EPA begins public comment period on proposed cleanup and final remedy for the former AK Steel – Zanesville Works site, Zanesville, Ohio
Comments accepted through April 23, 2021
CHICAGO (March 25, 2021) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin a 30-day public comment period on the proposed cleanup and final remedy for the former AK Steel’s Zanesville Works site, now owned by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.-Zanesville Works site at 1724 Linden Ave, Zanesville, Ohio.
The proposed cleanup plan will address historic releases of contaminants that occurred at the facility. Petroleum hydrocarbons have been detected in groundwater on-site. Fluoride and chromium have been detected in groundwater off-site.
The proposed cleanup plan includes:
- limiting future land use to industrial uses and restricting groundwater use.
- onsite soil management to limit future exposure to contaminated soil.
- manage vapor intrusion to prevent worker exposure to subsurface contamination.
- recovery of free product containing petroleum hydrocarbon in groundwater beneath the facility.
If future groundwater monitoring reveals higher concentrations of fluoride, chromium or hexavalent chromium, a groundwater containment contingency plan will be activated.
EPA will accept comments on the proposal from March 25 until April 23. You may submit comments:
- Via email at: arcaute.francisco@epa.gov.
- Or submit comments online at: https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/public-comment-period-open-proposed-cleanup-and-final-remedy-ak-steel-zanesville-works.
- Questions can be sent to: Brandon Pursel, project manager, 312-353-9229, pursel.brandon@epa.gov or Francisco Arcaute, community involvement coordinator 312-886-7613, arcaute.francisco@epa.gov.
During the comment period, members of the public can request that EPA hold a public hearing to take questions and submit comments about the draft federal permit. To comply with current COVID-19 social distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and other local, state, and federal health advice, a virtual hearing may be held. Once public comments are received and assessed, a final decision and response to comments document will be issued. Any comments received could affect changes to the cleanup plan.
For more information and copies of the proposed cleanup and final remedy for the former AK Steel site, visit: https://www.epa.gov/hwcorrectiveactionsites/epa-rcra-id-ohd004281598
You may also call EPA toll-free at 800-621-8431, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weekdays.
###