As part of a Lycoming College redevelopment and expansion project in Williamsport, Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. will help to remove underground contamination at the site of a former manufactured gas plant on college-owned property.
The plant was removed nearly 45 years ago , but coal tar -- a by-product of the manufactured gas process -- is contained in two large, underground holders in the area.
A Lycoming College parking lot at Mulberry Street and Little League Boulevard is now at the location. The college is planning an expansion and renovation project in the area to build a new entrance to the college, intramural fields and a chemistry building. PP&L is working with the college and the state Department of Environmental Protection to remove the coal tar from the area.
"PP&L is involved in the cleanup effort at this location because it's the right thing to do, not because of any enforcement action," said Donald Stringfellow, PP&L's community development director for the Williamsport area. "Removing the contents of those underground structures will help to expedite the college's development project."
A manufactured gas plant operated at the location for nearly 100 years. The plant was built in 1856 by the Williamsport Gas Co. and obtained by PP&L in 1920. PP&L owned and operated the plant for about 30 years, selling it to a predecessor company of PG Energy Co. in the early 1950s. As a former owner, PP&L is partly responsible for cleanup costs.
"Before the introduction of natural gas, manufactured gas plants operated in thousands of communities throughout the United States to provide gas for the heating and lighting of homes and businesses," Stringfellow said.
Coal tar is a by-product created when coal is heated to manufacture gas. It's a thick, black oily substance that looks and smells like driveway coating, and can pose a risk to human health and safety if ingested for long periods of time.
"No coal tar has been found on the surface where people could come in contact with it," Stringfellow said.
A series of tests at the site showed most of the coal tar is contained in two, large underground structures that remain from the original plant. The foundation of the structures appears to be 10-inch thick concrete or brick, Stringfellow said.
"The site has been a college parking lot for many years," Stringfellow said. "The parking lot has acted as a cap for the holders and no seeps or groundwater contamination have been detected at the location. Capping often is a method recommended by regulatory agencies to eliminate public exposure to coal tar."
The state DEP has approved the cleanup plan and will oversee work, Stringfellow said.
The coal tar in the two holders will be excavated, mixed with a stabilizing agent, and properly disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill. When the removal is complete, the area will be backfilled and a parking lot will be built over the area.
The work will take about six to eight weeks. PP&L estimates about 200 truckloads of material will be removed from the area, Stringfellow said.
The entire site will be fenced for public safety and plastic will be placed on the fence to stop dust from blowing off the site. To control odor, a foaming agent will be sprayed on any exposed coal tar areas when work is not being done, and tarps will be placed over exposed areas.
"Coal tar gives off a very strong odor when it's unearthed," Stringfellow said. "These actions will help to reduce dust and odor from the site, but people in the immediate area most likely will smell the coal tar as it's being removed. We understand that the work will create a temporary inconvenience in the immediate area and we will do everything we can to alleviate it."
Workers involved in the removal, who are in direct contact with the material, will wear protective clothing, Stringfellow said. Cleanup work will be done by a certified hazardous waste remediation contractor.
As part of the project, about 40 utility poles in the area may be removed and underground electric service installed to fit with the college's redevelopment and beautification plans.