In 2011, EPA determined contaminant migration in groundwater is under control at the North Plant. Supplemental monitoring is being conducted to sustain the groundwater determinations for each plant.
It is anticipated a remedy decision will be developed over the next several years that will include groundwater remediation and institutional controls to prevent exposure to contamination in fill, soil, and groundwater and to ensure the protectiveness of any long term remedial measures which may be put in place (e.g., easements and covenants, title notices, and land use restrictions).
Cleanup Background
In 2000, GE removed coal tar from locally impacted soil and from the partial bottoms of two former coal tar tanks at the South Plant. A fact sheet announcing the remediation was issued on July 21, 2000. Clean fill and vegetation were placed in the area in 2008.
In 2003, Chemtura removed contaminated soil that it had stored at the South Plant following a construction related excavation at the North Plant.
In 2004, Chemtura evaluated the potential for airborne releases from the waste water plant operations to impact human health. The evaluation indicates there is no unacceptable human health impact resulting from contaminants known or estimated to be released to outdoor air from the waste water treatment plant operations. Additionally in 2004, GE conducted a radiation survey at the North and South Plants and the former Laboratory. The investigation yielded no evidence of radiological contamination. In 2004 and 2005, GE conducted evaluations of subsurface fracture zones and contamination in bedrock.
Contamination associated with historic industrial processes has been found in soil and groundwater at both the North and South Plants and in North Plant bedrock groundwater. Areas containing fill (predominantly flyash) also are present at the North and South Plants.
Between the period of 2009 and 2013, GE implemented pilot studies to remediate chlorinated solvents in soil and groundwater at the North and South Plants. GE continues to address a localized area of soil and groundwater contamination at the North Plant.
In 2010, GE conducted a pilot test to extract vapor from a localized area at the South Plant to remove volatile organic contamination. The pilot test was unsuccessful and GE is evaluating alternative remedial options.
Additionally, in 2010, GE initiated a pilot test to inject food grade material (molasses and emulsified vegetable oils) into groundwater at the North Plant to enhance de-chlorination of 1,2 dichloroethane at a localized area. GE continues to implement and monitor remedial activities in this area.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The Facility consists of three non-contiguous properties within the Morgantown Industrial Park, an industrial complex located along the west bank of the Monongahela River in Morgantown, WV. The three properties are the North Plant, a South Plant, and a former and currently inactive Laboratory located on property between the North and South Plants. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) identification numbers for the North Plant and the South Plant/Laboratory are WVD980552384 and WVD061776977, respectively. The North and South Plants are located on approximately 30 acres, each, while the former Laboratory is located on approximately 3/4 of an acre. The Facility is located proximate to and down hill from a former mine. Acid mine drainage impacts surface water in a tributary at the North Plant. The City of Morgantown is located across the Monongahela River and to the north of the Facility. The Addivant Facility is located within an area commonly referred to as the Morgantown Ordnance Works ("MOW"). Although the MOW has never been placed on the Superfund National Priorities List ("NPL"), EPA conducted investigations at the MOW in the late 1980's due to its association with a proximate landfill on the NPL. Additional information about the MOW can be found at Morgantown Ordnance Works Superfund website. The North Plant converted to less than 90 day storage in 2003 after a container storage area and two tanks were certified as clean closed. Two Marcellus Shale natural gas wells were installed approximately 4000 feet below the ground surface near the South Plant in 2011 and 2012.
The Facility continues to operate as an active manufacturing facility. Antioxidants, hydrochloric acid, and organophosphorus polymer additive stabilizers are manufactured at the North Plant and alkyl phenols, hydrochloric acid, and organophosphorus polymer additive stabilizers are manufactured at the South Plant.
Site History
From 1940 to 1958, successive owners and operators, including the U.S.. Government, Dupont Corporation, Sharon Steel, Heyden Chemical (Tenneco) and Matheson Chemical (Olin) used coal to produce coke, ammonia, methanol, formaldehyde, and hexamine at the MOW. From 1943 to 1945, heavy water (deuterium) was manufactured at the MOW to support the Manhattan Project. Disposal of fly ash, coal ash, cinders, excess coal, and coal tar wastes occurred throughout the property during the nearly 20 years of coal-related processing operations associated with the MOW. The Facility was inactive from 1958 to 1962.
In 1964, Weston Chemical Company, Inc. (Weston) purchased certain parcels of property from the MOW industrial park and began operation of an organic chemical production facility (the current RCRA Facility). Weston was later acquired by Borg-Warner Chemical Corporation.
In 1988, GE purchased the stock of Borg-Warner Specialty Chemicals, Inc. and the Facility name was subsequently changed to GE Specialty Chemicals, Inc. In 1990, GE Specialty Chemicals entered into a RCRA Corrective Action Consent Order with EPA to conduct investigations at the North Plant, the South Plant, the former laboratory, and four parcels adjacent to the North Plant. In 2003, in response to a request from GE, EPA revised the order recipient to General Electric Company; and GE sold the 62-acre Facility to Crompton Corporation . As a result of the sale, GE retained responsibility for addressing most of the requirements of the Consent Order and Crompton Corporation took on responsibilities of the Consent Order related to current operations and any new releases. In 2005, the name of the owner of the Facility changed from Crompton Corporation to Chemtura Corporation. On April 30, 2013, Chemtura's Morgantown, West Virginia facilities were purchased by Addivant USA LLC.
Contaminants at this Facility
Detections of benzene and toluene in groundwater at the North Plant and detections of toluene and phenol in groundwater at the South Plant were cited by EPA as rationale to enter the 1990 RCRA Corrective Action Consent Order. Site wide investigations conducted subsequent to the Order indicate that the current concentration of these chemicals is within an acceptable risk range. However, other contaminants have been found in soil and/or groundwater. These contaminants include 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethane, trichloroethene, perchloroethylene and arsenic at the North Plant, and perchloroethylene and trichloroethene, and their breakdown products , as well as polyaromatic hydrocarbon compounds have been detected at the South Plant.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
It is anticipated that the final remedy will include institutional controls to prevent:
- Restrictions on potable use of contaminated groundwater
- Restrictions on residential use of contaminated land
- Exposure restrictions to contamination in fill, soil and groundwater
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
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Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.