The Recticon/Allied Steel Corp. site sits in East Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It operated as a manufacturing facility from 1974 to 1981 and left behind hazardous chemical contamination in soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989 and finished cleanup in 2017, deleting it from the list in 2018.
Fourteen chemicals were identified as contaminants of concern, mostly in soil and groundwater. These include trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, and several other chlorinated compounds. EPA evaluates these substances by looking at who could be exposed, how much contamination is present, and what health effects could result from contact.
Cleanup had three main parts. Between 1998 and 1999, a water line was extended to connect 14 residences and businesses to municipal water, replacing contaminated well water. In 1998, EPA removed copper- and zinc-contaminated soil from the crane area and replaced it with clean fill. For TCE in soil, a 1997 decision updated cleanup levels so no further digging was needed. Groundwater treatment ran from 1998 to 2017 using extraction wells and a treatment system. A pilot study from 2001 to 2007 tested enhanced bioremediation, injecting food-grade amendments to speed up natural breakdown of volatile organic compounds. That approach worked, and contaminant levels dropped below cleanup standards by 2011.
Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA's 2015 five-year review confirmed the site is protective of human health and the environment. No further five-year reviews are planned because cleanup objectives are met and no waste was left in place. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and prevent incompatible land uses such as residential development. The site is now home to two active businesses, a women's sports equipment store and a marble and granite showroom, employing 71 people and generating roughly $7.9 million in annual sales.
Community members who want more information can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Administrative records are available at the East Coventry Township offices at 855 Ellis Woods Road in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region 3 Public Reading Room in Philadelphia. Call (215) 814-2396 to schedule an appointment before visiting the EPA office.
