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EPA announces Waterline Completion at GMH Electronics Site in Person County, NC

Release Date: 12/01/2010
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183, pinkney.james@epa.gov

(Atlanta-Dec. 1, 2010) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the completion of a waterline construction project at the GMH Electronics site in Roxboro, NC.

The project will serve over 40 houses and provide clean drinking water to more than 60 people. To recognize this milestone, EPA officials will be in attendance at the Person County Commissioners Meeting at 304 South Morgan Street, Roxboro, NC on December 6, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

The work was performed by Person County under a Superfund Political Subdivision Lead Remedial Cooperative Agreement and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. In December, 2007 EPA’s Emergency Response Program installed whole house carbon filtration systems and began providing bottled water to households impacted by the site contaminants that exceeded EPA’s acceptable risk limits for human health. As a result of completing the connections, EPA filter systems have been removed and bottled water service will be terminated this week. Minor construction activities, such as grading, seeding, and repair of asphalt drives, will continue in December. Additionally, the Person County Health Department will oversee the abandonment of private wells of the homes now connected to public water.

GMH Electronics operated at the site from 1972 to 2004 producing electronics components. As part of its parts washing operations, GMH Electronics used chlorinated solvents that were discharged into an on-site septic system without proper treatment. Sample results show waste solvents from GMH Electronics’ operations have discharged into the groundwater and have become co-mingled with petroleum hydrocarbons from two previously removed underground storage tanks located on the site property and across the intersection.

This project is one of more than 50 across the country to receive money under ARRA. EPA is using the $600 million appropriated to the Superfund program to start long-term cleanup projects and to accelerate ongoing construction projects at sites listed on the National Priorities List. Work performed with ARRA funding helps clean up contaminated land and creates jobs.

For more information on:

· GMH Electronics Superfund site, go to: https://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/npl/nplnc/gmhelectnc.htm
· Superfund and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, go to: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/eparecovery/index.html;
· EPA and ARRA, go to: https://www.epa.gov/recovery; and
· ARRA across the United States, go to: http://www.recovery.gov.