Aladdin Plating

Overview

Aladdin Plating is a former electroplating facility on 8.5 acres in Scott Township, Pennsylvania. The business ran from 1947 to 1982, using sulfuric acid, chromic acid, and cyanide to rinse electroplated items. Contaminated rinse water and sludge went into two unlined lagoons, and occasional overflows spread chromium and other metals into the soil and groundwater. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987 and deleted in 2001 after cleanup was completed.

Chromium is the main contaminant of concern, appearing in both soil and groundwater. Hexavalent chromium, a more toxic form, was detected in groundwater. Cleanup happened in two phases. Soil work ran from 1988 through 1992, removing nearly 30,000 cubic yards of contaminated material that was excavated, stabilized, and sent to off-site hazardous waste landfills. Groundwater work focused on institutional controls and monitoring rather than active treatment, with that remedial action running from 1996 to 2001. The shallow water-bearing zone beneath the former plating building still contains contamination but is not considered a threat in its undisturbed state.

Institutional controls are in place to keep that contamination from migrating into drinking water aquifers. These include zoning restrictions, a gated access road, monitoring wells, and a use restriction recorded with the property deed at the Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds. EPA has confirmed that human exposure is under control and that contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site is ready for its anticipated reuse, and all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met.

EPA continues to sample monitoring wells twice during every five-year review cycle to confirm the remedy stays protective. The most recent five-year review, completed in July 2024, found that the remedy is working as designed and is protective of human health and the environment. Community members who want to learn more can engage through EPA's Community Involvement Program, which supports public participation during Superfund cleanups. Site records are available for review at the Abington Community Library in Clark Summit, Pennsylvania, or at the U.S. EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia, both by appointment.