HARVEY & KNOTT DRUM SITE CERCLIS Site

Conditions at listing (July 1982): The Harvey & Knott Drum, Inc., Site covers 25 acres north of the Delaware-Chesapeake canal in Kirkwood, Delaware, approximately 150 yards from the Maryland border. The site was operated from 1960 to 1969 by Harvey & Knott as an open dump and burning site for the disposal of municipal and industrial waste. About 300 drums are piled on the surface. Most are empty, but 35 drums are suspected of containing PCB sludges and other hazardous substances. EPA received reports that the owner may have placed liquid waste in trenches and on the ground. Stressed vegetation and discolored soil are obvious at numerous locations on the site, and ground water on-site is contaminated. The surrounding area is densely populated, and the residents depend on private, shallow wells for water.

Early in 1982, EPA used CERCLA emergency funds to fence the disposal area and to contain 35 leaking drums on-site. The State also funded a portion of the investigation. Both the State and EPA conducted extensive sampling on-site and also tested private wells.

Status (July 1983): Conditions at this site are currently being addressed through response actions funded by CERCLA.