6TH & MINOR STREETS
The Rodale Manufacturing site consists of approximately 1.8 acres located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The site is surrounded by both industrial and residential areas. From the 1950s to 1975, Rodale Manufacturing manufactured wiring devices and electrical connectors. Operations were taken over by Square D Co. in 1975. Square D manufactured wiring devices and electrical connectors until 1986, when operations at the site ceased. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), site contamination was caused by the disposal of electroplating waste and rinse water into on-site wells. PADEP files indicate that the disposal of contaminated materials into these wells took place until 1967. In 1981 when Square D was in the process of installing new equipment, it uncovered a disposal well. Later, long-term employees of Rodale indicated two other wells. In 1981, wastes from the three on-site disposal wells were removed and disposed of in federally-approved hazardous waste facilities. TCE contamination, a chemical component of solvents, has been a continuous problem in the Borough of Emmaus with varying levels of TCE being detected in seven wells of the Emmaus Municipal Water Works since 1981. Borough Well No. 5 was closed in 1981 and later abandoned in 1988 due to constant TCE contamination. In 1990, air strippers were installed in three wells by the Borough. Contamination in some of the Borough wells, which can not be impacted by contamination from the site, indicates that there could be other potential sources of contamination in the area. Groundwater in on-site wells is contaminated mostly with TCE, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Public and private wells and springs within four miles of the site provide drinking water to an estimated 21,000 people. A Borough well is within one-half mile of the site. Site Responsibility Cleanup of this site is the responsibility of potential responsible parties, federal and state governments.
9,510 |
People living within a 1 mile radius |
$79,685 |
Average Income |
4,271 |
Occupied homes |
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