Region 3 GPRA Baseline RCRA Corrective Action Facility PECO Energy Co., Chester Facility Jeffrey Street and Delaware Avenue Chester, PA 19013 Congressional District 1 EPA ID #: PAD000731026 Last Updated: 12/30/2005 Current Progress at the Site The PECO (formerly Philadelphia Electric Company and now part of the Exelon Corporation) Facility in Chester, PA is a 90 acre site located at Jeffrey Street and Delaware Avenue in Chester, PA and bordering the Delaware River. PECO is currently under the Facility Lead Corrective Measures Implementation Agreement, requiring that PECO remediate the hazardous waste contamination on 17 acres of the site where a resin manufacturing plant and hazardous waste recycler had been located. In 1996, PECO was required to begin Interim Measures (an immediate reaction to contamination) to remove hydrocarbon sheens from the Delaware River and prevent new sheens from forming by removing hydrocarbons from the groundwater. PECO submitted the RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) Report which completed the investigation phase of the project for 17 acres of the site on January 21, 1999. The study describes conditions in the soil and groundwater, and models the interaction of groundwater contamination with the surface water of the Delaware and showed that most of the contamination is connected to the resin manufacturer. EPA approved the RFI on June 25, 1999. Recently, PECO decided to offer the majority of the property for sale and redevelopment. In order the expedite redevelopment, EPA, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and PECO decided to use the Pennsylvania's Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (commonly known as Act 2) to characterize and remediate the portion of the facility not covered by the Facility Lead Agreement. As a result, PECO submitted one combined report in 2000 to fulfill EPA's requirement for a Corrective Measures Study and the Act 2 requirement to characterize and propose remediation for the rest of the site. PADEP approved the report in September, 2000. Following modifications, EPA approved the report in March, 2001. In May, 2001, PECO sold most of the property to Preferred Real Estate Investments (Preferred). Preferred with over $5 million in support from the state of Pennsylvania has begun redevelopment by converting an old coal-fired power plant into a high-tech office building. The building will have approximately 396,00 square feet of Class A office space. Preferred anticipates that renovation will be completed early 2005. Presently, the building is 90 percent pre-leased and is expected to be fully ------- occupied by the end of the year. Redevelopment of the property will provide commercial and recreational space resulting in the creation of an estimated 2000 - 3000 jobs. PECO has completed theclean ups required under PADEP Act 2 and EPA Facility Lead Agreement. The cleanup activities consist of excavation of impacted soil and groundwater remediation. PECO will continue to operate and monitor the groundwater remediation as part of the post closure requirements. As part the partnership with the City of Chester PECO has donated 7 acres of waterfront property at the upstream edge of the property and adjacent to an existing city park to the City of Chester. Site Description PECO is located along the Delaware waterfront in Chester, PA, approximately 20 miles south of Philadelphia. The property is in an environmental justice area and a Keystone Opportunity Zone. The Chester waterfront has been industrial since the 1800s. Currently, a few acres of the site is being used by PECO for an electricity substation. The site contains an Art Deco era coal-fired electricity generating plant that is no longer in use and some storage tanks that will be removed shortly. Site Responsibility RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of EPA Region 3 for the 17 acres. PADEP is overseeing remediation at the remainder of the property. Contaminants Soil: Most of the soil is fill which contains resin and tar fragments. These fragments contain BTEX (hydrocarbons: benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene) and PAHs (poly aromatic hydrocarbons). LNAPLs (light non-aqueous phase liquids: hydrocarbons that float on water) and some metals were also found. Groundwater: The groundwater contains BTEX, PAHs some SVOCs (semi-volatile organic compounds) and LNAPL. Surface water: There are 3 places where the groundwater is seeping into the Delaware River resulting in sheens composed of BTEX and PAHs. The Interim Measures have removed sheens from the Delaware River and are preventing new sheens from forming. Community Interaction EPA began a Public Comment Period for the Proposed Remedy on May 10, 2002 which will continue until July 9, 2002. A public meeting took place on June 11, 2002. ------- Institutional Controls As required under PADEP Consent Order and Agreement any future residential redevelopment must meet the Pennsylvania Statewide Health residential standards. Government Contacts Mr. Khai M. Dao U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region III 1650 Arch Street Mailcode: 3WC22 Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 Phone: (215) 814-5467 Email: dao.khail@epa.gov For more information about EPA's corrective action webpage, including Environmental Indicators, please visit our site at: www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/correctiveaction.htm ------- |