Hunterstown Road

Overview

The Hunterstown Road site covers 22 acres in Straban Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. From 1970 to 1980, the property owner disposed of waste from several companies across seven areas on the land. That waste included paint sludges, solvents, toxic sludge sprayed on cornfields, buried drums, and materials containing asbestos and heavy metals. The contamination spread into soil, surface water, groundwater, and sediments. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in June 1986.

EPA has identified 27 contaminants of concern at the site. They include volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, vinyl chloride, 1,1-dichloroethene, and 1,4-dioxane. Metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, copper, antimony, and barium are also present. These contaminants are found in groundwater, soil, and sediment. Risk assessments confirmed that contamination posed risks to human health and the environment through direct contact with contaminated soil, groundwater, and remaining wastes.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the responsible party, led much of the cleanup work. Removal of buried drums and treatment of contaminated materials took place between 1988 and 1990. Starting in 2000, crews excavated and stabilized contaminated soils and installed soil caps across four areas, finishing in June 2001. A groundwater recovery system with six extraction wells began operating in July 2003. It removes volatile organic compounds using an air stripper and carbon absorption. Wetland restoration finished in March 2003, and a vapor intrusion mitigation system was installed in one nearby home in 2006.

The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in May 2009. Groundwater monitoring and treatment continue today. EPA completed the fifth Five-Year Review in July 2025, confirming the remedy protects public health and the environment. Human exposure is under control, groundwater migration is stabilized, and no unacceptable discharge to surface water has occurred. Institutional controls restrict residential and other incompatible land uses and protect the soil cover, groundwater treatment system, and wetlands. The next Five-Year Review is scheduled for August 2030. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.

Community members who want to get involved can review site documents at the Adams County Public Library in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, or at EPA Region 3 in Philadelphia. To schedule an appointment, call EPA Region 3 at (215) 814-2396. The site's Community Relations Plan and four Explanations of Significant Differences issued between 1998 and 2020 are available to the public. Questions can be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.