Hranica Landfill operated in Buffalo Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania from 1966 to 1974. It accepted both municipal and hazardous waste, including chlorinated solvents, paint pigments, and metal sludge. That waste contaminated soil and groundwater at the site. EPA added the landfill to its National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983, flagging it as a priority for federal cleanup.
The four contaminants of concern in soil are cadmium, chromium, lead, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The main health risks came from people ingesting or touching contaminated soil or groundwater. Cleanup is organized into two operable units. Operable Unit 1 covers soil and uses an engineered cap, revegetation, institutional controls, and monitoring, based on a remedy selected in June 1990. Operable Unit 2 covers groundwater, where EPA selected monitoring and no active treatment in a May 1994 decision.
Physical cleanup work began with drum and contaminated-soil removal from July 1983 through January 1984. Longer-term work followed, including site fencing, capping of contaminated soil, and installation of groundwater and surface water monitoring. All construction was finished by May 1994. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in September 1997 after confirming the remedy was complete. The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in May 2009.
Human exposure to contaminants is currently under control. Contaminated groundwater has stabilized within the original contamination area and is not discharging to surface water at unacceptable levels. Institutional controls remain in place to restrict groundwater use, prevent excavation or drilling, and limit land uses such as residential development that the cleanup level does not support. EPA completed its most recent five-year review in March 2022, confirming the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment. The next review is scheduled for March through May 2027.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Superfund program, which encourages public dialogue on cleanup decisions. A 1997 fact sheet about the site is available to the public. The complete Administrative Record can be reviewed online or in person at the Buffalo Township Municipal Building in Sarver, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia, with appointments required at both locations. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions about the site.
