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Harpers Ferry, W.Va. – The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has accepted a Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) application submitted by Standard Land Company, LLC to address environmental conditions at the former Old Standard Quarry in Jefferson County.
The site is located on Millville Road in Harpers Ferry and includes approximately 92 acres. The site was used for dolomite mining and associated production from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s.
Other historical uses included a landfill used by Jefferson County residents and salvage and scrap operations until the early 1980s. The site has been vacant and unused for decades and contains relic plant structures, an abandoned residential structure, refractory spoil piles, a landfill, and a water filled quarry.
Previous sampling of soil, surface water, and groundwater at the site has detected some areas of impact of the near surface soils related to the stone quarrying and landfill operations. The chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) at the former landfill include metals and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). The COPCs at the former plant operation area include SVOCs in the vicinity of abandoned railroad ties, metals in the vicinity of the railroad spur, VOCs and SVOCs in the vicinity of the former aboveground and underground storage tanks that have been removed, and asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) associated with the demolition of relic plant structures.
The available data indicates minimal impacts to surface water and groundwater. Given the nature and distribution of the COPCs, the site does not appear to pose an immediate or significant health risk. Future uses are residential and/or commercial.
OER is currently negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with the applicant.
Under the VRA, the applicant will work with the WVDEP 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 WVDEP Project Manager Sheena Moore (WVDEP—OER, 22288 Northwestern Pike, Romney, WV 26757; 304-707-6094) or Licensed Remediation Specialist Jeffrey H. Mitchell (Triad Engineering, Inc., 200 Aviation Drive, Winchester, VA 22602; 540-667-9300).