Salford Quarry

Overview

Salford Quarry is a 3-acre former waste disposal site in Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It sits on the National Priorities List, which is the federal roster of contaminated sites that qualify for EPA-led Superfund cleanup. Waste dumping began in the 1950s and continued through 1980, when industrial, commercial, and residential waste, fly ash, and tile manufacturing sludge were deposited at the property. The site was finalized on the National Priorities List in 1990.

EPA has identified 29 contaminants of concern at the site. These include metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, and mercury, as well as boron, cyanide, and vanadium. Contamination is present in soil, sediment, and solid waste within the source control area of the site. Contaminated groundwater also seeps into nearby surface water, and animals and the environment may face risks from direct contact with that water. Immediate human health risks have been addressed: EPA connected 113 homes to public water in 1992 after boron was found in private wells, and current assessments show human exposure is under control.

EPA divided the cleanup into separate operable units. For the source control area, a 2021 amended cleanup plan calls for a subsurface perimeter wall and an engineered cap to limit waste contact with groundwater and prevent further exposure. Active construction began in October 2024 and is expected to run through late spring 2026. After construction, EPA and the state will conduct quarterly groundwater and surface water monitoring for two years, then periodic monitoring after that. The cleanup plan for groundwater will be developed after the source control remedy is confirmed to be working. EPA notes that groundwater contamination migration is not yet confirmed as stabilized, and the site is not yet ready for its anticipated future use.

Sources differ slightly on when remedial action started, citing both May 2024 and October 2024, and on the expected completion date, citing late spring 2026 and a range of May to July 2027. Both claims are reported as stated in the source materials. The first Five-Year Review is scheduled for October 2029.

Community members can get involved through several channels. EPA held a public availability session at the Lower Salford Township Building on September 16, 2024, and presentation slides are available online. An updated Community Involvement Plan was developed through interviews with residents and local officials. Fact sheets from September 2022 and December 2020 are also available online. For questions about community involvement, residents can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. For technical questions about the cleanup, residents can contact the Remedial Project Manager. Site documents can be reviewed at the Indian Valley Public Library in Telford, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia.