Mid-Atlantic Corrective Action

Solutions Way Management Facility
(Formerly: Genicom Corporation)

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On This Page

• Status
• Background
• Contaminants and Risks
• Institutional Controls
• Documents and Reports
• Photos, Maps and Diagrams
• Reuse Information
• Questions

EPA ID: VAD003132438
Location:
1 Solutions Way
Waynesboro, VA 22980
Property Area: 115 Acres
Congressional District: 6
Other Names:Genicom Corp.
General Electric
FINAL UPDATE

Contacts

Bulletin Board

Status

• On October 18, 2007, EPA issued a Statement of Basis on expanding an existing interim measure as the proposed remedy. Since no significant comment was received, the proposed remedy was selected as the final remedy. General Electric (GE), the responsible party, has completed construction of the expanded system which began operation in spring 2008. In December 2008, EPA issued the Final Decision and Response to Comments to finalize selection of the remedy. In June 2010, a Consent Order was signed by GE and EPA to formalize GE's responsibility to implement the remedy according to the terms of the Order.

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Background

• The Genicom site is located in a 115-acre parcel near the northern boundary of the City of Waynesboro in Augusta County, Virginia. Prior to 1954, the facility property was an airfield. General Electric (GE) owned and operated an electro-mechanical equipment manufacturing plant at the site from 1954 to 1983. Genicom Corporation bought the facility in 1983 and used it to manufacture computer printers and related equipment. The primary waste streams generated by the facility were waste solvents from painting and etching operations, and inorganic wastes generated from plating operations. Much of the site contamination is believed to be generated by General Electric operation prior to enactment of the RCRA requirements in the 1980's.
• Although the site has been contaminated by a range of organic and metal wastes, only TCE and its degradation products have leached significantly into groundwater and migrated offsite. The deep (Zone 2) plume has extended approximately 2,000 feet downgradient (north) of and 800 feet upgradient (south) of the facility boundary. The upgradient extension is believed to be caused by an abandoned municipal well which was in operation in the 1960s. The area surrounding the facility is serviced by public water with a few individual homes that are on private wells. In December 2001, EPA sampled several private wells nearest the plume and confirmed that none have been contaminated by the Genicom plume.
• One residential area to the south (upgradient) of the facility could be affected by vapor intrusion from the shallow plume due to their proximity to the facility. In 2000, a soil gas sampling near the homes confirmed that the vapor plume has not reached the residential area of concern.
• Ecological impact has not been determined to be a factor for concern. The contaminant levels eaching the river are estimated to be substantially below State Water Quality criteria. In 1990, EPA issued a 3008(h) Unilateral Order to Genicom Corporation that required Genicom to conduct a site cleanup investigation. On March 10, 2000, Genicom filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the Delaware bankruptcy court. Because Genicom intended to liquidate, there was a potential that Genicom might abandon the facility. Consistent with EPA's Brownfield policy, EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Qaulity (VADEQ) responded by offering innovative approaches and traditional enforcement mechanisms to address environmental concerns and to enable continued facility usage.
• To facilitate the sale, VADEQ provided a Comfort Letter to SWM to address state liability issues of concern to the purchaser. VADEQ is pursuing the financial assurance posted by the now-bankrupt Genicom in an enforcement action.
• SWM, new facility owner, is using the facility for light manufacturing, warehousing and distribution while performing certain environmental work required under the PPA. In the interim, GE continues to operate the interim stabilization system and perform site investigation work on a voluntary basis until EPA can establish a mechanism for long-term clean up responsibility.
• In 2006, in accordance with the final remedy, GE installed a new recovery well at the northern edge of the SWM property to expand the existing pump-and-treat system to capture the offsite TCE plume, in addition to implementing institutional controls to prevent groundwater consumptive use while the cleanup is taking place.

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Contaminants and Risks

• The primary waste streams generated by the facility were waste solvents from painting and etching operations, and inorganic wastes generated from plating operations. Although the site has been contaminated by a range of organic and metal wastes, only TCE and its degradation products have leached significantly into groundwater and migrated offsite.

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