Paden City Groundwater

Overview

The Paden City Groundwater site sits in a mixed residential and commercial area along the Ohio River in northern West Virginia. Contamination traces back to the former Band Box Dry Cleaning Facility. PCE, short for tetrachloroethylene, a solvent used in dry cleaning, and its breakdown products reached the town's public water supply wells and one industrial well. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in March 2022, making it eligible for Superfund cleanup funding.

Paden City's air stripper water treatment system began running in May 2020 and now brings PCE levels in drinking water within state and federal standards. In 2023, a temporary Do Not Consume order was issued for drinking water and then lifted in September after West Virginia's health department approved the water system. EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection have been conducting investigations since 2018. Vapor intrusion sampling at Paden City High School found benzene above screening levels, but further assessment showed concentrations do not result in unacceptable risk. Benzene appeared in ambient outdoor air and was not detected in EPA's groundwater samples, pointing to an outside-air source rather than site contamination. In December 2024 and March 2025, EPA also detected PFAS compounds, a group called Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, above maximum contaminant levels in groundwater below the former dry cleaner. EPA is working to determine the extent of that contamination.

The site is organized into two operable units. One covers sitewide actions, and EPA ran a removal action there from August through December 2023. The other focuses specifically on groundwater. EPA awarded a contract for a combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study in June 2022. Field work began in November 2022 and included soil, soil gas, vapor intrusion, and indoor air sampling. Monitoring well installation and sampling started in June 2023. The combined study is expected to wrap up between December 2027 and February 2028, with a Record of Decision and the start of remedial design planned for the same period. Current performance measures show insufficient data to confirm whether human exposure or groundwater migration is under control, and physical construction of the cleanup has not yet begun.

Community members can get involved by participating in interviews that support development of a Community Involvement Plan. Documents related to EPA's work are available online or in person at the Paden City Public Library or at the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia. Appointments are recommended for in-person visits. For questions, contact EPA's community involvement coordinators or remedial project managers listed in the site contacts.