Ryeland Road Arsenic

Overview

The Ryeland Road Arsenic site covers about 7 acres in Heidelberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. From the 1920s until 1942, Standard Chemical Works Corporation and Allegheny Chemical Corporation used the property to make pesticides, fungicides, paints, and varnishes, and to dispose of industrial waste. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in July 2004 after investigations found high levels of arsenic and lead in soil, sediment, and groundwater.

Arsenic is the primary contaminant and appears in soil, sediment, and groundwater. Lead is found in soil and groundwater. Iron, manganese, and thallium are also present in groundwater. People can be exposed by ingesting, touching, or inhaling contaminated soil or groundwater, though EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.

Cleanup work has moved through several phases. EPA conducted removal actions starting in 1985 and again from 2001 to 2005. Between 2006 and 2009, EPA excavated contaminated soil from residential properties and a vacant lot, disposed of materials in permitted landfills, permanently relocated three families, removed contaminated sediments and brick piles, and demolished three vacant homes. From 2009 to 2014, EPA planted arsenic-absorbing ferns to treat shallow soils, successfully cleaning more than 30 percent of the contaminated stream area. Four parcels were transferred to Heidelberg Township after soil cleanup, and the township constructed a pole building now used by a local youth sports league. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and prevent residential development on areas not fully remediated.

Groundwater cleanup is the remaining major task. A feasibility study was completed in August 2020, and EPA is conducting additional field investigations to identify the best cleanup approach. No decision document has been issued yet for the groundwater operable unit. EPA's 2021 five-year review found that current cleanups protect human health and the environment in the short term, but noted that additional work is needed. Physical construction of the full cleanup is not yet complete, and the site has not been removed from the NPL. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2026.

Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program. EPA developed a 2024 Community Involvement Plan to keep residents informed. Site documents are available at the Womelsdorf Community Library at 203 West High Street, Womelsdorf, PA, or at EPA's Region 3 office in Philadelphia by appointment. To ask questions or share information for the five-year review, contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator.