No. 403-May 7-1 Time
Notice of Start
Sixth Five-Year Review for the Hardage-Criner Superfund Site
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin the sixth Five-Year Review for the Hardage-Criner Superfund Site (EPA ID #OKD0004000093). The purpose of the Five-Year Review is to determine whether the Site remedy remains protective of human health and the environment, as outlined in the Court-ordered remedy. It also assesses whether land use restrictions are in place and protective. Five-Year Reviews of remedies at Superfund sites are required when waste is left in place; in this case, waste was consolidated and capped onsite. The review will document the methods, findings, and conclusions in a report. The final report will be available to the public in March 2027.
The Hardage-Criner Superfund Site is located ¾ mile west of Criner, in McClain County, Oklahoma on old State Highway 122 (as known as 180th Street). The Site was owned by Royal N. Hardage and operated as an industrial hazardous waste disposal facility from 1972 to 1980. The Site received about 21 million gallons of waste, including acids, caustics, lead, cyanide, arsenic, aromatic solvents, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), oil recycling waste and other hazardous substances. In 1979, EPA investigations and inspections indicated poor waste management practices posed threats to human health and the environment. In 1980, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), on behalf of EPA, filed a lawsuit, and the Site was closed. Mr. Hardage was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1983. The Site was proposed for the National Priorities List (NPL) in October 1981 and placed on the NPL in September 1983. Litigation from 1980 to 1989 resulted in 35 potentially responsible parties (PRPs) being found liable for contamination. The Hardage-Criner Superfund Site is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court of Western Oklahoma and operates under a 1990 Court Order and amendments. The remedial objectives for the Site are to control the surface water pathway, preclude site access and direct contact with the waste, control air emissions from the source areas, and preclude the use of affected groundwater.
In September 1995, the following actions were completed as part of the remedial process: (1) a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliant composite cap was placed over former disposal areas to prevent direct contact with waste and to control surface water flow in source areas, limit erosion of affected soils, and reduce infiltration; (2) a V-shaped interceptor trench was constructed to provide control of the source areas by capture and removal of affected groundwater; (3) southwest interceptor wells were installed to prevent migration of affected groundwater into North Criner Creek; (4) permanent vertical recovery wells were installed to extract liquids for off-site treatment by incineration and disposal; (5) a water treatment system was installed to treat groundwater collected from the V-trench and recovery wells; and (6) groundwater and surface water monitoring systems were installed to assess the effectiveness of the remedial actions.
The remedial action was completed in 1995. Since then, the Hardage Site Remedy Corporation (HSRC) has been responsible for site operations and maintenance. These activities include monitoring the performance of the interceptor trench, interceptor wells, injection well, recovery wells, and groundwater treatment system. Inspection of the integrity of the composite cap and security fence are also required. There is a deed notice filed to restrict the use of the Site, the affected groundwater, and the affected neighboring properties. More information, including current and previous Five-Year Review reports, is available on the following websites:
As part of the Five-Year Review, DEQ will be conducting interviews. If you would like to participate in the interviews, have any questions, or need further information about the Five-Year Review, please contact:
OK DEQ:
Lynn Nguyen
Land Protection Division
707 North Robinson
Oklahoma City, OK 73101
Email: Lynn.Nguyen@deq.ok.gov
Phone: (405) 702-5102
EPA:
Adam Weece
EPA Region 6
Community Involvement Coordinator
Email: Weece.Adams@epa.gov
Phone: (214) 665-2264
Ally Mullins
EPA Region 6
Remedial Project Manager
Email: Mullins.Ally@epa.gov
Phone: (214) 665-2790
Colin Jonason
EPA Region 6
Remedial Project Manager
Email: Jonason.Colin@epa.gov
Phone: (214) 665-6740
All media inquiries should be redirected to the EPA Region 6 Press Office at (214) 665-2200.
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