Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Luzerne County
Pittston

EPA ID# PAD980508451

11th Congressional District

Last Update: August 2008

Other Names

None

Current Site Status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overseeing the cleanup of this site. The remedy addresses the possible future releases of hazardous substances from the site and consists of the establishment of an Administrative Center which would attempt to predict when a discharge of hazardous substances may occur. Additionally the remedy includes preparation for future remedial response by constructing access roads and anchors along the Susquehanna river's edge and pre-purchasing material needed to respond to potential future flushouts (booms, boats, etc). A Consent Decree was negotiated with the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) who have agreed to implement the clean up remedy identified in the Record of Decision. The PRPs completed the remedial design for cleanup in December 2003.

The remedial action at the site (including construction of anchors and purchasing response materials) was completed in September 2005. During the spring 2007, the PRPs performed a training exercise in the Susquehanna River, to test the elements of the flushout-response system, including mobilization of equipment, and boom deployment. Future activities at the site will include on-river training exercises, tunnel monitoring, and flushout-response system deployments for actual or potential flushouts.

Site Description

The Butler Mine Tunnel located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania was constructed in the 1930s as a collection and discharge point for mine drainage from an estimated five-square-mile area of underground coal mines. Hazardous materials were disposed of in underground mine areas connected to tunnel, which discharges directly to the Susquehanna River. In 1979, an oily discharge coming from the tunnel created an oil slick on the river. The EPA tracked the contaminants from this initial discharge to a municipal water intake 60 miles downstream, which is the sole source of drinking water for approximately 11,700 residents of Danville, Pennsylvania. The oil contamination was then traced to the illegal dumping of hazardous chemicals into a four-inch borehole located 3 ½ miles from the outlet of the tunnel. The borehole was found to drain into the Butler Mine system. Approximately 25,000 people live within a five-mile radius of the site, and approximately 1,400 people live within the boundaries of the Butler Mine Tunnel site. Also, a number of schools are located within one-mile of the tunnel's discharge point.

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal, state and potentially responsible party (PRP) actions.

NPL Listing History

Our country's most serious, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites can be cleaned using federal money. To be eligible for federal cleanup money, a site must be put on the National Priorities List. This site was proposed to the list on June 10, 1986 and added to the list July 22, 1987.

Threats and Contaminants

Preliminary on- and off-site groundwater (mine water) and surface water sampling results have identified contamination from semi-volatile organic compounds (semi-VOCs) and petroleum hydrocarbons thought to have originated from the mine tunnel. Potential human risks exist if individuals ingest or come into contact with contaminated surface water and groundwater. Possible risks also exist if individuals eat contaminated fish or livestock. The Susquehanna River is the area's source of drinking water and is a valuable ecological resource.

Contaminant descriptions and associated risk factors are available on the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, an arm of the CDC, web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html

Cleanup Progress

In 1979, in response to the Butler Mine discharge, EPA emergency personnel installed booms to collect the oily substances on the surface. The booms continued to operate until 1980, collecting a total of 160,000 gallons of oil, which contained approximately 13,000 pounds of VOCs. After the booms were removed, an automated detection system was installed at the tunnel and was operated by the State until 1984, during which time there was no evidence of any additional discharge from the tunnel. In 1985, approximately 100,000 gallons of waste oil were released at the Butler Mine Tunnel, following the heavy rains associated with Hurricane Gloria. EPA once again responded by installing booms on the river and collecting the contaminated oil. The existing monitoring boreholes were sampled, and contaminated vegetation was removed.

In 1987, the potentially responsible parties (PRPs), under EPA oversight, began an investigation to determine the extent of the contamination and to identify the alternative technologies available for cleanup. The investigation is complete and the Record of Decision was issued in 1996.

A Consent Decree was negotiated with the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) who have agreed to implement the clean up remedy identified in the Record of Decision. The PRPs completed the remedial design for cleanup in December 2003.

The remedial action at the site (including construction of anchors and purchasing response materials) was completed in September 2005. During the spring 2007, the PRPs performed a training exercise in the Susquehanna River, to test the elements of the flushout-response system, including mobilization of equipment, and boom deployment. Future activities at the Site will include on-river training exercises, tunnel monitoring, and flushout-response system deployments for actual or potential flushouts.

Contacts

Site Contacts

Administrative Record Locations