Metro Container Corporation is a 10.4-acre former industrial property in Trainer, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles southwest of Philadelphia. Companies operated there from the late 19th century onward, running activities like machine oil refining, carbon disulfide manufacturing, and steel drum reconditioning. Those activities left soil and groundwater contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and inorganic elements. Buried containment structures and piping connected to Stoney Creek, an adjacent stream that flows toward the Delaware River, spread contamination beyond the property boundary. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2012.
EPA issued Administrative Orders on Consent to potentially responsible parties in 2015, requiring removal actions and a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS). Removal actions finished by late 2016 and covered soil, groundwater, and sediment characterization. A second investigation phase began in early 2018 to study adjacent properties and Stoney Creek more thoroughly, and a third phase started in August 2019. EPA is directly conducting a newer investigation covering the Delaware River and an adjacent property, which began in February 2024. No remedial construction has started yet.
The site is divided into operable units (OUs), which are distinct areas addressed separately. OU 01 covers lagoon soil, with an RI/FS estimated to wrap up and reach a Record of Decision (ROD) between September and November 2028. OU 02 covers sludge and river contamination, with an RI/FS that began February 14, 2024, and an estimated ROD date of February through April 2027. Remedial design for OU 02 is estimated to begin between June and August 2027. Human exposure and groundwater migration controls have not yet been evaluated due to insufficient data from ongoing investigations.
Pennsylvania has placed a fish consumption advisory on the Delaware River from Trenton south to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal due in part to PCB contamination. EPA notes this advisory is not solely the result of Metro Container releases. Once investigations are complete, EPA will evaluate cleanup technologies and publish a proposed remedy for public comment. As of December 2024, one business operating on-site employs 30 people and generates an estimated $5 million in annual sales.
Community members can get involved through public comment periods on proposed cleanup plans. EPA regularly updates Trainer Borough, the Chester Environmental Partnership, and the Environmental Advisory Committee on site progress. For questions, residents can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. Administrative records are available for review at the Mary M. Campbell Library in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, or the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia, with appointments required at both locations.
