EPA RCRA ID: PAD990753089
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Facility Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Enforcement and Compliance
- Related Information
- Contacts for this Facility
Cleanup Status
In 2020, Exide Technologies (Exide) filed for bankruptcy and shut down all operations. In 2021, the Superfund Removal Program interceded and stabilized areas at the facility that contained hazardous substances that posed an imminent and substantial endangerment to the community. The facility is stablized and is currently closed. The Exide Environmental Response Trust (ERT) is in the process of negotiating the sale of the property to a potential developer. If the property is purchased, EPA anticipates that the purchaser will proceed with the cleanup of the property under the PADEP Land Recycling Program (“Act 2”).
On December 19, 2024, EPA determined that the Environmental Indicator: Human Exposure to Hazardous Contamination is under control. This determination focused primarily on the property and not the offsite contamination, which was listed on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL) in 2023 and will be addressed under the EPA Superfund Program.
For many years, Exide operated a lead smelter and recycled lead batteries at the former Laureldale facility. Spent lead-acid batteries were sent to a battery breaker unit where lead, plastic, and acid were separated. The recycled lead was smelted and cast into lead-alloy bars to produce new battery plates. Prior to the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the required installation of air pollution controls, Exide lead smelter operations contributed to lead emissions and releases that impacted the soils at the facility and in the surrounding community. In 2010, Exide discontinued the battery manufacturing operations and ceased all lead recycling operations in 2013. In May 2020, Exide filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy to liquidate its North American operations.
As a result of the bankruptcy settlement in October 2020, Exide dissolved, and the court appointed a Trustee and established the ERT to address the remaining unsold contaminated properties. Approximately $500,000 of the ERT was allocated to the Laureldale facility. An additional $2 million was set aside for the Laureldale facility from the forfeiture of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)/Exide Closure Bond for the closures of the former Hazardous Waste Management Units (HWMUs) at the facility.
Even with the added funds, the ERT is severely underfunded to complete the remaining cleanup at the Site. EPA estimates that the remaining environmental liabilities, including implementation of the remaining corrective action requirements, demolition and decontamination of the smelter and removal of all hazardous waste offsite, to be in excess of $15 million.
In 2021 and at the request of the State, the Superfund Removal Program interceded and stabilized areas at the Facility that contained hazardous substances that posed an imminent and substantial endangerment to the community. These activities included the removal and disposal of hazardous wastes, the decontamination of specific areas of the former lead manufacturing and recyling operations and temporary operation of the onsite wastewater treatment plant to treat stormwater runoffs.
Currently, the Laureldale facility is closed and stablized. The ERT is in the process of negotiating the sale of the property to a potential developer. In 2023, EPA Superfund Program listed the offsite contamination areas on the National Priorities List. The Superfund Remedial Program is presently re-evaluating the offsite contamination in accordance with the updated EPA Soil Lead Guidance.
EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program
Prior to Exide’s bankruptcy, EPA RCRA Corrective Action Program was overseeing the investigation and cleanup of the Laureldale facility and the impacted soils in the surrounding community.
Offsite Soil Investigation and Cleanups
In August 2000, EPA RCRA Corrective Action and Exide entered into an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) requiring Exide to investigate the extent of lead contamination in soil in the surrounding community and to clean up properties that were adversely impacted by the lead emissions. Upon completion of the investigation and the site-specific risk assessment, EPA approved a cleanup level of 650 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of lead in soil and required Exide to remediate all residential properties with an average soil lead level above 650 mg/kg. Exide completed the residential soil remediation in 2009. In 2010, Exide investigated and completed the cleanup and restoration of Bernhart Park, a recreational area and reservoir adjacent to the Facility. The adjacent Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent (Sacred Heart Convent), Gethsemane Cemetery, and certain undeveloped parcels, however, require additional evaluation because of the proposed land use changes. Exide would have been required to address these properties under the AOC if it had not declared bankruptcy. In 2023, EPA Superfund Program listed the offsite contamination areas on the National Priorities List. Superfund Remedial Program is presently re-evaluating the offsite contamination in accordance with the updated EPA Soil Lead Guidance.
Onsite Investigation and Cleanups
With respect to the Laureldale facility and under a 1988 Corrective Action and Waste Minimization Permit (CA Permit), EPA required Exide to address releases from hazardous waste management units at the facility. Exide conducted a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) to determine the nature and extent of all releases of hazardous wastes or hazardous constituents at the facility. Based on the RFI, the RCRA Corrective Action Program proposed a remedy to address the surface and subsurface soils, groundwater, and sediment contamination at the Facility. EPA’s proposed remedy was presented to the public in a Statement of Basis (SB) which was subject to the requisite public participation. Because of Exide’s bankruptcy, the proposed remedy was not implemented and EPA has not yet selected a final remedy. In June 2022, EPA withdrew the SB and transferred the authority to Superfund. EPA has determined that managing the facility under the Superfund program ensures that the cleanup actions, as necessary to protect human health and the environment, will be performed and will maintain the continuity of EPA’s regulatory oversight.
The ERT is in the process of negotiating the sale of the property to a potential developer. If the property is purchased, EPA anticipates that the purchaser will proceed with the cleanup of the property under the PADEP Land Recycling Program (“Act 2”). Under the One Cleanup Memorandum between PADEP and EPA, certain RCRA Corrective Action facilities remediated under the oversight of the PADEP Act 2 Program also satisfy requirements for RCRA Corrective Action, provided that the cleanup meets RCRA Corrective Action standards. Additional information about the PADEP Act 2 Program can be viewed at: https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/LandRecycling/Pages/default.aspx
Updated Environmental Indicator for Human Exposure
Because the offsite contamination was listed on the National Priorities List, EPA Corrective Action updated the Environmental Indicator for Human Health Exposure (EI HH) to focus primarily on the facility property. On December 19, 2024, EPA determined that the environmental indicator for human heath exposures at the facility had been met.
Cleanup Actions or environmental indicators characterizing the entire facility are shown below. It is not intended as an extensive list of milestones/activities. This listing, and all the data on this page, come from EPA’s RCRAInfo and are refreshed nightly to this page. For this table and the Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility table that follows, a blank in the Status column could mean the action either has not occurred or has not been reported in RCRAInfo.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to the Entire Facility
| Action | Status | Date of Action |
|---|---|---|
| Human Exposure Under Control Human Exposure Under Control(CA725) | ||
| Groundwater Migration Under ControlGroundwater Migration Under Control (CA750) | ||
| Remedy DecisionRemedy Decision (CA400) | ||
| Remedy ConstructionRemedy Construction (CA550) | ||
| Ready for Anticipated Use Ready for Anticipated Use (CA800) | ||
| Performance Standards AttainedPerformance Standards Attained (CA900) | ||
| Corrective Action Process TerminatedCorrective Action Process Terminated (CA999) |
For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Cleanup Activities Pertaining to a Portion of the Facility
| Action | Area Name | Date of Action |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Facility Description
Link to a larger, interactive view of the map.
The Facility is located partially in Laureldale Borough and Muhlenberg Township, just northeast of Reading, Pennsylvania and occupies approximately 45 acres. The Facility began operation in the mid-1930s under the ownership of the Bower's Battery Company. In 1960, the name was changed to the General Battery and Ceramic Corporation and was changed again in 1969 to General Battery Corporation. In 1987, General Battery Corporation was acquired as a wholly owned subsidiary of Exide Corporation. In May 2020, Exide filed for bankruptcy and is now dissolved. Exide shut down the Facility in September 2020. As a result of the bankruptcy settlement, the court appointed a Trustee and established the ERT to maintain the Facility property and ensure that human health and the environment are protected.
Contaminants at this Facility
The major contaminants and risks associated with Exide's past operations are elevated levels of lead and specific heavy metals in soils, sediment, and groundwater.
The primary tool used by EPA to estimate risk in the community from soil contaminated with lead is called the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) model. The IEUBK model can be used to estimate blood lead concentrations for children within a study area that are exposed to lead from multiple sources
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
Institutional Controls implemented at the Facility property restrict land use to nonresidential and prohibit onsite groundwater use. Engineering Controls such as capping and/or fencing implemented at the Facility property to prevent direct exposures to areas that contain surface and subsurface soil contamination.
Institutional and Engineering Controls help ensure human exposure and groundwater migration are under control at a cleanup facility. Where control types have been reported by states and EPA in EPA’s RCRAInfo, they are shown below. Not all control types are needed at all facilities, and some facilities do not require any controls. Where there are blanks, the control types may not be needed, may not be in place, or may not be reported in RCRAInfo.
Are Controls in Place at this Facility?
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Control(s) Type |
Control(s) in Place? |
Areas Subject to Control(s) |
Documents available on-line: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Institutional ControlsNon-engineering controls used to restrict land use or land access in order to protect people and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances remaining in the site/or facility. (CA 772) |
Informational DevicesInformational Devices (ID) |
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Governmental Controls (GC) |
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Enforcement and Permit Tools (EP) |
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| Proprietary ControlsProprietary Controls (PR) | ||||
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Engineering ControlsEngineering measures designed to minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination by either limiting direct contact with contaminated areas or controlling migration of contaminants. (CA 770) |
Groundwater ControlGroundwater Control (GW) |
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Non-Groundwater |
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For definitions of the terms used, hover over or click on the term.
Enforcement and Compliance at this Facility
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides detailed historical information about enforcement and compliance activities at each RCRA Corrective Action Site in their Enforcement and Compliance Historical Online (ECHO) system.
RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Reports from ECHO
Related Information
For more information about this facility, see these other EPA links:
- RCRA information in EPA’s Envirofacts database
- Information about this facility submitted to EPA under different environmental programs as reported in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Alternative Names for this facility as reported by EPA programs in EPA’s Facility Registry Services
- Cleanups in My Community provides an interactive map to see EPA cleanups in context with additional data, and lists for downloading data
- Search RCRA Corrective Action Sites provides a search feature for Corrective Action Sites
Documents, Photos and Graphics
Contacts for this Facility
EPA Region implements and enforces the RCRA Corrective Action program for and federally recognized tribes.
For further information on this corrective action site, use the Contact Information for Corrective Action Hazardous Waste Clean Ups listings that are accessible through Corrective Action Programs around the Nation.