Tyler Refrigeration Pit

Overview

Tyler Refrigeration Pit is a three-acre former industrial property in Smyrna, Delaware. The company operated there from 1956 to 1976, using solvents to clean refrigeration equipment and discharging paint wastes and solvents into on-site wastewater lagoons until 1969. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in February 1990 after regulators found low levels of groundwater contamination.

Three contaminants of concern have been identified in the groundwater: 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, and dieldrin. EPA determined these chemicals posed an unacceptable risk based on the amounts present and potential exposure pathways. Groundwater is the only affected medium identified at the site.

Cleanup work included excavation of the two lagoons, which was done between 1973 and 1975, and a remedial investigation completed in the mid-1990s. That investigation found contamination levels did not threaten people or the environment. In 1996, EPA chose a "No Action with Monitoring" remedy and established a Groundwater Monitoring Zone to prevent new wells from being drilled in the area. Groundwater monitoring ran from 1997 to 2017 and confirmed that contaminants were not moving off-site. Because groundwater in the area was not used for drinking water and posed no significant health risk, EPA deleted the site from the Superfund list on March 29, 2004.

Human exposure is under control. Drinking water wells are prohibited in the area, and no one currently uses the local groundwater as a drinking source. Groundwater migration is also stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to nearby surface water. All cleanup goals for current and anticipated future land uses have been met. The site is currently vacant and occasionally hosts a farmers market. Any future development must be commercial or industrial. Residential use is prohibited. Institutional controls remain in place to enforce these restrictions, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control maintains the Groundwater Monitoring Zone. EPA's 2017 five-year review confirmed the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment, and no further reviews are required.

Community members or potential buyers interested in the property can contact the property owner directly. EPA documents related to the site are available through EPA's online system and in person at the Smyrna Public Library or the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia, where appointments are recommended. For questions, two EPA staff members are available: the Community Involvement Coordinator and the Remedial Project Manager.