Crossley Farm

Overview

Crossley Farm is a 209-acre dairy farm in Hereford Township, Pennsylvania, that has operated since 1927. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, the Bally Case and Cooler Company disposed of liquid waste drums on the property, contaminating soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in October 1992.

The primary contaminant is trichloroethylene, or TCE, a probable carcinogen. Other groundwater contaminants include tetrachloroethene, benzene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and several dichloroethane and dichloroethene compounds. Soil contains arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and Aroclor 1260, a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture. Surface water and sediment also contain TCE and tetrachloroethene. Vapor intrusion, which occurs when contaminated vapors enter buildings from soil and groundwater, is an additional concern at about 20 homes above the contamination plume.

EPA and state partners have taken several cleanup steps over the years. Contaminated soil and buried drums were removed starting in 1995. Carbon filtration units were installed at more than 55 residences around 2000 to address drinking water risks. A 10-million-dollar groundwater pump-and-treat facility, using air stripper technology and carbon filtration, began operating in 2012 and pumps roughly 60 gallons per minute through four extraction wells. Treated water discharges to the Perkiomen Creek. Since 2012, TCE levels have been decreasing from historical highs of 700,000 micrograms per liter, far above the drinking water standard of 5 micrograms per liter. Vapor intrusion mitigation systems were installed at 20 homes and confirmed protective of indoor air quality. Work at the highly contaminated source area on Blackhead Hill began in April 2023, including new extraction wells and an expansion of the treatment plant, with completion expected in early 2025. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection placed a deed restriction on the property limiting future land and groundwater use.

Current status: human exposure is under control and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. However, physical construction across all operable units is not yet complete. Final remedial action for sitewide groundwater started in September 2022, with estimated completion between April and June 2026. Long-term response actions are estimated to conclude between October and December 2026. The most recent five-year review was completed on August 28, 2024. EPA monitors more than 100 wells annually to track progress.

Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program, which provides fact sheets and site updates. Administrative records are available online or in person at the Hereford Township Building at 3131 Seisholtzville Road in Macungie, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia by appointment. For questions, residents can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly.