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MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) has accepted a Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) application submitted by Brixmor GA Moundsville LLC to address environmental conditions at the Moundsville Plaza in Marshall County.
The site is located at 12th Street & Lafayette Avenue in Moundsville and includes approximately 20.64 acres. Beginning in 1917, portions of the site operated as a smelting and refining plant for zinc and lead companies. After the zinc and lead refining activities ceased in 1958, the site was owned for approximately a decade by a coal storage company and used as a lumber yard, prior to construction of a shopping plaza there in the 1970s.
Smelting and refining activities are the likely source for any contamination that may be identified at the site during the investigation to be conducted by Brixmor. Constituents of potential concern (COPCs) associated with smelting and refining operations include arsenic, chromium, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are also of potential concern from the site’s use of coal to fire the smelters and subsequent coal storage.
The site is currently comprised of a retail shopping plaza and an undeveloped parcel. The shopping plaza and associated structures are not expected to contribute any additional COPCs, with the exception of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the current retail gas station located at the southwest corner of the property. A prior surface release of gasoline received no further action from the WVDEP in May 2013 and no other spill incidents have been identified for the gas station. VOCs have been added to the COPC list to confirm that no additional contamination exists related to the gas station. Contemplated future site use is the continuation of a retail shopping center and potential commercial development of the undeveloped area.
OER is currently negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with the applicant. Under the VRA, the applicant will work with the agency 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 James Gaston (WVDEP—OER, 131-A Peninsula Street, Wheeling, WV 26003; 304-238-1220, ext. 3515) or Licensed Remediation Specialist Ira Buchanan (ARCADIS U.S., Inc., 111-D Sanders Lane, Bluefield, Virginia 24605; 276-322-3879).
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 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.