United Scrap Lead Co., Inc.

Overview

The United Scrap Lead Co. site covers 25 acres in Troy, Ohio, where lead was reclaimed from batteries between 1948 and 1983. Those operations left soil, debris, sediment, and groundwater contaminated with lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Ohio EPA raised the alarm in 1979 after groundwater testing found contamination above drinking water standards. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1984 and has since gone through decades of investigation and cleanup before being deleted from the NPL in September 2021.

Cleanup was organized into operable units. The main focus was soil remediation, which began in September 1992. Workers removed buildings, drums, and debris, then excavated nearly 62,000 cubic yards of battery casing debris and about 11,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil for offsite disposal. The site was then covered with imported topsoil and re-vegetated. A 1997 amendment to the cleanup plan added steps like onsite consolidation, engineered caps, and institutional controls that limit future land use to commercial and industrial purposes. Residential wells, fencing, and groundwater monitoring wells were also installed. All water samples from seven residential wells and four monitoring wells met federal drinking water standards for lead and arsenic. Construction was completed on December 10, 1999, and the site reached sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status on October 8, 2015.

EPA confirmed the cleanup protects human health over the long term before removing the site from the NPL. Human exposure pathways are no longer unacceptable, and groundwater contamination has been stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA continues monitoring to make sure contaminated groundwater stays contained. Five-year reviews are conducted regularly to verify the remedy keeps working. The most recent review was completed on April 7, 2026, and that was the sixth review for the site.

Community members can get involved through the ongoing five-year review process. EPA welcomes public comments about site conditions and any concerns. To share comments, contact the EPA Remedial Project Manager. Site records are also available for public review at the Troy Local History Library at 100 W. Main St. in Troy, Ohio, which can be reached at 937-335-4082.