WVDEP Approves Cleanup Method Submitted by FMC Corporation

 

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has approved a cleanup method submitted by FMC Corporation to address environmental conditions through the Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) at the former Spring Hill Peroxide Plant and the adjacent fly ash basin in Kanawha County.

The site is located at 3200 MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston and includes approximately 71 acres. Historically, the site has been used for industrial operations including the manufacture and blending of hydrogen peroxide and disposal of fly ash in a permitted solid waste impoundment. Future use of the site is anticipated to be commercial/industrial. The site is currently vacant.

FMC has proposed several remediation methods to ensure that the property meets the Site Specific Human Health Standard. First, natural attenuation is proposed to address groundwater impacts. Second, a land use covenant is to be recorded with the property deed that prohibits the following: 

        • Extraction of groundwater at the site for any use except groundwater monitoring and remediation; 
        • Use of the site for any purpose other than non-residential property as defined by the West Virginia Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act (West Virginia Code §22-22-2(q); 
        • Excavation, drilling, or penetration of the subsurface of the site, unless conducted or supervised by persons qualified and knowledgeable about releases and exposure to contaminants known to exist at the site; 
        • Construction of buildings in the designated restriction area on the site without sub-slab vapor barriers and/or ventilation systems adequate to prevent exposures to vapors in soil and groundwater; and, 
        • Construction of subsurface structures for human occupancy.

FMC has requested that the City of South Charleston enact a municipal ordinance to prohibit the extraction of groundwater from adjacent properties for any use except monitoring and remediation. 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. The Voluntary Remediation Program identifies and addresses potential contamination at a given site; sets applicable remediation standards; and ensures that the standards are maintained at the site. By providing financial incentives to invest in brownfields, this approach protects communities and the environment while still promoting economic development in West Virginia.

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 our REAP (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan), West Virginia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), West Virginia Watershed Improvement Branch, Youth Environmental Program and Human Resources initiatives, connect on Facebook.

Contact:

Jake Glance
(304) 926-0499 ext. 1335
Jacob.P.Glance@wv.gov