As residents wait for the Army Corps of Engineers to make a decision on how to proceed with the cleanup of the nuclear waste dump along Route 66, Sen. Robert Casey is asking for more public information and cooperation among government agencies.
Known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA), the dump is owned by BWX Technologies and operated from about 1960 to the early 1970s, receiving nuclear and chemical waste from the former Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) in Apollo and Parks.
The Army Corps took over jurisdiction of the cleanup in 2002 as part of legislation written by the late Rep. John Murtha.
After years of planning, the Army Corps began to dig up two waste pits on the 44-acre site last summer.
But the project stalled after a contractor allegedly mishandled some waste. Around the same time, greater-than-expected quantities of "complex" material were found and the scope of the cleanup increased as well as the price tag, which now ranges from $250 million to $500 million.
In a June 15 letter to Jo-Ellen Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army, Casey said: "I am concerned about these developments, particularly the discovery of complex material in the early portion of the excavation, and believe that relevant information should be disclosed to the public in a manner consistent with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
"It's is also imperative that the public have a full understanding of the federal government's approach to dealing with the remediation and cleanup effort moving forward."
Leechburg activist Patty Ameno said: "It's imperative that our elected officials be aggressively involved to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers continue with the safe and comprehensive removal of all of the material. Our public safety, our environment and our economic structures for generations to come depend on it."
Ameno is urging local lawmakers, residents and local workers to attend the Corps' public meeting on the waste dump.
The purpose of the meeting is to collect comments and concerns from residents. Corps officials are not expected to answer questions on the future of the project.
Although Army Corps officials hadn't seen Casey's letter on Friday, Jeff Hawk, a spokesman for the Corps' Pittsburgh District said: "The way forward has yet to be determined for this site. And, when it is, we'll inform the community and all interested parties."
The Corps has been sticking to its policy of not publicly releasing what they are finding on site and details of its security that includes armed guards.
But otherwise, "we've always informed the public and talked as much as we could about the site," said Hawk.
"We ask the public to be patient while the project is under review," he said. "And then we hope that the determination will answer some of the questions."
Matt Mazonkey, Rep. Mark Critz's chief of staff, said, "Right now, there are more questions than there are answers and we're continuing to review the latest information and options for moving forward.
"The federal government does not make decisions overnight and, when serious proposals or plans are being discussed, the public will absolutely be part of the decision-making process," he said.
Coming up
Who: Army Corps of Engineers
What: Meeting to accept public comments on the cleanup of the Parks Township nuclear waste dump site.
When: 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 26
Where: Parks Township Volunteer Fire Department, 1119 Dalmatian Drive, Parks.
On the Web
For more on the Shallow Land Disposal Area -- Parks Township -- cleanup, go to the Army Corps of Engineers web page at http:// www.lrp.usace.army.mil/fusrap/slda.htm
