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OA-SOl i»-6V COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYUVAN1A
April 9,
BJECT: Harriaburg International Airport(Formerly Olmstead Air
Force Base)
Edward R. SimmonsRegional Solid Waste Manager Thru: Operations
SupervisorHarrisburg Regional Office
Timothy A. Alexander a Joseph A, KosloslcyFROM; Solid Waste
Specialist n". Solid Waste Specialist
Harrisburg Regional Office d Harrisburg Regional Office
At your request, we have investigated-historical and present
industrialwaste activities at the Harrisburg International Airport
in Middletown,Pennsylvania. United States Air Force-building design
plans (Circa late19̂ 0's through 1960*8) were examined to aid our
evaluation of industrialoperations. Methods of waste collection and
modes of waste disseminationthrough sumps, pipelines, and
ultimately to the sanitary and/or industrialtreatment plants were
considered. Prominent buildings with pipeline con-nections to the
industrial treatment plant Wo, 267 (built 1956) were thefocus of
our investigation. It should be understood that informationleading
to past U.S. Air Force operations were limited to incomplete
archi-tectural drawings provided by PennDQT. It was presum: .ed
that all USAFbuildings on line to the industrial waste treatment
plant were possiblegenerators and potential sources of contaminants
that presently affect theairport grounds.
Those buildings (many of which have been demolished) were also
inspected toevaluate current solid waste handling practices. It is
our hope that theinformation and suggestions provided will be
useful in understanding thecontamination which affects the
Middletown area.
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Attachments
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Brief History of the Harrisburg International Airport
1917 Land purchased 'from area farmers by theOrdinance Branch of
the United States Army.
1918 Military aircraft began using the base.
1922 U.S. Army Air Corps moved to the Airport.
1923 The base name changed to Olmstead Field.
1925 Repair of Aircraft initiated.
19̂ 0|s During WW II over 17,000 civilians wereemployed.
Olmstead was the largest engine1overhaul center £h the world with a
record 2,325engines repaired per month*
1950's Olmstead's importance as an engine overhaulcenter again
came to surface* It was the secondlargest facility of it's kind in
the Unites States.
19£̂ * Announced by the Air Force that Olmstead wouldbe
closed*
1967 The Bureau of Military Affairs of Pennsylvaniatook over
Olmstead and designated it as HarrisburgInternational Airport. The
present day custo-dian is the Pennsylvania Department of
Transporta-tion, Bureau of Aviation*
Ĉhronology provided by George Leininger - Maintenance
Supervisor,Harrisburg International Airport.
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Harrisburg International Airport
Building No, gl» - Built 1955 :- .*,
Design Use: Washracfc, Utility Storage
Known use in 1961; Washrack, Utility Storage
Industrial Waste line shown leaving building - from Drawing:
rv>AAmAC
Present Status; Torn down
Building Mo. 126 - Built 1928
Design Use; Hanger, maintenance
Use; Hanger, maintenance
Present Status: Torn down
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An investigation of Building Host 2^ and 126 area .reveals the
presenceof an exposed Sump Pit at the southern corner of Building
No, 126, Thepit dimensions are approximately 31 by 3f, This is a
potential samplingpoint, -• -- j- """:" ~ ̂ -~- -••--;-- —— -— -- =
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 2
Building No. ite - Built
Design Use; Warehouse, Supply and Equipment
Use in 1961: Shop and Engine Repair
Present Status: Leased by United Piece Dye Co.
It is the investigators1 conclusion that this building was a
highlyactive shop and engine repair operation for a substantial
part of the AirForce's stay on-site, Drawings and plans dated from
1958-1963 revealseveral painting and degreasing facilities located
in the northeastwing of the building. •
November, 19̂ 3/Plan No, F-102-51-15 reveals l6'Xl6' painting
roomNo. F-1Q2-51-16" reveals a waste storage tank
on the vest side of the building U1 below the ground.April,
1959/Plan No. As BLT-E-102-U3-17 reveals thê location ofdegreasers
and sump pits* There are indications w&e*e alterationshad been
made-.where degreasers had been removed (April, 1959) andtank pitŝ
located at the southwest corner of the building»had beendeleted
(October, 1958) and filled in.
A reference from the Industrial Waste Treatment Plant No 26*7
statesthat acid and alkali sludges were collected monthly from
Building No*ll*2. This may indicate wastes generated from past
boiler cleanings.
An interpretation from an incomplete set of plans for the
industrialwaste lines (MAAMAJTT-^Q-^jS^tS) lead these investigators
to ift&itthat the industrial waste line to Building No. 267
(Ind* Tx Plant)passed under the northern most end of Building
No.
An on-site investigation on April 3, 1981* confirmed the
presence of •cemented over tank pits. The industrial waste line was
traced to anexisting sump pit on the northern end of the building
of the northeastwing* The sump is presently used by United Piece
Dye Works to collectboiler blowdown water. A possible industrial
waste line access manholeexists 15 ft. east of the sump.
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 3
Building No* 1^2 - Present Status/United Piece Dye Works
Individuals interviewed - Mike McGarvey - Technical Manager
andLarry Graby - Maintenance Supervisor
United Piece and Dye Works assumed occupancy of Building No* 1U2
in1969 • The principle operation is the dying of polyester fabrics.
Theprocess involves using a carrier or--.an inactive accessory
substance totransfer a water-based dye onto cloth. The carrier
which was utilizeduntil July, 1983 was PCE. It appears that all
waste liquids are cycledthrough a central sump in the northeast
wing and forwarded to a seriesof five treatment ponds . Treatment
consists of settling solids in PondNo, 1 followed by aeration in
the succeeding No. 2 through Wo. 5 pondsbefore being discharged to
the Susquehanna River, United Piece Dyecurrently holds an approval
for the discharge* A large portion ofprocess water used by United
Piece Dye is derived from Well No. 13(500,000-600,000 gpd) *
Consideration should be given to the fact thatWell No, 13 is
presently contaminated; among the .known contaminantsis PCH;, The
active central process sump should be examined to deter-mine its
structural integrity.
Building Ho 2W - Built 19****
•Designed Use; Design and reclaimation facility (woodworking)
j196l Use: SamePresent Status: Torn downWaste related information:
Waste Treatment Plant references thesouthwest corner of Building No
2M as a weekly pick-up location forthree drums of waste
material*
Building No* 58 - Built 19*H
Designed Use; Shop/Engine Repair1961 Use: Shop/Engine
RepairPresent Status; Olivet,ti Supply Company Warehouse
A March, 195^> plan entitled "Modification of 'Jet Engine
Shops Building"details the acitivity of a plating operation* It is
noted that thiswas ongoing before the industrial waste
treatment_was built in 1956.
As described from 195 K Plan No. __ B-108-17-1*
Two industrial waste lines can be seen coming from the northern
sideof Building Ho 58 as indicated on Plan MAAMA 57-20-3. A R \H i
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Harrisburg International AirportPage i|
An inspection on April 1*, 198U revealed "the presence of an
open sumpon the northeast corner of Building No 58* This may serve
as a futuresampling point,
Building Wos. 58-137
Present Status: Olivetti Supply
Individual Interviewed: Bob Kataehson - Operation Manager
Olivetti Supply moved into Building Nos, 58-137 in 1980. The
principaloccupation is the manufacturing of typewriter ribbon
productst Thereare essentially two processes at work. In the first
process asubstrate (typewriter ribbon) is impregnated with ink, and
in thesecond process, polyster material is-ink coated. Two hundred
peopleare employed over two work shifts*
Olivetti is a'swall quantity generator of still bottoms from a
solventdistillery (l,l,l-TCE).
It was noted that in the coating room on the southeast end of
BuildingNo. 137. the floor was heavily stained with ink. Two floor
drains wereopen. When questions in regards to the possibility of
ink beingwashed down open drains, Mr* Katzenson stated that spiled
ink wasroutinely vacuumed from the floor. The veracity of this
statementshould be questioned and the condition relayed to PennDOT
officials.A suitable solution would be to permanently seal the
floor drain.
Building Wo, 258 - Built 195fr
Design Use; Hazardous Test Department196l Use: Shop and Engine
Repair ' .Present Status; Vert Bookbinding Company
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After reviewing Plans E-102-l6-2,l3, dated March, 195̂
questioningairport personnel and performing an on-site inspection,
investigatorswere unable to decipher the exact nature of hazardous
test acitivites.We do know that in 195*1, test cells were connected
to two waste storagetanks (waste oil and waste fuel) located at the
northeast corner ofthe building. The tank to the far no.rth was
later replaced in 1972 byan 8,000 gallon fuel tank to supply a
"boiler. Both tanks still existbelow ground* Inside of the northern
corner of the building exists awaste water reservoir 25!X 26?X 91
deep. The 195̂ plans referencedaboved indicate that wastewater was
normally pumped from the reservoirto the sewer and overflow passed
to the storm sewer. The reservoir iscurrently inactive and
empty.
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Building No. Sg8
Present Status: Wert BookbindingIndividual interviewed - Todd
Wert - Owner
>This bookbinding facility employs 75 people during a one
shift opera-tion. Bookbinding'is the sole operation. Cragbqnd, a
polyvinyl glue,is used as the bookbinding agent* The Machine Shop
uses a sani-cleansolvent, which is leased, and 1,1,1-TCK is used to
wipe away residuefrom cooling oils (approximately 55 gal/4 mo.).
The 1,1,1-TCE isapplied with paper towels and disposed of in a
dumpster* It wasrecommended that an alternative to the chlorinated
hydrocarbon beused. Wert was informed of proper handling techniques
_for disposal ofrags contaminated with 1,1,1-TCE.
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 6
Stressed vegetation was observed on the north side of the
buildingduring the April ̂ , 198U inspection* The area should be
reviewed andpossitly soil sampling carried out. The two underground
tanks shouldhave their contents examined.
Building "Mo. 29 - Built 19̂ 0 ";
Design Use; Jet Test CellUse 1961: Test Cell . . . . . ;Present
Status: Torn down 1980
There were no plans on file for Building No. 29. The location
hasbeen paved with asphalt* The waste pick-up schedule for in
BuildingNo. 267 indicates that six underground tanks had existed to
serve theoperations in Building No* 29* The past use of these tanks
should bedetermined.
Building Ho, 28 - Built 1935
Design Use; Air Conditioning Engineering Shop196l Use: Hanger
Maintenance DepotPresent Status: Olmstead Instrument Company,
PennDOT PhotogranurietrySurvey Divisionj Built 1935*
Building No. 28 has historically and presently continues to
serve asthe heart of the industrial complex at the Airport. The
1951 plans,MAAMA-51-5-1 show large scale nickel and chrome
electroplating, opera-tions t A degreaser 19! X 8' has centrally
located in the 1951 opera-tion. All wastes appear to have been
discharged to the sanitarysewers, however, according to William
McMinn, President of Olmstead-'Instrument Col, a worker in the
plating operation, indicated thatspent still bottoms. from the
degreaser were routinely removed anddrummed for disposal.
In 1956, industrial waste lines were connected to the northern
sideof Building No 28 which is now occupied T>y Olmstead
Instrument Company.
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 7
Qlmstead Instrument Company
Individual Interviewed - William McMinn - President
Olmstead Instrument Company is an aircraft instrument repair and
service facility* Sftis Company has occupied Building No, 28 since
1970and employs 20 people. 10,000 square feet of Building No. 28
isleased "by Olmstead Instrument. .- .
Parts Cleaners used by Olrastead Instrument include:
1. Freon TF - 5 gal/mo,2, DOW Cleaner EC - 30 gal/yr.3. TO3 - 5
gal/mo.H, MEK - 5 gal/6 mo.5. Methylene Chloride 5 gal/mo,
During an inspection on April 5, 19SU, a steel tank was noted on
theouter wall of the northeast corner of Building No. 23. It was
nearlyfull of liquid (estimated volume at 1500 gal) . According to
the theBureau of Water Quality Management, this tank was cut-off
from thestorm sewer drain line in 1983. It was learned that the
liquid! iscontaminated with raethylene chloride, based on a
previous analysis byDER. A Notice of Violation is forthcoming from
the Bureau of SolidWaste Management which will address
discrepancies of improper hazar-dous waste storage.
Building No. 28 - Photogrammetry Survey DivisionBureau of
Design, PennDQT _______
The Photogrammetry Division provides aerail photo service for
allStats related agencies.
Waste Products Include:Kodax 22 fixerKodax Fixer rRype
S,P-iKodax 885 developerKodax 885 fixerHunt's -Star fix
Ilfospeed-Ilford Corporation
All accumulated waste goes to a holding tank. Safety Data Sheets
areforthcoming from PennDOT.
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 8
Building Ho. 26 ?
Present Status; Minute Man Airways, Inc.
Contact: Gene Strine - Foreman
Minute Man Airways overhauls and renovates Vintage Military
Aircraft(Circa WW II), in a relatively small operation in the
northern cornerof Building No* 28. Small scale paint.stripping
(raethylene chloride),parts cleaning (stoddard solvents), and
painting of these aircraft iscurrently ongoing on-site. Wastes are
apparently released down twofloor drains (unknown destination)
which result from periodic floorsweepings and washings. These floor
drains are severely clogged dueto years of improper use, aa&
Additional information on Minute ManAirways could not be obtained
due to the uncooperative nature of thecontact person. The
underground direction of the drain pipes shouldbe determined. "
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Building No 86
Present Status; Starabaugh's Air Service
Stambaugh's Air Service (SAS) currently operates a commercial
andmilitary aircraft modifications, overhaul, and repair service
in,Building Nos. 28 and 133. The majority of work at SAS includes
£aintstripping, parts cleaning and painting of primarily military
flighttraining aircraft, SAS currently utilizes about 75$ of the
activearea of Building No. 23, and about 90$ of Building No. 133.
SAS isthe largest private industrial aircraft maintenance operation
at theairport. SAS was found to be in violation of DER's Hazardous
WasteRegulations in April, 1982, and in April 1963* The
violationsincluded improper hazardous waste storage activities
which resultedfrom a paint stripping process in Building No. 133.
Attached is amemo which outlines the Department's investigations
into operations atSAS (SAS - J.A. Kozlpsky - March 16", 19810 .
Building Wo* 13.3 - Built 19̂ 2
Design Use; Maintenance, DockKnown Use; USAP Aircraft
Maintenance DockPresent Status; Stambaugh's Air Service (SAS)
•The primary activity in Hanger Bo. 133 is paint stripping of
aircraftparts, which apparently began with USAP operatictns at the
Airport,According to personnel at SASj 4-he "paint stripping rack"
is oliethe industrial waste collection facilities built by the Air
Forcewhich is still in use today. The stripping rack is currently
leased* SAS-
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 9 -- -
Paint stripping compounds (methylene chloride/phenol mixture)
areapplied to aircraft and components in the northeast hangar 133.
Thesecompounds are then washed off with water* The water drains
into asump and is pumped into a vertical 10,000 gallon holding
tank. Theresidue of paint and compound is cleane up and accumulated
in plastic55 gallon drums. Periodically, this .paint stripper wste
is removedfrom the site by a licensed transporter to an approved
disposal site.
The floor sump which accumulates waste water, has a float
activatedbuzaer to notify employees if surop pump fails to pump
water to the10,000 gallon holdng tank* This buzzer sounds if the
water rises towithin one foot of the top (floor level) of the
surap.
The vertical 10,000 gallon holding tank is 18 feet high. When
waterlevel reaches the 1̂ foot mark (about' 7,770 gallons), an
alarm bellsounds, indicating a need to summon the licensed
transporter and tomonitor closely, any additional input to the
tank. The tank also hasa vent in the top to allow overflow if the
tank should be overfilled.
Residue of paint and compound is collected and accumulated in
covered55 gallon plastic drums.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone (M23C) j is used in various locatons for
removal ofsmall quantities of paint and for certain cleaning of
parts and,com-ponents. Waste MEK, and small amounts of paint and
thinner, arecollected in a 55 gallon drum, outside, and adjacent to
the AutomotiveShop, Periodically, the waste MEK is removed by a
licensedtransporter to an'approved disposal site.
The 55 gallon drum for collecting waste, MEK, thiner, and paint
pro-ducts, has a covered top to kkeep out moisture, and is marked
to iden-tify its intended use* The drum is marked with a placard as
requiredby Appendix D and Para. 75.262(f}*
When the drum is full, it ia sealed and removed to a temporary
storagelocation, and a new drum installed. This system keeps to a
minimum,the amount of waste adjacent to the hangar and shops. (Ref«
SAS PPGPlan January 15, 198W •
Building No. ifrl - Built 19̂ 2
Design Use; Warehouse Supply and Equipment196l Use; Shop and
General Purpose Building '. .Present Status; Air Freight Services
Warehouse- ^_ __
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 10
The 19̂ 1 plans exhibit the proposed construction of Building
No,to be used as a warehouse. Plan No. 302 dated May 7> 19̂ 1,
reveals aproposed septic tank and tile drainage field on the
northwest cornerof the building. During an on-site inspection of
April 5, 198U» two 6"diameter metal surface covers were observed in
the vicinity ofBuilding No, llil. This may confirm the existence of
the abovereferenced proposed septic tank and drainage field* It is
unknown tothe writers when Building No. 1*H was converted to an
engine repairshop. However, it may prove useful to unplug and, if
possible, samplefor those materials commonly used in engine
repair.
Through the study of plans it was learned that during the
1950rs,Building No, 1̂ 1 was divided into three main operational
units. Theseoperational units include a (l) woodworking Branch (2)
hydraulic Branch,and (3) landing gear unit.
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Building No, 1**1 - Waste Related Operations - 1950
I. Woodworking Branch:(a) Spray paint booth 26fX 10r
2. Hydraulic Branch(a) Phillips Degreaser - northwe~st corner of
the unit -
size 8' X 17r.(b) Solvent spray cleaning booth 4' X 3'»(c) Paint
spray booth waterfall 12f X 8'.
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Harrisburg International AirportPage 11 — -
3. Landing Gear Branch(a) Solvent spray cleaning - located west
center of branch -
sise I*' X 3'.(b) Degreaser - south side of branch next to
concrete ramp -
siae 6' X 3'.
The only remnant of the aforementioned activity is a residual
oilyfilm that persists on the floor ofthe building. Today, the
buildingis used primarily for storage by air freight services.
Building Ko, 33 - Built 1981
Design Use: Warehouse1961 Use: Logistical Facilities
DepotPresent Use; Librandi1s Machine Shop
Librandi's Machine ShopPerson interviewed: Todd Librandi (April
5, 198U)
Operation Description: Large machine shop with an additional
smallelectroplating operation* The plating unit consists of one
nickel,one cyanide, and one chrome bath. Small quantities of chrome
rin-sewater is treated with sodium bisulfite, which reduces
trivalentchrome to hexavalent chrome before discharge to the
sanitary sewer.Cyanide destruction utilizing chlorine is practiced
on a small scale.Mr, Librandi states that the airport treatment
plant is aware of theongoing plating activites.
Fresh water pipe cross connections were observed to be immersed
inmany of the electroplating baths. Safe distance air gaps are to
beimplemented by April 19, 1981*.
Follow-up by the Bureau of Solid Waste Management-is
forthcoming.
Building Ho. 36 - Built 1923 ' - - -- - - - - -
Design Use: Storage," paint and 'dope1*Design Use: ClubPresent
Status: Air National Guard Auto Maintenance Building
The Air. .National Guard has occupied Building Wo. 36 since 1962
as avehicle maintenance garage.
^ o I n n n a o ^̂ ^̂The ANG, uses Varsol for parts cleaning and
some paint thinness IfBft*J U u L VVauto body repair. Spent
materials are stored in closed drums at the u^-*-^ «*Wwbuilding.
Approximately one 55 gallon drum of Varsol is used over aI*-6 month
period.
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Harristmrg International AirportPage 12
Pennsylvania Airlines/Allegheny Commuter*"(Formerly Clark
Aviation) - Built 1963
Located at northern end of Harrisburg International Airport.
Contact; Chet Hooper Vice-President Maintenance
Pennsylvania Airlines operates a Hangar and Maintenance Shop to
ser-vice commercial airplanes. A review of the Engineering Plans
and adiscussion with Don Mowry, the Architect who designed the
newlyconstructed building, revealed that floor drains inside the
hangarwere connected to the stormwater pipeline which runs along
the south-west side of the facility. This was designed because the
access tothe Airport's sanitary sewer is uphill and therefore more
difficult toconstruct. Two trench floor drains accept wastewaters
from washingthe aircraft, and directs the detergent and rinse
waters to theSusquehanna River. In addition, information obtained
by BER indicatesthat small quantities of hazardous wastes may have
been disposed of infloor drain{s) inside the hangar (memo - R,
Kaylor - January 30,198*0. A discussion with Norm Templin (Water
Quality Specialist) con-firmed that no NPDES permit exists for any
wastewater discharges fromPennsylvania Airlines, and that any such
discharges would haveoccurred without prior approval from the
Bureau of Water QualityManagement, It is recommended that the storm
drain(s) be sampled andanalyzed. Pennsylvania Airlines should be
required to cease unlawfuldischarges to the river and arrange for
proper collection and treat-ment of all generated wastes*
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