OSWER/OSRTI Was hington, DC 20460



## N ATIONAL 

## P RIORITIES 

## L IST 

## (NPL)

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substa nces and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq html or by telephone at 1

- 888

- 42

- ATSDR or 1

- 888

- 422

- 8737. ***Final Site*** March 2012 

### METRO CONTAINER CORP ORATION Trainer, Pennsylvania Delaware County

 **Site Location :**  The Metro Container Corporation is located approximately 20 miles south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a mixed industrial/commercial/residential area along the Delaware River

.

 **Site History:**
The s ite has a long history of industrial use. At the close of the 19 th century, the s ite was occupied by the Delaware Oil Works. From 1920 until 1959, the Stauffer Chemical Company, Inc. (Stauffer) operated a chemical manufacturing plant on the property and manufactured a variety of chemicals. Historical site maps and aerial photographs indicate that Stauf fer constructed a waste disposal lagoon in the 1950s in the southwest corner of the s ite , adjacent to Stoney Creek

. In April 1963, the s ite was purchased by the Joseph A. Reis Company and converted into a steel drum reconditioning facility . After several c hanges in ownership, in 1983, the property was sold to the Metro Container Corporation . This company was the last in t he series of owners who conduct ed drum reconditioning operations at th is location . Drum reconditioning ended in December 1987 w hen Metro C ontainer fil ed for bankruptcy . The s ite is currently owned by Trainer Industries, an industrial painting company. The site is used mainly for storage and administrative office space as most of the painting is done offsite.

 **Site Contamination/Contaminants:** 

T he main source of contamination remaining on the p roperty is a backfilled industrial waste lagoon which is about 0.5 acres in size. This lagoon was used for disposal of drum contents and wastewater until a wastewater treatment system was constructed onsite. The unlined lagoon was eventually filled in with soil and ar tificial fill materials . Additionally

,
s ubsurface soil s and ground water are contaminated at the s ite as well as nearby properties as a result of historic waste handling practices

. This contamination has also been traced to the tidal flats adjacent to the Delaware River. T he s ite is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH s) and inorganics.

 **Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment :**  The tidal flats along the Delaware River are contaminated . Also, fishing occurs in the Delaware River in this area. There is a fishing advisory along the Delaware from Trenton, New Jersey to the C&D Canal in Delaware for the consumption of finfish due to PCBs, dioxin, mercury and chlorinated pesticides. Also, g round water in the area, which is not known to be used for drinking water purposes, is contaminated and locally contains non-aqueous phase liquids.

 **Response Activities (to date):**
In 1989

- 1990, under an EPA consent order, several responsible parties conducted a response action at the s ite . The

response action included the removal of approximately 58,000 drums, removal of all accumulated sludge and decommissioning of the lagoon.

 **Need for NPL Listing:**
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania referred th e s ite to the EPA because of the potential for continued releases of contaminants from the s ite into the Delaware River. The EPA receive d a l etter of support for placing this s ite on the NPL from the s tate . The local residents also support cleanup of the s ite.