Another $32.4 million is on the way to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help remediate a former nuclear waste dump in Parks Township.
Known as the Shallow Land Disposal Area by federal agencies, the 44-acre site will soon enter what’s set to be a yearslong cleanup process.
The new funds come from settlement agreements between “liable parties” and the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Army Corps Public Affairs Chief for the Buffalo District Andy Kornacki.
Though the site sits within the Corps’ Pittsburgh District, the SLDA is managed by the Buffalo District because of its remediation expertise.
Kornacki referred questions about the settlement agreements to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a TribLive request for comment.
The $32.4 million will be used for general operations at the site throughout 2026, including remediation, site management and security, according to Kornacki.
The Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) operated on the site in the 1960s and early ’70s, leaving behind enriched uranium and other harmful substances from the production of materials primarily for nuclear-powered submarines and power plant fuel. It was later sold to BWX Technologies Inc.
Altogether, there’s about 33,000 cubic yards of materials in 10 trenches at the site.
The Corps has held numerous public meetings to share information with local residents, some of whom have expressed concerns about further contamination from the site.
Remediation is expected to take about six years and cost more than a half-billion dollars. It is expected to start this winter. Kornacki said it hasn’t begun yet.
Ultimately, the Corps received $155 million from settlements to be used at a dozen sites across six districts as part of its Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FURSAP).
The program cleans up sites contaminated by atomic weapons and nuclear energy production in the mid-20th century.
The Corps previously remediated similar sites in Aliquippa and Springdale. It also analyzed a former uranium processing plant in Scott Township but determined remediation was not required.