North Penn - Area 7

Overview

North Penn – Area 7 is a Superfund site in North Wales, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, covering 650 acres across five former industrial properties. Those facilities made metal products, auto parts, aircraft controls, electronic instruments, and television picture tubes. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in March 1989. Several industrial businesses continue to operate there today, and as of December 2024, seven on-site employers supported 349 workers and generated about $514.6 million in annual sales.

The main contaminants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which were used as solvents and degreasers. Soil contaminants identified for cleanup include chloroethene (vinyl chloride), chromium, iron, and trichloroethene (TCE). Groundwater is affected by two separate contamination plumes. No residential wells are affected by site-related contamination. A vapor intrusion study completed in 2013 found no unacceptable risk levels, and EPA issued a No Action decision for that issue in September 2019.

Cleanup is organized into five operable units (OUs). Soil work is largely done. Teleflex, Inc. excavated about 1,100 cubic yards of TCE-contaminated soil between Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, with the completion report approved in July 2024 (OU1). Soil cleanup at the Spra-Fin property finished in 2011 (OU2), and EPA allowed an apartment complex to be built on one property through a Prospective Purchaser Agreement. Groundwater work is still in progress. The South Plume (OU3) is under active characterization to determine the nature and extent of groundwater contamination. Monitoring well installation was expected to wrap up by Spring 2026 and a cleanup decision estimated between March and May 2028.

The North Plume (OU5) went through an in-situ bioremediation pilot study from 2013 to 2016. Additional sampling was expected by Fall 2025 and an investigation is estimated to be completed between September and November 2028. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Physical construction across the site is not yet complete.

Community members can get involved in several ways. EPA hosted a public meeting on April 16, 2026, at Upper Gwynedd Township Hall in North Wales to discuss a proposed soil remedy for OU1. The EPA is consulting with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to select an alternative, which will be documented in a Record of Decision (ROD).

Starting in November 2025, EPA planned to begin installing monitoring wells along Dickerson Road, with drilling running Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Spring 2026. Site documents, including a factsheet on the proposed plan, are available for public review at the Upper Gwynedd Township Municipal Building or at EPA Region III's Philadelphia office. To schedule an in-person review, call (215) 814-2396.

(NOTE: This summary is based solely on information available on the official EPA site profile as of May 29, 2026. As of June 11, 2026, the EPA site profile contains few updates related to cleanup actions that were planned for 2025. It is recommended you review the EPA's official site profile page to retrieve the most up-to-date information, and contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator with questions.)