Fischer & Porter Co.

Overview

Fischer & Porter Co. is a six-acre former manufacturing property in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Flow meters and process control equipment were once made there. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), specifically trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), were found in local groundwater and public water supply wells in 1979. The site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983 and remains on that list today.

Both contaminants are present in groundwater. Public water authorities installed permanent treatment systems on their wells in 1986. Warminster Heights Water Authority shut down its wells in 2004 due to local regulations. Vapor intrusion testing in 2013 and 2018 found no unacceptable risks at those times. Groundwater migration is not yet stabilized, meaning contaminated groundwater continues to spread. The human exposure control status has insufficient data to draw firm conclusions.

The cleanup has used three extraction wells, an air stripper, and discharge of treated water to a tributary of Pennypack Creek. A remedy was selected in May 1984 and remedial action started in April 1985. Physical construction was completed in September 1998. A second operable unit reevaluated the original remedy, resulting in a 1998 Record of Decision that selected monitoring and operations and maintenance. As of 2024, the remedy is not functioning as intended. Site-related contaminants continue to exceed cleanup goals in monitoring wells, and the full extent of groundwater contamination is not yet defined.

The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in July 2024, deferred a final protectiveness determination due to data gaps. EPA plans to install additional monitoring wells and begin field sampling in Summer 2025. A Five-Year Review addendum will follow once that data is collected. The site remains an active commercial property. As of December 2024, nine on-site businesses employed 975 people and generated roughly $206.4 million in annual sales revenue.

Private well owners downgradient of the site can contact the EPA's Remedial Project Manager. Community members can also contact the Community Involvement Coordinator. Site documents are available at the Union Library Company of Hatboro in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, and at the EPA Region 3 Public Reading Room in Philadelphia. Appointments are recommended before visiting either location.