Resin Disposal

Overview

The Resin Disposal site is a former industrial waste landfill located near Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, about half a mile from the Monongahela River. Between 1950 and 1964, the landfill accepted roughly 85,000 tons of waste from resin manufacturing, including organic solvents, resin cakes, and oils. The Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Company owned and operated the landfill until Hercules, Inc., purchased it in 1973. After contamination was discovered in 1979, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1983. The site was deleted from the list in 2003, indicating cleanup goals had been met.

Contaminants at the site include benzene, naphthalene, and 2-methylnaphthalene in soil, and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and 4-methylphenol in groundwater. Benzene has also been found in leachate. Soils, groundwater, surface water, and sediment were all affected by past disposal practices.

Cleanup work has addressed both soil and groundwater. A multilayer cap now covers the landfill, a fencing system is in place, and an upgraded leachate treatment plant was completed in July 2016. Leachate and wastewater are treated on-site before going to a municipal treatment facility. Oil is collected and disposed off-site. Institutional controls restrict future land use to commercial and industrial purposes and prohibit drinking water wells on the property. Nearby residents use public water supplies that are tested regularly. On-site groundwater still contains volatile organic compounds, but contamination levels are gradually decreasing. EPA has determined that human exposure is under control across the entire site and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Long-term leachate treatment, surface water monitoring, and groundwater monitoring continue.

The most recent five-year review, completed in December 2025, found the remedy protects human health and the environment in the short term, with actions underway to ensure long-term effectiveness. The site achieved ready-for-anticipated-use status in 2018, meaning all cleanup goals for current and expected future land uses have been met and no unacceptable risks remain.

Community members can get involved through EPA's community participation process. The Resin Disposal Site Community Involvement Plan and historical fact sheets are available to the public. Administrative records can be reviewed at the Jefferson Hills Borough Municipal Building at 925 Old Clairton Road, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025, or at the EPA Region 3 office at 1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103. To schedule an appointment, call (215) 814-2396. Questions can also be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.