Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Elbit Systems of American (Formerly: Exelis - Night Vision) Building 3 in Roanoke, Virginia

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Cleanup Status
Site Description
Contaminants at this Facility
Institutional/Engineer Controls
Land Reuse
Site Responsibility

In May 1994, ITT Night Vision entered into a consent order with EPA to continue investigation and remediation activities under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The Final Administrative Order on Consent (U.S. EPA Docket Number RCRA-III-071 CA) (herein referred to as the Consent Order) had an effective date of May 25, 1994.

Cleanup Status

On July 10, 2009, EPA issued the Final decision and Response to Comments for the ITT Night Vision Facility. The remedy selected, included soil vapor extraction with institutional controls for soils. For groundwater, the remedy included a combination of in situ enhanced cometabolic bioremediation, institutional controls, and monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the primary contaminants of concern. Those found include: acetone, isopropanol, trichloroethylene (TCE) and its breakdown products, and 1, 1, 1 trichloroethane (TCA), and its breakdown products.

Site Description

Interactive Map of Elbit Systems (Former Exelis Incorporated - Night Vision and Communications Solutions) Building 3, Roanoke, VA

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ITT Night Vision, a division of ITT Industries Inc., is an active manufacturing complex. Operations have been ongoing since 1958. Currently ITT Night Vision employs approximately 1400 employees. The facility consists of three major buildings and associated infrastructure located on two parcels of land in Roanoke, Virginia. EPA issued the facility two EPA identification numbers because the parcels are not contiguous. Building Number Three (VAD980550909) is situated on a 4.8-acre lot adjacent to Enon Drive and bordered by Hi-Tech Road to the north. A field encompassing approximately 4.3 acres and owned by ITT NV separates Plantation Road from Building Number Three.

Contaminants at this Facility

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the primary contaminants of concern. Those found include: acetone, isopropanol, trichloroethylene (TCE) and its breakdown products, and 1, 1, 1 trichloroethane (TCA), and its breakdown products.

Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

Institutional Controls curtail use of groundwater as drinking water ,a deed notice on groundwater restrictions, limitation of land use to non-residential until cleanup efforts completed, and biennial reports on cleanup progress and review of land use and groundwater controls.

ITT Exelis collaborated with the Roanoke County and Alleghany Regional Health Department officials to establish a moratorium on the drilling of any new water wells in the affected area of the community. However, four wells remain within the affected area. To ensure that these wells are not used for drinking purposes the Consent Order requires ITT Exelis to evaluate usage of these wells twice a year and to monitor new construction areas. In addition ITT Exelis is required to annually contact the Health Department to monitor the status of the moratorium. ITT Exelis reports the results of these evaluations to EPA and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Land Reuse Information at this Facility

This facility is under continued use.

Site Responsibility at this Facility

RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.