Tobyhanna Army Depot

Overview

Tobyhanna Army Depot sits in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania and has served two very different purposes. From 1909 to 1949 it was a military training range and artillery facility. Starting in the 1950s it became the Department of Defense's largest full-service electronics maintenance facility. Past disposal practices, including drum staging, waste burning, and operation of a landfill from 1963 to 1979, left behind contamination in groundwater, soil, and sediments. A roughly 400-acre fenced area also contains unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the site's artillery range days.

Contaminants of concern include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, and vinyl chloride in groundwater and air. Heavy metals including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel were found in soil. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene, anthracene, and naphthalene are also present in soil. The Army is actively investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), linked to firefighting foam and chromium plating activities. A new remedial investigation for PFAS areas began in May 2024.

The Army is the lead cleanup party, with the EPA overseeing compliance under CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act). A Federal Facilities Agreement was established in September 1990. The site is organized into six operable units (OUs). Major remedial work wrapped up by 2001. Completed actions include removing contaminated PCB transformers and soils, closing hazardous waste storage buildings under RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) regulations, and applying monitored natural attenuation with institutional controls to two groundwater contamination areas. The UXO area remains fenced with warning signs. The site reached construction completion in September 2000 and achieved sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse in January 2008. The Army has even established an apiary on the inactive landfill area.

Human exposure is currently under control across the site, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist at this time. However, groundwater migration remains uncertain, and EPA cannot yet confirm that contaminated groundwater movement is stabilized. An EPA five-year review in September 2022 deferred its determination of remedy protectiveness pending more information on PFAS and other emerging contaminants. The next five-year review is scheduled for September 2027. Two operable units addressing groundwater contamination remain on the National Priorities List.

Community members can review the Administrative Record at the Pocono Public Library at 5540 Memorial Boulevard (Route 611) in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, or at EPA Region III in Philadelphia. Appointments should be scheduled in advance. For more information, contact the Tobyhanna Army Depot Public Affairs Office at 570-615-7308, or contact the EPA staff assigned to the site.