The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on a proposed Federal Consent Decree with Arxada, LLC concerning a $1.3 million cost recovery action related to the cleanup of the Pool Doctor/Beaver Alkali Products Site in Rochester Borough, Beaver County.  (PA Bulletin, page 5306)

Arxada has agreed to pay $1.3 million to resolve DEP’s claims that its predecessor, Lonza, Inc., arranged for the disposal at the site of approximately 140 tons of hydantoin, a hazardous substance, under the guise of a sale.

DEP completed a year-long, $3 million cleanup of the site under the state Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program in June 2020.  Read more here.

While this settlement would resolve DEP’s claims against Arxada, DEP’s ongoing cost-recovery effort will continue against the other four defendants with alleged roles in the improper disposal of chemicals at the site.

“This investigation, and the subsequent cleanup that DEP led, is an example of our commitment to getting things done for Pennsylvanians and holding polluters accountable,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “I applaud the dedicated staff who have tirelessly worked to not only remediate an environmental, health and safety hazard, but also followed every lead to ensure that those who profited off of this recklessness are held to account.”

When DEP initiated its cleanup response, the site consisted of hundreds of drums and containers of unknown liquids and solids improperly stored and disposed of in dilapidated buildings.

These substances were associated with chemical businesses and a laboratory that operated out of the buildings located at the site.

This site was not a DEP-regulated facility, but DEP responded when it became aware that the threat of a release of potentially hazardous substances into the environment posed a public health and environmental risk.

Additional hazardous chemicals discovered during DEP’s response, structural issues within the larger building onsite, as well as costs associated with security, testing, transport and disposal of the chemicals led to the total cost for the remediation exceeding $2.4 million.

During the response it became clear that companies and individuals used the site as an illegal dumping ground, and DEP began an investigation to hold those entities responsible.

When DEP concluded its response in June 2020, it vowed to pursue responsible parties for cost recovery.

Following through on that commitment, DEP filed a federal action in May 2023 against five defendants—including Arxada—to pursue cost recovery.

Comments will be accepted for 60 days until October 16, 2024.

Questions should be directed to Paul Vogel, DEP Southwest Regional Office Environmental Cleanup & Brownfields Program, 412-442-4132, or RA-EPSW-HSCA@pa.gov.

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for instructions on how to submit comments and for other information. (PA Bulletin, page 5306)

Visit the DEP Pool Doctor - Beaver Alkali Products webpage for more information.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website, Report Emergencies, Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; visit DEP’s Blog,  Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

(Photo: Chemical fire at the site in July, BeaverCountian.com. )

NewsClip:

-- Beaver County Times: DEP Announces $1.3 Million Secured In Recovery Cost For Pool Doctor Emergency Clean Up

[Posted: August 16, 2024]

8/19/2024