ASCENT Cracker Project Site
Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise, LLC (ASCENT) Submits Voluntary Remediation Program Application to WV-DEP
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WV-DEP: Monday, August 25, 2014
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The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has accepted a Voluntary Remediation Program application submitted by Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise LLC (ASCENT) to address environmental conditions at the SABIC Innovative Plastics (SABIC) facility in Wood County.
The site is located at 9226 DuPont Road in Washington, W.Va., and consists of approximately 363 acres. It is made up of two tracts. The “South Tract” is owned by ASCENT and encompasses mostly undeveloped property of approximately 194 acres. The “North Tract” is owned currently by SABIC – with transfer of title to ASCENT expected in November 2015 – and encompasses developed property of approximately 169 acres. The “North Tract” was originally developed for plastics production in 1955 by Marbon Chemical Company and was known as the Woodmar Site. In 1972, the site was purchased by Borg-Warner Chemicals. GE Plastics (GEP) purchased the facility in 1998, and then sold it to SABIC in August 2007. ASCENT closed on the final purchase of the “South Tract” of the site this past January. The future use for both the “North and South Tracts” will be as an industrial facility with an ethane cracker, three polyethylene plants and associated infrastructure.
OER is currently negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with the applicant. Under the agreement, the applicant will work with the WVDEP to identify human health and ecological risks associated with current and potential future uses of the site, establish applicable remediation standards, and ensure that standards are maintained at the site. Upon completion of the remediation, a final report will be submitted to OER for review and approval.
West Virginia’s Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act encourages voluntary cleanups of contaminated sites, as well as redevelopment of abandoned and under-utilized properties, with an objective of counteracting the lack of development on sites with contamination or perceived contamination. By providing financial incentives to invest in brownfields, this approach protects communities and the environment while still promoting economic development in West Virginia.
Questions about the Voluntary Remediation Program or this application should be directed to either WVDEP Project Manager Erin Brittain (WVDEP-OER, 2031 Pleasant Valley Road, Fairmont, WV 26554; 304-368-2000, ext. 3728) or Licensed Remediation Specialist David Carpenter (ERM, 204 Chase Drive, Hurricane, WV 25526; 304-757-4777, ext. 101).
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