The Valmont TCE Superfund site sits in Hazle Township and West Hazleton Borough, Pennsylvania. It was a former Chromatex upholstery fabric plant where fluorocarbon stain repellents were applied to fabrics starting in 1978. Those operations released trichloroethene (TCE) into the ground, and the contamination spread into groundwater and nearby private drinking water wells. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List on September 13, 2001. Contaminants of concern include TCE and 1,1,1-trichloroethane in soil gas and groundwater, several breakdown products of TCE in groundwater, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also in groundwater.
Early work at the site included removing contaminated soil in 2004, connecting affected residents to public drinking water, and installing vapor mitigation systems in nearby homes starting in 2006. A soil vapor extraction system ran inside the plant until 2009. EPA issued a Record of Decision in January 2011 selecting in-situ chemical oxidation of groundwater along with vapor intrusion controls and institutional controls. Construction under that plan finished in September 2011. However, the 2016 five-year review found the chemical oxidation approach was not working as intended, and EPA suspended it. In September 2021, EPA issued an Interim Record of Decision selecting in-situ thermal remediation to address high TCE levels under the warehouse and groundwater extraction to prevent contaminant migration. A construction contract was awarded in September 2024, with cleanup expected to start in 2025 and finish by winter 2028.
Current protections are in place while the new cleanup proceeds. All residents in the affected area are connected to public water. Homes with vapor mitigation systems receive yearly EPA inspections. An ordinance adopted in 2012 prohibits using local groundwater as drinking water until cleanup is complete. The 2021 five-year review found that human exposure is under control in the short term. It also flagged two ongoing concerns: the previous groundwater remedy did not effectively reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and PFAS compounds are present in groundwater. EPA is planning a long-term remedy amendment to address both VOC and PFAS contamination across the site, and cleanup activities will be conducted to avoid spreading PFAS further.
The plant building currently operates as a storage facility. One on-site business employs four people and generates an estimated $624,000 in annual sales. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2026. A community meeting was held on December 3, 2024, where EPA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and contractors answered public questions. Community members can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager with any questions.
