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Bishop Tube

Site Facts

Municipality: East Whiteland Township, Chester County
HSCA Site Since: 1999
Primary Contaminant of Concern:Trichloroethene (TCE)
Previous Property Owners and Operators: Johnson Matthey Inc.. (previously known as J. Bishop, Matthey Bishop) , Whittaker Corporation, Christiana Metals & Alloy Steel, Marcegaglia USA, Central & Western Chester County Industrial Development Authority
Current Property Owner: Constitution Drive Partners L.P. (CDP)

What's New (As of December 2018)

Please refer to the Investigation Status Section for updated information and documentation.

Investigation Status

In accordance with a DEP agreement with Johnson Matthey, Inc. and Whitaker Corporation (JM/W), Roux Associates has been working on the behalf of JM/W to complete Remedial Investigation of the Site. (For details associated with the agreement(s) please see the Legal Agreements Section)

In January 2018, Roux Associates, drilled monitoring wells to identify the extent of downgradient contamination, a requirement for completing the Remedial Investigation. In March 2018, they collected groundwater samples from the newly installed monitoring wells. TCE was detected in two of the new wells. A second round of sampling was performed in September 2018 and included additional testing to help identify the source of the TCE.

In addition to monitoring well installation and groundwater sampling, DEP requested the evaluation of vapor intrusion at a few additional properties, and the characterization of discharges to Little Valley Creek on the former Bishop Tube property. In January and April 2018, at DEP's request, Roux Associates conducted indoor air sampling at several properties. They will incorporate the sample results into a Supplemental Remedial Investigation Report. Roux Associates is completing sampling under a Discharge to Surface Water Work Plan (DSWWP) to complete the assessment of discharges to Little Valley Creek. 

Roux Associates is also working to complete a Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study will list and evaluate options for addressing the contamination and potential current or future exposure pathways.

In mid-November, DEP performed limited subsurface investigation activities to supplement the characterization of certain areas of concern at the former Bishop Tube property. Results of this characterization will be provided to Roux for inclusion in the Supplemental RI and FS reports. 

The investigation work being performed by Roux Associates is described in the following documents.

CDP

CDP submitted redevelopment plans to East Whiteland Township. For details associated with the plans, please refer to East Whiteland Township's website.

CDP has not yet submitted any permit applications related to its proposed development activities, such as storm water management, etc. CDP is required to allow reasonable access to the property for assessment and remediation.

DEP considers any local land development issues, such as zoning or steep slope variances, to be exclusively under the authority of East Whiteland Township.

At DEP's request, CDP took steps to address a direct discharge to Little Valley Creek that was observed during the spring of 2017. The correspondence related to the discharge is now available in the Correspondence Section below. CDP's efforts to address the pipe are summarized in the below referenced report:

Site Background and Information

What's Next (Updated December 2018)

  • DEP will review the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) when it is submitted by JM/W and continues to seek the near-term submission of both.
  • After review of the RI/FS reports submitted by JM/W, DEP will propose a remedial response action to address the contamination associated with the Site. The Department will incorporate all information it uses in formulating its proposal into the Administrative Record. The Administrative Record will be open for public comments for 90-days. During the comment period, DEP will hold a public hearing at a location to be determined at a later date. DEP's responsibility under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act is to select a remedy that is protective of human health and the environment and complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements.
  • East Whiteland Township has been awarded a Technical Evaluation Grant (TEG) pursuant HSCA. The TEG provides up to $50,000 for conducting an independent technical evaluation of a proposed remedial response at a HSCA site.

Correspondence

Reports

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Evaluations

April 6, 2016: ATSDR letter (PDF)
July 16, 2008: ATSDR Evaluation (PDF)

Legal Agreements

Public Comment Period

On April 1, 2017 the Department published a notice in the PA Bulletin and Daily Local Newspaper to provide public notice with respect to amendments to the PPA between DEP and CDP. DEP and CDP executed two amendments to the PPA in January 2007 and June 2010. DEP accepted written comments on the Amended PPA's up until July 7, 2017. In January 2018, DEP finalized its Response to Comments document.

Contacting DEP

To schedule an appointment to review files associated with the Bishop Tube site and project, please call the Norristown Office at 484-250-5910.
Please direct correspondence or inquiries to one of the following:

  • Project Information: Dustin Armstrong, Project Officer at darmstrong@pa.gov
  • Community and Media Relations: Virginia Cain, Community Relations Coordinator at vicain@pa.gov
  • Legal: Adam Bram, Supervisory Counsel at  abram@pa.gov