douglassville disposal

RTE 724

The 50-acre Douglassville Disposal Site was a waste oil recycling facility that operated from 1941 to 1986 in Union Township, Berks County, PA. The on-site features included the former processing equipment, storage tanks, waste storage lagoons and a large pile of oily filter cake waste. From 1941 to 1972, waste oil sludge was placed in on-site lagoons. The contents of the lagoons were washed into the Schuylkill River during flooding in 1970 and 1972. After the 1972 flood, the lagoons were filled and seeded. Sludge generated in the oil recycling process was land farmed on the site. From 1979 to 1982, about 700 drums, many leaking, were stored on the site. The site is partially fenced. The population within a mile of the site is approximately 2,850. The site is located in a rural setting consisting of cropland, uncultivated fields, and light residential and industrial development. The segment of the river along which the site is located is designated for recreational activities and is extensively used as a source for municipal and industrial waters. Fishing occurs in the Schuylkill River and in the pond located just outside the site boundaries. The City of Pottstown has the closest municipal water intake from the river and is about four miles downstream.

Hazardous Ranking Score

55 / 100

A score of 28.5 or higher qualifies a site for the Superfund National Priority List.

Regional Contact

Region 3
Within the region: (800) 438-2474
Outside the region: (215) 814-5000

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Timeline

Discovery
Site Inspection
Preliminary Assessment
Final Listing On NPL
Removal

Contaminants & Health Effects

      Carcinogen
      Endocrine Disrupter
      Neurotoxic
      Sensitiser
      Reproductive Toxin
      Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic
      VOC
      Mutagen

        Census

        White
        African American
        Asian
        American Indian and Alaska Native
        Native Hawaiian
        Other

        3,183

        People living
        within a 1 mile radius

        $88,592

        Average Income

        1,278

        Occupied homes

        Potentially Responsible Parties

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