West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection
Public Information Office
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304
304-926-0440
PUBLIC NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY REMEDIATION PROGRAM SITE CLEANUP METHOD
PUBLIC NOTICE NO.: VRP #23006
NEWSPAPER: Weirton Daily Times
PUBLIC NOTICE DATE: September 15, 2025
The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has approved a cleanup method to address environmental conditions at the Mingo Junction Steel Works CAA IM, 8, and 9 site (Site) under the Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP #23006). The applicant, Mingo Junction Steel Works, LLC and the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle, has been working with the WVDEP since negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Program Agreement on December 1, 2022.
The site is located at Freedom Way, Weirton, Brooke and Hancock Counties, West Virginia, and is comprised of approximately 118.5 acres of property. The VRP investigation addressed surface soil, subsurface soil, groundwater, and surface water. This publication is to notify the public of the 30-day comment period regarding the development of soil remediation goals for a small portion of the overall site that exceeds an excess lifetime cancer risk of 1×10-5 for non-residential properties and 1×10-6 for residential/recreational properties for exposure to benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and dibenz(a,h)anthracene in soil.
The calculated risk at the site exceeds 1×10-5 (1 in 100,000), thus requiring a public notice and public meeting in accordance with the Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Rule, Section 60-3-7.12. In addition, institutional controls will also be used to manage human health risks at the Site to achieve remedial action objectives and will include a Land Use Covenant (LUC) to be recorded in the Brooke and Hancock Counties respective Clerk’s Offices. The intent of this LUC is to prohibit the development or use of the property for residential purposes and prohibit future groundwater use.
Applicant(s):
Mingo Junction Steel Works, LLC 500 Seneca Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle
324A Penco Road
Weirton, WV 26062
Site Location: Freedom Way, Weirton, Brooke and Hancock Counties, WV
Current Site Use: The northern portion of the Site (CAAs IM and VIII) has historically been used as a railyard associated with the former Weirton Steel Mill and included underground and above ground fuel storage tanks, a locomotive fueling station, and an equipment maintenance and repair building. The southern portion of the Site (Corrective Action Area IX) was used from 1953 to 2007 for processing slag generated at the blast furnaces at the Weirton Steel Mill. Hot slag was delivered by rail and deposited in an open pit located along the southeastern side of Harmon Creek where cooling/quenching operations were performed. The Site is currently used as a railyard that supports the adjacent facility and for metal scrap processing. The land that comprises the Site has been used for industrial purposes for nearly 100 years and will be used for industrial/commercial purposes in the future.
Contaminants of Concern: Contaminants of concern include benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, PCB-1254, PCB-1260, arsenic, iron, lead, and manganese in soil at the Site. Sources of these contaminants in soil are likely the result of the historical industrial operations.
Remediation Standards and Exposure Control Methods: A human health risk assessment has been conducted to evaluate the potential for adverse human health effects that may result from exposure to contaminants of concern under current and planned future use. Based upon this assessment, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and dibenz(a,h)anthracene in surface soil at one sample location (VIII-SS-06) posed a potential risk to future on-site outdoor industrial workers. Specifically, the estimated excess lifetime cancer risk for on-site outdoor industrial workers is 1×10-4 (or approximately 1 in 10,000) for residual benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and dibenz(a,h)anthracene concentrations. This risk meets the maximum acceptable level for industrial sites (1×10-4 or 1 in 10,000). However, because the calculated risk exceeds 1×10-5 (1 in 100,000), a public notice and public meeting are required in accordance with the Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Rule, Section 60-3-7.12. Institutional controls will also be used to manage human health risks at the Site to achieve remedial action objectives and will include an LUC to be recorded in the Brooke and Hancock Counties respective Clerk’s Offices. The intent of this LUC is to prohibit the development or use of the property for residential purposes and prohibit future groundwater use. Upon completion of remediation, the applicant will submit a Final Report, documenting that all work is complete.
Site Documents Availability: Interested individuals may review and/or copy the site documents at the following locations:
WVDEP – Office of Environmental Remediation
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Phone: 304-926-0499
Questions or Comments: A 30-day comment period will start September 15, 2025 and end October 15, 2025. A public meeting will be held at the Mary H. Weir Public Library, on October 2, 2025, at 5:00 pm. Comments regarding the site or this notice should be directed to either: W. Matthew Gadd,
WVDEP 131A Peninsula Street
Wheeling, WV 26003
Phone: 304-926-0499, ext. 00097
or
Dave Olson, Licensed Remediation Specialist Civil and Environmental Consultants, Inc.
4350 Northern Pike, Suite 141
Monroeville, PA 15146
Phone: 724-327-5200
WDT Sep 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, Oct 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 2025