Harvey & Knott Drum, Inc. is a 20-acre former open dump in Kirkwood, Delaware, listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. From 1963 to 1969, the facility accepted sanitary, municipal, and industrial wastes, including sludge, paint pigments, and solvents. Those materials were dumped onto the ground, into trenches, and in drums, leaving behind widespread contamination. Physical construction of the cleanup finished in June 1994, but the site remains on the NPL and active work continues today.
Eleven hazardous substances have been identified as contaminants of concern. They include aroclor 1260 (a polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB, mixture), benzene, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, cadmium, chromium, dichloromethane, ethylbenzene, lead, toluene, and xylene. These contaminants have been found in soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment. Cadmium, chromium, dichloromethane, lead, and toluene appear across all four of those environmental media.
Cleanup began in 1982 with fencing and drum removal. Workers then removed 46 leaky drums, built a soil berm, dug a drainage ditch, and installed monitoring wells. General Motors removed more than 100 additional drums, 955 cubic yards of contaminated soil, and roughly 180,000 gallons of water from an on-site pond. The final remedy included capping lead-contaminated soils and excavating contaminated sediments. The site achieved "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in June 2006 and now hosts a paintball facility employing 16 people. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use, protect the remedy cap, and block residential or incompatible land uses.
EPA determined that human exposure is under control and that contaminated groundwater is stabilized within the original contamination area. However, the most recent Five-Year Review, completed in September 2023, found that additional lead soils found next to the existing cap still need to be addressed for long-term protection. A combined remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) for Operable Unit 01 began in November 2021, with completion estimated between September and November 2027. A new Record of Decision (ROD) for that unit is expected in the same timeframe. Operable Unit 02 has been in operation and maintenance under EPA oversight since March 2011. The next Five-Year Review is scheduled for 2028.
Community members can engage through EPA's community involvement program. Once the ongoing RI/FS is complete, EPA will recommend a proposed cleanup plan and open a public comment period. For questions, community members can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site documents, including 227 remedial records, are available at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (215) 814-2396.
