The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) have entered a settlement with Honeywell International Inc. and Olin Corporation that requires the companies to pay cleanup costs and implement the cleanup remedy at the Hanlin-Allied-Olin Superfund Site, near Moundsville, West Virginia. According to EPA, a conservative estimate of the past and future cleanup costs covered by this settlement exceeds $8 million, which could be higher depending on the final future costs.

“This settlement reaffirms EPA’s commitment to make responsible parties pay for cleanups and prevent contamination from harming communities,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “The required cleanup will help bring economic activity to the Moundsville area and promote redevelopment and reuse possibilities for the future.”

The Hanlin-Allied-Olin Site is located approximately three miles south of Moundsville between the Ohio River, West Virginia Route 2, and the Moundsville Golf Course. Since 1953, the site has had various owners and operators, including Hanlin Chemicals, Allied Signal (now Honeywell), and Olin.

The major contaminant of concern at the site is mercury. This cleanup action will contain and remove the contamination, which will allow the community to benefit from reuse and improve the Ohio River for recreation and fishing.

The settlement was originally filed March 1, and was subject to a 30-day comment period. Having received no comments, the settlement was entered on April 19 in federal court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

The EPA website has more details about the history and cleanup on the site.

Original source can be found here.