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  • What questions was EPA trying to find answers to during its first round of sampling at the Norwood Landfill site?

    The main question that EPA seeks to answer is whether the identified waste areas warrant consideration for placement of the Site on the National Priorities List (NPL) or Superfund List. In the first round of sampling, EPA collected surface soil samples (0-2 feet) from the landfill property, and surface water…

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  • What does it mean when EPA finds contamination that “exceeds screening levels?”

    Screening levels are not the same as cleanup or action levels. An exceedance of a screening level indicates the need for additional evaluation, potentially including a site-specific risk assessment.

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  • If EPA finds any contamination associated with the Norwood Landfill site that “exceeds” what is considered safe, will EPA clean up that contamination - even if the Agency cannot find any “pathways” for that contamination to reach humans or sensitive environments?

    If the sampling data shows an exceedance of a screening level, EPA will consult with the site Toxicologist and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to conduct a human health risk screening assessment to determine any potential threat to human health. EPA will also consult with the…

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  • How do you know you are not missing some areas that might be contaminated?

    EPA uses all credible information available, including community input, regarding the boundaries and geographic areas of waste that may have been deposited or where contaminated soil may have been placed. The team selects its sampling locations based on those areas and consults historic aerial images that help depict those boundaries.

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  • Will EPA sample the Glenolden Laboratory property?

    The former Glenolden Laboratory property located on South Avenue is a separate site. The previous owners conducted a voluntary cleanup pursuant to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) Environmental Cleanup Program, known as Act 2. Concerns regarding remedial actions conducted under Act 2 should be directed to PADEP as…

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  • Are hazardous chemicals present at rail yards subject to EPCRA 311/312?

    Yes, hazardous chemicals present at rail yards are subject to EPCRA Sections 311 and 312, if they are not stored incident to transportation and they are present at the rail yard in amounts equal to or in excess of the minimum thresholds in 40 CFR 370.10(a). As explained in the…

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  • E-cigarette and EPCRA 311 / 312 Reporting

    Are hazardous chemicals used to make e-cigarette products considered tobacco or tobacco products and thus exempt from EPCRA sections 311 and 312 reporting requirements? No. The MSDS reporting requirements under EPCRA Section 311 and Chemical Inventory (i.e., Tier II) reporting requirement under EPCRA Section 312 apply to owners and operators…

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  • What is a reactive and non-reactive solid EHS?

    Reactive solid means any extremely hazardous substance denoted with “a” in the “Notes” column in Appendix A or B of 40 CFR 355. Reactive solids are more likely than other solids to be dispersed into the air due to the energy or heat created from their reactivity with water or…

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  • How did states form their SERCs?

    How are States expected to form their State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) as required under Title III? States are required to establish a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) under Title III. The SERC may consist of existing emergency response organizations or may be an entirely new mechanism to address this…

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  • Agricultural use exemption and chemicals used for fish farming

    Sections 311 and 312 require facility owners or operators to submit Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and annual inventory reports for any hazardous chemical subject to OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR §1910.1200(c)) which is present at a facility above a reportable threshold (40 CFR §370.10) . An owner or…

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  • Hazardous chemicals used in animal digestors or incinerators

    Are hazardous chemicals used in equipment, such as an animal carcass digestor or incinerator, located on the grounds of a medical or veterinary facility exempt from the definition of hazardous chemical and, therefore, exempt from reporting under EPCRA Sections 311 and 312? Any substance to the extent it is used…

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  • Agricultural use exemption and fuels

    Does the agricultural use exemption, Section 311(e)(5), apply to fuels used by harvesting services to transport crops from the farm to the market or the food processor? Does the agricultural use exemption apply to the fuel used by the farmer to transport crops from the farm to the market or…

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  • Release notification for release at Superfund site

    Would the National Response Center (NRC) need to be notified of a release of a hazardous substance in an amount equal to or exceeding a Reportable Quantity (RQ) at a Superfund site during cleanup activities? Yes. Unless otherwise exempted from CERCLA section 103 notification requirements, a release of a hazardous…

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  • CERCLA Release Notification and the Workplace Exposure Exclusion

    CERCLA section 101(22) excludes from the definition of release any release solely within a workplace, with respect to a claim which such persons may assert against the employer of such persons. Does the workplace exposure exclusion apply for purposes of CERCLA release notification requirements? The workplace exposure exclusion only applies…

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  • EPCRA 311 / 312 Reporting Responsibility For Industrial Park Owner

    EPCRA sections 311 and 312 assign responsibility for reporting to “the owner or operator of any facility which is required to prepare or have available a material safety data sheet (MSDS) for a hazardous chemical under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 and regulations under that act.”…

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