Kanjorski Announces Marjol Battery Site Cleanup Plan Should Include More Testing

WASHINGTON - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency has been given the green light to proceed with the cleanup of the Marjol Battery Hazardous Waste Site in Throop. The EPA's Office of the Ombudsman released its report regarding the procedures used by EPA Region III to determine the method for the cleanup of the Site. The Ombudsman recommends that the EPA perform additional borehole testing of coal seams to ensure that the area is not at risk for mine fires in the event that the ultimate cleanup plan requires on-site capping and stabilization of hazardous materials.

"This is an important step in the effort to overcome the questions about the cleanup process and to focus on the actual cleanup of the Site. I am pleased that the Ombudsman listened to Throop residents, recognized that they had legitimate concerns about wanting additional boreholes and included this recommendation in today's report," Congressman Kanjorski said.

On Feb. 9, 2004, Congressman Kanjorski arranged a meeting with Acting EPA Ombudsman Paul McKechnie, representatives from EPA's Region III office and concerned Throop residents regarding the possibility of mine fires igniting if the old battery residue remained on land which had been mined. Although EPA Region III scientists conducted extensive testing to determine that the proposed site for the capping  had most likely not been mined, Throop residents expressed their concerns that a mine fire would be catastrophic if EPA's tests proved incorrect. Throop's own engineers recommended additional borehole testing to be sure.

Between 1963 and 1981, Marjol operations involved battery crushing, lead reclamation and on-site disposal of used battery casings. The ground became contaminated with lead, and as a result, soil and dust carried lead in it when blown by the wind. In addition, storm water runoff carried lead-contaminated soil into drainage areas and contaminated Sulphur Creek and the Lackawanna River.

In 1980, Gould Inc. bought Marjol and eventually closed the plant in 1982. In 1988, the EPA ordered Gould to address the cleanup of lead that had spread to residential areas. In 1999, EPA and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released a Statement of Basis that included the proposed remedy for the site and a public comment period followed.  The EPA issued its Final Decision and Response to Comments in December 2000.  The Ombudsman began its investigation in December 2000 and the implementation of the remedy was postponed.

The decision on how the EPA would clean up the site could not proceed until the completion of today's report. The report had been delayed by changes in structure and personnel at the Office of the Ombudsman, which was relocated within the Office of the Inspector General.

Congressman Kanjorski visited the Marjol Battery Site in July 2003 and has met with officials from the Office of the Ombudsman and EPA Region III on several occasions.

The EPA has 90 days to respond to the Ombudsman's report. The full report is available online at http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2004/20040518-2004-P-00017.pdf.

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