Army Corps awards $9.2-million contract for EPA's Sharon Steel Farrell Works Superfund Site

Published Aug. 7, 2018
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

Contract Award

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today, the award of a $9.2-million contract for an environmental remediation project at the Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The Army Corps awarded the contract to Cape Environmental Management, Inc. of Norcross, Georgia.

The project represents the first superfund effort that the district has undertaken for the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The district is looking forward to leveraging our expertise in contracting and construction management to help the EPA with this project,” said Col. Andrew Short, commander Pittsburgh District. “The cleanup of this site is a great example of interagency collaboration and cooperation.” 

The Army Corps will provide contract services and manage the remediation work for the EPA. The project involves excavation, consolidation and capping of waste materials; construction of wetlands; completion of erosion and wetland-protection features, and other items.

Expected completion for the project is approximately 2.5 years.

Background

The Sharon Steel Farrell Works Disposal Area Superfund Site is a 300-acre area including 100 acres of wetlands located to the south of the former steel refinery, and approximately bounded to the north and east by the Shenango River, to the west by Quality Lane, and to the south by Ohio Street. However, this contract is for the remedial action north of Ohio Street.

The Sharon Steel Farrell Works Plant, located across the Shenango River to the northeast of the site, was founded in 1900 and began to manufacture a variety of steel products. Throughout the operating history of the plant, waste and byproducts of the manufacturing process were transported on rail cars across the Shenango River via bridge and side-cast down embankments or piled into large mounds in several areas adjacent to the Shenango River on the site.

From 1949 to 1981, waste liquids or sludge materials, were poured onto the hot slag wastes, which were subsequently disposed at the site. This practice continued until 1981, when Sharon Steel was ordered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to stop disposing the waste liquids in this manner. Although the disposal of waste liquids stopped in 1981, Sharon Steel continued to stockpile slag at the site until operations at the plant stopped in 1992.

According to the EPA website, contaminants detected in soil, slag, sludge and groundwater included metals, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, and pesticides. Human risks from this site are primarily from exposure to windborne dust, which the remedial actions will address.

For additional information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 412-395-7500 or email: celrp-pa@usace.army.mil.

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Contact
Jeff Hawk
412.395.7500/01/02
CELRP-PA@usace.army.mil
412.395.7503 (fax)
1000 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Release no. 18-035