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FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) has accepted a Voluntary Remediation Program application (VRP 15046) submitted by Merit Development Inc. to address environmental conditions at a portion of the former Owens Illinois Plant No. 3 in Marion County.
The site is located at 1417 Morgantown Ave. in Fairmont and includes approximately 26 acres. The site is a portion of the former glass manufacturing plant operated as Owens Illinois Glass Company Plant No. 3 from 1912 until 1983. Various other entities have owned and/or operated portions of the site since that time. J&J Manufacturing performed building and structure demolition and scrap metal operations there following closure of the Owens Illinois Glass Company, and Clean Metal LLC operated a metals processing and recycling facility at the site. There have been no known operational activities there since 2002.
An environmental investigation at the site in 2008 documented that both soil and groundwater have been impacted. Chemicals of Concern (COCs) were determined by screening maximum concentrations of contaminants in soil and groundwater against conservative benchmarks developed to be protective of human health. COCs included low concentrations of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Future site use is anticipated to be industrial.
OER is currently negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with the applicant. Under the VRA, the applicant will work with the DEP to identify human health and ecological risks associated with current and potential future uses of the site; establish applicable remediation standards; and ensure that standards are maintained at the site. Upon completion of the remediation, a final report will be submitted to OER for review and approval.
West Virginia’s Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act encourages voluntary cleanups of contaminated sites, as well as redevelopment of abandoned and under-utilized properties, with an objective of counteracting the lack of development on sites with contamination or perceived contamination. By providing financial incentives to invest in brownfields, this approach protects communities and the environment while still promoting economic development in West Virginia.
Questions regarding the Voluntary Remediation Program or this application should be directed to either DEP Project Manager Pasupathy Ramanan (WVDEP—OER, 2031 Pleasant Valley Road, Suite No. 1, Fairmont, WV 26554; 304-368-2000, ext. 3730) or Licensed Remediation Specialist Lydia Work (Environmental Standards Inc., 1140 Valley Forge Rd., Valley Forge, PA 19482; 304-552-1442).
For more DEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, be sure to connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.” For specific information about DEP’s Adopt-A-Highway, West Virginia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), West Virginia Watershed Improvement Branch, Youth Environmental Program and Human Resources initiatives, connect on Facebook.
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