CryoChem, Inc. is a 19-acre metals fabrication facility in Boyertown, Pennsylvania that has operated since 1962. Workers used solvents to clean metal parts and disposed of excess solvents through shop drains that discharged into nearby surface waters. That practice contaminated soil, groundwater, and surface water with hazardous chemicals. The site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in October 1989.
Eleven contaminants of concern have been identified at the site. The main ones are chlorinated solvents, including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, and 1,1-dichloroethene, found in both groundwater and soil. Groundwater also contains 1,4-dioxane. Soil contamination includes ethylbenzene and xylene mixed isomers. The site is organized into three operable units covering residential well protection, groundwater treatment, and source control in soil.
Cleanup actions included installing carbon filter units at affected homes and businesses, running a groundwater pump and treat system, and determining no further action was needed for site soils. Construction of these remedies ran from 1993 to 1998. Pennsylvania state authorities took over operation and maintenance of the groundwater system after May 2008. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, are in place to prevent residential development and protect well vaults and the treatment facility.
EPA completed its Fifth Five-Year Review in August 2023 and found the remedy is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. One gap was identified: the current cleanup does not treat for 1,4-dioxane, and EPA has determined it should be modified to address that. The next five-year review is estimated for August through October 2028. As of December 2024, one business operates at the site, employing 42 people and generating about $9.51 million in annual sales.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program, which offers opportunities to participate in dialogue during Superfund cleanups. Over 450 administrative records documents are available online and at the Douglass Township Building in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia. Appointments should be scheduled in advance by calling either location. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions directly.
