Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Arcelormittal Weirton LLC (Formerly: Mittal Steel) in Weirton, West Virginia
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- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
Corrective action activities have been under way at this facility since 1996 when EPA issued an administrative order directing Weirton Steel Corporation (WSC) to proceed with site investigation and cleanup work.
Cleanup Status
On or about May 18, 2004, International Steel Group (ISG) acquired the assets of WSC and began operating the facility as ISG Weirton, Incorporated. During April 2005, Mittal Steel acquired ISG and formed Mittal Steel USA for operating facilities in the United States. In October 2007, EPA was notified that the facility’s name was changed to ArcelorMittal Weirton, Inc. without a change in ownership. EPA and the facility are working together to complete the corrective action work required by the 1996 order.
Multiple interim measures were completed in various areas of the facility between 1997 and 2009 to address soils that were impacted by oil and/or chemical releases and the demolition and clean-up of an old coke plant. Additional interim measures were identified in the request for information (RFI) Work Plan for specific portions of the facility where releases occurred, or stabilization activities can be taken to prevent future releases.
Between 2003 and 2005, EPA and the facility focused their efforts on completing the Environmental Indicators (“EI”) program to demonstrate that human exposures and groundwater releases were under control on a facility-wide basis. An ongoing facility-wide groundwater monitoring program is being implemented to ensure that the facility maintains a positive EI determination and controls any releases.
Investigation work has been completed in three areas of the facility: CAA I (C&E Outfall Area); CAA II (Mainland Coke Plant); and, CAA XI (Former BOC/Air Products Site). EPA determined that no further action was required at CAA I. CAA II will require additional attention based on the results of the investigation work, which should be addressed as part of the submittal of a Corrective Measures Study. A Corrective Measures Study for CAA XI was submitted in 2011 and approved by EPA in 2013. Four more areas of the facility are currently in the process of being investigated. Investigation activities began in CAA III (Browns Island) in 2011 and a Draft RFI Report was submitted in May 2015. Investigation work for CAAs VI (Iron Making), VII (Steel Making) and X (Former IMS Slag Processing Area) is currently being completed, and we expect the investigation work for CAAs VIII (Walnut Street Junction Rail yard) and IX (Former Standard LaFarge Slag Processing Area) to begin shortly.
EPA visited the facility with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection representatives in October 2012 to review site conditions and the status of demolition work for unused structures. EPA met with the facility representatives in July 2015 to discuss the project status and pending acquisition of several parts of the facility.
Site Description
This steel facility has been in operation since 1909, and covers approximately 1390 acres along the banks of the Ohio River. The facility is situated immediately adjacent to residential and commercial portions of the town of Weirton, West Virginia. ArcelorMittal Weirton Inc. has approximately 950 employees that reside in Weirton or the surrounding areas.
Steel processing operations were first conducted at the Weirton facility in 1909, and the operation expanded since that time. Iron-making, steel-making, hot and cold rolling, tin plating, chrome plating, and galvanizing are some of the primary manufacturing operations that were completed at the facility. Coke and coal tar byproducts were produced at two areas of the site (including an old coke plant on Browns Island) until 1982. Additional activities conducted onsite included a waste oil recovery plant, a hydrochloric acid regeneration plant, gas production facility, slag processing operations, and several wastewater treatment operations.
Contaminants at this Facility
The main contaminants that are present in the soils, surface water and groundwater are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols, petroleum hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene, solvents, heavy metals and cyanide, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The need for Institutional Controls has yet to be determined.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is in continued use.
Site Responsibility at this Facility
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.