U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, REGION 3
DELAWARE, MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON, D.C.
KlMBERTON SUPERFUND SITE
DECEMBER 2009 COMMUNITY UPDATE
KlMBERTON, CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
EPA CLEANUP: CONTINUED SUCCESS MORE SAMPLING REQUIRED
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is issuing this
Fact Sheet to provide you with updated information on the
status of the Kimberton Superfund Site located in Kimber-
ton, Chester County, Pennsylvania on Coldstream Road be-
tween Hares Hill Road and Route 113.
EPA's latest review of this site has determined that the
selected remedies are being implemented as intended. A
determination regarding the short-term protectiveness of
the remedy for site groundwater is being deferred until
the potential for vapor intrusion has been evaluated.
(please see next column for more about sampling)
RESULTS OF EPA's S-YEAR REVIEW
The EPA completed its fourth Five-Year Review of the
cleanup at the site in September 2009. The last Five-Year
Review was conducted in 2004. The results of the Five-Year
Review indicated that the remedy selected in 1988
(recommending no further remedial action) is protective of
human health and the environment as a public water line
was installed as the result of a state enforcement action in
1992. The remedy selected in 1989 (groundwater pumping
and treatment) is being implemented properly but the short-
term protectiveness determination is being deferred until
additional information is collected as part of a vapor intru-
sion (VI) evaluation.
Results of EPA's latest Five-Year Review confirm:
• The pump-and-treat system continues to hydrauli-
cally contain and remediate groundwater contami-
nants on-site.
• The extension of the public water line to all homes
affected by the contaminated groundwater contin-
ues to provide a safe drinking water supply to resi-
dents.
• Additional investigation evaluating the vapor intru-
sion (VI) pathway for volatile chemicals and the
presence of 1, 4-Dioxane must be conducted.
As recommended in the Five-year review, EPA is re-
quiring an evaluation be conducted both on- and off-
site to determine if there is any vapor intrusion poten-
tially occurring (please see section about Vapor Intru-
sion on page 2). This process is estimated to take eight-
een months to collect data, evaluate the information,
and submit a report to EPA and Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Environmental Protection (PADEP). After
EPA and PADEP have reviewed the data and report,
EPA will make a follow-up protectiveness determina-
tion regarding the VI pathway.
In addition, EPA is requiring the site groundwater be
sampled for 1,4-dioxane, a solvent stabilizer. The pres-
ence of 1,4-dioxane can be of concern since, unlike
other VOCs, 1,4-dioxane is not removed by air strip-
ping, which is the treatment system used for the Kim-
berton Site.
The Agency is also requiring a final report on a portion
of the site's subsurface geology called the Stockton
formation. Based on the evaluation and the require-
ments in the Record of Decision (ROD), EPA will
document the completion of the Stockton evaluation
and, if necessary, any next steps.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN
EPA updated the Community Involvement Plan
(CIP) for the Kimberton Superfund Site area. This
plan will help us communicate our cleanup to the
community. EPA routinely updates CIPs to re-
flect changes at the site and/or changes in the local
community. For comments or questions on the
CIP, please call Vance Evans at 215-814-5526
The Five-Year Review and CIP can be
viewed on the Kimberton website at:
http://epa.gov/reg3hwmd/super/sites/
PAD980691703/index.htm
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KlMBERTON SUPERFUND SITE
Vapor Intrusion (VI) Quick Facts
Vapor intrusion may occur when chemicals in soil or groundwater migrate into indoor air. In recent years, scien-
tific understanding of vapor intrusion, as well as the development of ways to investigate its possible presence,
have allowed EPA to revisit sites where cleanup construction has been successfully completed to test indoor air.
As EPA takes additional samples to evaluate the cleanup
that was completed at the Kimberton Site, we'd like to
take this opportunity to provide you with valuable infor-
mation on potential sources of indoor vapors, and steps
you can take to eliminate indoor vapors or gases from
your home.
=> What is vapor intrusion (VI)?
Vapor intrusion may occur when chemicals or
petroleum products are spilled on the ground or leak
from underground storage tanks and give off gases
or vapors that can seep inside buildings. Vapors can
move through the soil and seep through cracks in
basements, foundations, sewer lines and other open-
ings. Vapor intrusion is a concern because vapors
can build up to a point where the health of residents
or workers in those buildings could be at risk.
Can vapors in my home come from household
sources?
Common household products are often found to be a
source of indoor air problems. Vapors and gases can
come from: paints; paint strippers or thinners; moth
balls; new carpeting and furniture; stored fuel; air
fresheners; cleaning products; dry cleaned clothing
and even cigarette smoke.
How can I improve indoor air quality?
Don't buy more chemicals than you need.
Store unused chemicals in tightly sealed containers.
Don't make your home too air tight. Fresh air helps
prevent chemical build-up and mold growth.
Fix all leaks promptly, as well as other moisture
problems that encourage mold.
Check all appliances and fireplaces annually.
Test your home for radon. Test kits are available at
hardware and home improvement stores.
Install carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
Vapor Intrusion into Indoor Air
Indoor
Air
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Chemical Vapor Movement
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Soil Contamination
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F.PA COMMUNITY UPDATE FOR THE KIMBERTON SUPER FUND SITE
KIMBERTON
Pennsylvania^*,
SNAPSHOT OF SITE CLEANUP
SITE BACKGROUND
• A series of initial cleanup actions took
place including removal of drums,
excavation of the lagoons, and
treatment of residential wells.
• EPA selected a cleanup remedy that
called for pumping the contaminated
groundwater and surface water and
then removing the contaminants by air
stripping. The pump-and-treat remedy
for the contaminated groundwater was
installed and has been operating since
September 1993.
• All homes that were found to be af-
fected by the contamination have been
connected to the public water system.
The extension of the public water line
to these homes continues to provide a
safe drinking water supply to residents.
The Kimberton Superfund Site occupies about 45
acres. The Henry Company currently uses the site for
manufacturing asphalt products.
• The site had been used for manufacturing resins,
textiles and asphalt products. From 1947 to 1959,
a previous owner disposed of various residues in
eight lagoons.
• Contaminants that were detected in groundwater
monitoring wells in 1981 include the volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), including trichloro-
ethene, dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride.
• A tributary to French Creek was also contami-
nated with VOCs.
The Five-Year Review and CIP can be viewed on
the Kimberton website at
http://epa.gov/reg3hwmd/super/sites/
PAD980691703/index.htm
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Site Contacts
For additional information about the Kimberton Superfund Site located in Chester County, Pennsylvania,
please contact a representative listed below:
Vance Evans Joshua Barber
Community Involvement Coordinator Remedial Project Manager
U.S. EPA Region 3 U.S. EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street (3HS52) 1650 Arch Street (3HS21)
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-5526 or 800-553-2509 215-814-3393
evans.vance@epa.gov barber.joshua@epa.gov
Additional information about the Kimberton Superfund Site is available at:
East Pikeland Township Building
1158 Rapps Dam Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
Phone: 610-933-1770
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 - 5:00
U.S. EPA Region 3
Administrative Records Room
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-814-3157, by appointment
Internet
You can also access the Administrative Record file online at www.epa.gov/arweb. Follow these steps to
access the Kimberton Site information. From this website, select 'PA' under the state pull-down list.
From there, select 'Kimberton' under the site pull-down list. Leave the AR Type blank, and then click
on 'Search,' and on the following page, click 'Search Results' to see the complete list of documents.
The list should be in chronological order, starting with the oldest and ending with the most recent
document.
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