More Than 11 Million Tons Of Waste Removed From Lawrence County Site

The Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are wrapping up the removal of more than 11 million pounds of material at Remacor Inc. in Taylor Township, Lawrence County that posed a potential health and safety hazard to local residents.

 

The agencies hope to finish removal of waste and materials of concern by early 2009.

 

Photo: 2007 tire fire at the Remacor site.

 

The facility has a history of fires resulting from disposal, stockpiling and unsafe storage of waste. For many years, the company processed magnesium materials into products for sale to the steel industry.

In August 2005, scrap magnesium materials caught fire at the site, destroying the processing equipment. However, the company continued to accept scrap magnesium materials, stockpiling millions of pounds of it, until a court order required it to stop.

 

DEP and EPA began their on-site response about a year and a half ago to address the potential fire and explosion hazard. Most of the immediate threat now has been eliminated at Remacor after companies that were the sources of the scrap material responded to EPA requests to remove it for disposal at permitted facilities or recycling.

 

In addition to the magnesium, contractors also removed other chemical compounds and some low-level radioactive materials from the site.

 

The goal of local officials is to market the soon-to-be cleaned up site for future industrial use that would create jobs in the New Castle area. Additional characterization will need to be done to evaluate potential soil and groundwater contamination before redevelopment.