Site Facts
Location:
Malin Road, south of U.S. Route 30, East Whiteland Township, Chester County
Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program (HSCA) Site Since:
1999
Contaminants of Concern:
Trichloroethene (TCE) its breakdown products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), certain heavy metals, and other contaminants have been detected in soil, surface water, groundwater and/or indoor air at the Site
Historical Use:
Stainless steel tubes were manufactured from the 1950’s until 1999
Previous Property Owners and Operators:
Johnson Matthey Inc. (previously known as J. Bishop, Matthey Bishop) , Whittaker Corporation, Christiana Metals Corporation, Alloy Steel Corporation, Marcegaglia USA, Central & Western Chester County Industrial Development Authority
Current Property Owner:
Constitution Drive Partners L.P. (CDP)
Listing:
On September 11, 2010 DEP facilitated the future
Remedial Response action(s) as defined in HSCA by placing the Site on Pennsylvania’s Priority List of Hazardous Sites for Remedial Response (“PAPL”)
DEP Project Officer:
Dustin Armstrong, 484-250-5723 or darmstrong@pa.gov
What's New
In August 2025, DEP tasked a contractor, Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc (GES) to perform the data gap pre-design investigation. See the Pre-Design Investigations Section below for links to the plans associated with this work. As noted in the work plan, the investigation activities will include:
- Site preparation activities including some tree and brush removal to allow for access by soil boring and well drilling equipment. Work is scheduled for Monday, December 22 and Tuesday, December 23.
- Soil borings collected on the Bishop Tube property. The samples will be evaluated for PFAS, fluoride, volatile organic compounds, and inorganics. Work will likely begin in January 2026 subject to weather conditions and/or contractor availability.
- The installation of a monitoring well in the northeast corner of the Bishop Tube property, accessed from the west end of Village Way. Work will likely begin in January 2026 subject to weather conditions and/or contractor availability.
- Site groundwater monitoring wells and surface water samples will be analyzed for all contaminants of concern, including PFAS. Sampling will follow the well installation activities.
As we conduct these investigation activities, you may see DEP personnel and DEP contractors accessing the Bishop Tube property from both Malin Road and Village Way. If you have any questions or concerns during our activities, please do not hesitate to contact us directly using the contact information on this web page.
Background
- The Bishop Tube HSCA Site consists of areas of groundwater, soil, and surface water contamination. Groundwater contamination at the Site flows beneath certain properties located along South Malin Road, Lancaster Avenue (US Rt. 30), Conestoga Road (PA Rt. 401), Morehall Road (PA Rt. 29), and Village Way.
- The known sources of the contaminated groundwater and surface water and areas of contaminated soil are located on the former Bishop Tube property ("Source Property"), currently owned by CDP.
- DEP's responsibility under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act ("HSCA") is to select a remedy that is protective of human health and the environment and complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements.
What is being done to clean up the Site?
- In September 2022, DEP selected a remedial response action to address soil, groundwater, surface water, and a residential drinking water supply.
- DEP plans to remediate the Site to a combination of residential Act 2 standards, based on the anticipated end use of the Source Property. DEP divided the Site into three operable units ("OUs"). The selected remedy includes
- Operable Unit 1 (OU1) - In Situ Chemical Oxidation and/or In Situ Chemical Reduction (PDF) ("ISCO/ISCR"), coupled with soil mixing to address unsaturated and saturated soils impacted by Site contaminants of concern ("COCs");
- Operable Unit 2 (OU2) - In situ injection of ISCO, ISCR or bioremediation amendments in the two primary chlorinated solvent source areas to address contaminated groundwater with engineering, and/or institutional controls, and long-term monitoring; and
- Operable Unit 3 (OU3) connection of the residence with an impacted domestic well to the existing public water line.
- The total estimated present value cost of the final remedial response action is $8.1M.
- The impacted residential property was connected to a public waterline in June 2023.
What's Next
- Following the completion of all pre-design investigation activities, a pre-design investigation report will be prepared and posted on this website, and DEP will schedule a public meeting to discuss the results.
Report an Environmental Health Concern
While DEP is unaware of any confirmed environmental health issues related to the Site, some residents have expressed concerns to DEP. Pennsylvania residents with such concerns are encouraged to report environmental health concerns to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), where they will be evaluated and referred to an appropriate program area for potential investigation and follow-up. Please indicate in your message that your concern is related to the Bishop Tube Site.
- Complete the Environmental Health Concern Form
- Phone: 717-787-3350
- Contact Environmental Health
Community Outreach
- On November 9, 2021, a Virtual Public Hearing was held.
- On September 12, 2023, DEP hosted an in person public meeting to discuss the Site and the implementation of the response action.
- DEP will plan additional public meetings, as needed, to discuss Site progress.
Additional Information
East Whiteland Township utilized a Technical Evaluation Grant (TEG) pursuant HSCA to conduct an independent technical evaluation of the proposed remedial response at the Site.
East Whiteland Township maintains a website for this Site: Bishop Tube Land Development | East Whiteland Township, PA
On August 9, 2023 (PDF) DEP communicated to East Whiteland Township on certain aspects of Constitution Drive Partners, LP. Final Land Development Submission, dated June 2023.
The administrative record which contains the information that forms the basis and documents the selection of the response action was available for public review and comment between September 24, 2021 and January 31, 2022.
Bishop Tube Administrative Record (PDF)
*Hard copies of the Administrative Record are also available for review in DEP’s Southeast Regional Office and the East Whiteland Township Municipal Building. Due to various limitations, such as size and reproducibility, as noted on the docket, a few records will be available only electronically.
DEP's Statement of Decision (PDF)
DEP's Response to Public Comments Part I (PDF)
DEP's Response to Public Comments Part II (PDF)
DEP's Response to Public Comments Appendices (PDF)
Public Comments Received (PDF) – for inclusion in the Administrative Record
Hearing Transcript (PDF) - November 9, 2021
- August 24, 2021 - Soil Investigation for Certain Inorganic Constituents and Groundwater Investigation for VOCs and Certain Inorganic Constituents (PDF) Submitted by Roux Associates, Inc. on behalf of Johnson Matthey, Inc. and Whittaker to report results of soil sampling completed in May 2021 and groundwater sampling performed in June 2021. (This document was included in Part II of the Administrative Record for the Site but was not considered during preparation of the AOA.) Soil sampling was conducted to follow up prior detections of inorganic parameters and groundwater sampling was performed to evaluate VOC concentrations across the site area.
- January 28, 2022 - Recent Regulatory Updates and Laboratory Data Package Correction (PDF) - Submitted by Roux Associates, Inc. on behalf of Johnson Matthey Inc. and Whittaker to acknowledge updates to Pennsylvania Code, Title 25, Chapters 93 and 250 and to provide updated laboratory analytical data for a soil sample collected in May 2021. The update resulted from an internal audit performed by Roux’s analytical subcontractor.
- April 1, 2022 - PFAS Sampling Results (PDF) – Sampling of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) conducted by Roux Associates, Inc. on behalf of Johnson Matthey Inc. and Whittaker.
- November 12, 2025 - Data Gap Pre-Design Investigation Work Plan (PDF) and the Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan (PDF) and the December 17, 2025, Sampling and Analysis Plan / Quality Assurance Project Plan (PDF) prepared by Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) on behalf of DEP.
- January 6, 2023 Revised Bishop Tube HSCA Site –Workplan for OU 3 Implementation (PDF) – submitted by Roux Associates, Inc. on behalf of Johnson Matthey Inc. and Whittaker Corporation. DEP accepted the work plan by letter, dated January 10, 2023 (PDF).
- On May 22 and May 23, 2023, Roux Associates installed piping from the street to the impacted property. DEP anticipates that a summary of these activities will be provided by Roux. This report will be posted here after finalization.
- On June 6, 2023, Aqua PA began providing public water service to the impacted property.
- August 7, 2023 Bishop Tube HSCA Site - Completion Report for Operable Unit 3 - Water Line at 54 Conestoga Road (PDF) submitted by Roux Associates, Inc. DEP accepted the report by letter, dated August 10, 2023 (PDF)
✓ Completed Steps, ★ Current Step, ● Next Steps
| ✓ | Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) | 1/13/2021 |
| ✓ | Remedial Response Action Proposal | 9/24/2021 |
| ✓ | Public Hearing | 11/9/2021 |
| ✓ | Response to Public Comments | 9/8/2022 |
| ✓ | Signature of the Statement of Decision (SOD) | 9/12/2022 |
| ✓ | Closing of the Administrative Record | 9/21/2022 |
| ✓ | Work Plan for OU-3 (Public Waterline) Implementation | 1/6/2023 |
| ✓ | Remedial Action: OU-3 (Public Waterline) Construction and Connection | May and June 2023 |
| ✓ | Public Meeting | September 12, 2023 |
| ★ | Data Gap Pre-Design Investigation Activities | January - March 2026 |
| ● | Data Gap Pre-Design Investigation Report | Spring 2026 |
| ● | Public Meeting | Spring/Summer 2026 |
| ● | Preliminary IC/EC & OU1 Remedial Design Investigation Work Plan | TBD |
| ● | Remedial Design (RD) - During the Remedial Design phase, the plans for the cleanup method are carefully designed. The Remedial Design is based on the cleanup method described in the SOD. | TBD |
| ● | Remedial Action (RA) - The Remedial Action (RA) starts the actual cleanup at a site. | TBD |
| ● | Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Activities | TBD |
Community Updates
To subscribe to updates, please send an email to: RA-EP-SEROECB@pa.gov.
Please indicate in the subject line or text of the email that you’d like to receive updates related to the Bishop Tube HSCA Site.
Additional Contact Information
To schedule an appointment to review files associated with the Bishop Tube site and project, please call the Norristown Office at 484-250-5910.
Please direct correspondence or inquiries to one of the following:
Project Information:
Dustin Armstrong,
Project Officer
darmstrong@pa.gov &
RA-EP-SEROECB@pa.gov
Christine McCarthy,
Supervisor
chmccarthy@pa.gov
Community and Media Relations:
Robyn Briggs,
Regional Communications Manager
robbriggs@pa.gov
Legal:
Adam Bram,
Regional Counsel abram@pa.gov
Robert E. McDivitt III,
Assistant Counsel rmcdivitt@pa.gov
Legislative Inquiries:
Lisa Strobridge, PG,
Local Government Liaison
lstrobridg@pa.gov