The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public meeting and formal hearing in Karns City on September 18, concerning the cleanup of four disposal areas within the Bear Creek Area Chemical Site in Butler County.

The site includes at least 24 areas where the department knows or has evidence to suggest that industrial wastes were disposed from approximately the 1950s into at least the 1970s.

The subject of the upcoming meeting and hearing is DEP’s cleanup proposal for the last of the disposal areas within the Bear Creek Area Chemical Site that contain site-related wastes. The Jameson, Spitzer Pines, Wade Parsonville, and BOI #8 Disposal Areas—referred to collectively as the Secondary Disposal Areas—are located in Fairview and Washington townships.

Under the authority of the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, 35, DEP has determined that an interim cleanup response is necessary at these areas. Previous environmental investigations of the secondary disposal areas revealed elevated levels of site-related wastes. Resorcinol, sulphonic acids and other site contaminants generated by the Koppers Company and Witco Chemical Corporation have been detected in groundwater over a wide geographical area, impacting numerous private and public drinking water wells.

DEP has scheduled a public meeting for September 18, at 5:00 p.m. to describe the department’s proposed interim response at each disposal area. At a formal hearing that will follow the meeting, the public will have an opportunity to formally comment on the proposals.

The meeting and hearing will be held at the Fairview Township Municipal Building, 1571 Hooker Rd., Karns City.

“This is an opportunity for us to share information with the public concerning the Department’s investigation and proposed cleanup of the Secondary Disposal Areas within the Bear Creek Area Chemical site,” Kelly Burch, Northwest Regional Director said. “DEP will present our detailed plan, and answer any questions the public may have. The formal hearing that follows offers an opportunity to officially provide comments for the Administrative Record.”

The Department considered four alternatives and selected excavation and off-site disposal of all wastes as its proposed response for these disposal areas. This will meet the goals for the remedial response of the site and will be cost-effective.  In addition, the Department estimates that this response will take less than one year to complete.

9/16/2013