North Penn - Area 12

Overview

North Penn - Area 12 sits in Worcester Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It covers two former industrial properties: a 26-acre electric motor manufacturing facility once operated by Transicoil and a 12-acre former U.S. Army Nike missile control site. Solvent disposal at both locations contaminated local groundwater, and private wells tested positive for trichloroethylene (TCE) and related chemicals as early as 1979. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in February 1990.

Six contaminants of concern are present in groundwater across the entire site. They are 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,2-dichloroethene, chloroform, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) entered the groundwater through waste solvent disposal. A follow-up study completed in 2010 found that vapor intrusion, meaning VOCs moving from soil into indoor air, is not a concern at the site.

Cleanup began with removal of an underground waste solvent tank and distribution of carbon filters to affected homes. EPA finalized a cleanup plan in September 1997. That plan extended public water supply to 147 homes and businesses, built a groundwater extraction and treatment system using carbon adsorption and air stripping, and put institutional controls in place to prevent use of contaminated groundwater as drinking water. The treatment system has been running since September 2000 and was expanded with additional extraction wells in 2007 and 2012. A potentially responsible party is also testing in-situ chemical oxidation to speed up the cleanup. Techni-Tool Inc. purchased and redeveloped the former Transicoil property in 1998, and as of December 2024 the on-site business employs 180 people.

EPA completed a five-year review in 2020 and found the remedy protects human health and the environment in the short term. The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status on August 10, 2012. Human exposure to contaminated groundwater is under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site will be considered fully protective once groundwater cleanup goals are met. The next five-year review was scheduled for completion by September 2025, and the cleanup section notes it as scheduled while the cleanup progress section states it was completed in August 2025. Long-term monitoring and operation of the treatment system continue.

Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program and review a Community Involvement Plan available in PDF format. Site records can be viewed online or in person at the Lansdale Public Library in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, or at the U.S. EPA Region III office in Philadelphia, where appointments are recommended. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions directly.