NEWS RELEASE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ron Ruman
Dept. of Environmental Protection
(717) 787-1323
Gretchen Leslie
DCNR Press Secretary
(717) 772-9101
COBALT-60 REMOVAL COMPLETED AT QUEHANNA, MARKING MILESTONE IN CLEANUP EFFORTS AT THE SITE
Plans are on course for removal of strontium-90 contamination
HARRISBURG (September 29, 2003) — Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Michael DiBerardinis today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed the removal and disposal of all cobalt-60 sources abandoned by a former wood products manufacturing business located in the Quehanna Wild Area in Clearfield County.
“This is a milestone in the cleanup effort. I congratulate the EPA for working quickly to remove the cobalt-60,” Secretary McGinty said. “The progress we are making here comes in the context of a comprehensive effort by Governor Ed Rendell’s administration to ensure the cleanup of the Quehanna site while also attracting new business and jobs to the area.”
“This is a major step to returning the Quehanna Wild Area to its natural state,” Secretary DiBerardinis said. “We look forward to the day soon when all of the radioactive materials are safely removed, and we can provide our citizens with the forest environment they expect and deserve. Thanks to the cooperation at the federal, state and local levels, we finally can see an end to the legacy that has tainted this wild area.”
PermaGrain Inc. operated a wood-flooring manufacturing business at the Quehanna site for many years before declaring bankruptcy in December 2002. The business used a wood irradiator where treated wood was lowered into a pool containing cobalt-60 rods. This processing was used to produce a durable flooring product. Prism Inc., a Virginia-based wood-flooring manufacturer, has since purchased much of PermaGrain’s other woodworking equipment and is operating in separate buildings near the state Department of Corrections’ Quehanna Boot Camp. Prism is not using any radioactive processes in its operation at that location.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulated the irradiator and asked EPA to remove the cobalt-60 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as Superfund. The cobalt-60 has been taken to Barnwell, S.C., for permanent disposal. EPA expects the final cost of this removal to be approximately $2.5 million.
Secretary McGinty recognized the efforts of state Rep. Camille “Bud” George in helping to move this project forward: “Representative George has met with Governor Rendell and me to impress on us the importance of getting this environmental cleanup done. Returning all of Quehanna to a condition where it can be enjoyed as the outdoor recreation area it should be is a key for the economic development of Clearfield County, because the beautiful natural outdoor areas there are a plus in attracting companies.”
Secretaries McGinty and DiBerardinis also thanked Commander Randy Britton and the Quehanna Boot Camp, run by the Department of Corrections, for their overall support and for helping to keep the community informed during this process.
DEP continues moving forward with its contractor to finish removing all the strontium-90 located in another part of the building. Work done for the federal government on nuclear powered generators in the 1960s left this legacy contamination behind.
“With $7 million in funding provided by the federal government earlier this year, we have been able to make final plans for the removal of all this legacy radioactive material,” Secretary McGinty said. “We hope to have this material out of Clearfield County within six to eight months, marking another major step forward in this cleanup process.”
For more information, visit the DEP website at www.dep.state.pa.us.
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2003