DEP sues over nuclear cleanup

Radioactive contaminants leaked into Quehanna Wild Area

By Sara Ganim

Beginning nearly 50 years ago at a site near Karthaus, where Clearfield, Clinton and Centre counties come together, two companies leaked nuclear radiation into the largest wild area in the eastern United States, the Quehanna Wild Area.

It took 40 years for the government to figure out how badly the place was contaminated, and another 10 years to clean up the sources of radiation.

Now, more than $20 million in cleanup costs later, the state Department of Environmental Protection is suing the companies to get the money back.

In separate suits filed May 14 that share many of the same claims, DEP attorney Michael D. Buchwach asks a federal judge to force Lockheed Martin Corp. and Atlantic Richfield Co. to pay the cleanup costs.

Lockheed Martin’s corporate predecessor, Martin Marietta Corp., and Atlantic Richfield used the site to manufacture products using radioactive materials.

“I think this lawsuit is simply the most recent proof that people can take on multinational corporations who make billions of dollars but leave a mess behind,” said state Rep. Camille “Bud” George, D-Houtzdale. “And that you can demand responsibility from governments.”

The DEP is suing under the Superfund law — known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act — and several other state laws.

The state says it had to clean up releases or threats of released strontium-90 and cobalt-60, both radioactive and hazardous substances found at the nuclear site in the area of Moshannon State Forest in Clearfield County.

The radiation “posed a health threat through direct exposure, inhalation and ingestion,” the lawsuit states.

Gail Rymer, a spokeswoman for Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, says the company is looking at the lawsuit, but noted that Martin Marietta did a site cleanup that met the standards at the time.

“We do not believe we are responsible for any of the cleanup costs,” Rymer said. “But we are reviewing the claims, and we will be responding shortly.”

No one from the press office at Atlantic Richfield, based in Delaware, returned requests for comment.

The lawsuit states it took more than $20 million to clean up the waste left by Martin Marietta, and at least $1.45 million to clean up Atlantic Richfield’s contamination.

The 7-acre site is now radiation-free, and wildlife populations are rebounding.

Ray Savel, an area resident who began telling the government more than 25 years ago that the area wasn’t safe, says taxpayers shouldn’t have to bear this burden.

“I think it’d be great if they could go through with it and win it because I just can’t see that the taxpayers should have to pay a lot of money for what a big company did,” said Savel, who began the Quehanna Industrial Development Authority. “They really destroyed a beautiful place.”

As one of the early protesters, he rejoiced last year when the restoration of the site was completed, and said he never imagined it would take so long and cost so much.

“It took us 25 years to do it,” Savel said. “But we’re pretty well satisfied it’s done now.”

After so many years of fighting, and a yearlong lapse in funding for the cleanup in 2002, George said: “It’s been one heckuva long fight, but one well worth winning. And, obviously, the fight is not over yet.”

HISTORY OF QUEHANNA SUPERFUND SITE

1955-60: The Curtiss-Wright Corp. bought 50,000 acres in the Quehanna Wild Area and began conducting research for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, trying to develop a nuclear jet engine.

1960-67: Curtiss-Wright ceased its activities and the facility with its deep pool reactors and six hot cells was turned over to Penn State. Penn State in the early 1960s leased the hot cells to Martin Marietta Corp., which contracted with the Atomic Energy Commission to produce Space Nuclear Auxiliary Power electrical generators using large quantities of strontium-90.

After about five years, Martin Marietta carried out a partial cleanup and vacated the site.

Penn State, which questioned the cleanup at the time, turned the facility over to the commonwealth.

1967-78: The state leased the facility to Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp., a subsidiary of Atlantic Richfield Corp. The reactor was converted to more stable cobalt-90. Projects included food irradiation, sterilization, wood irradiation.

1978-2002: The facility was leased to Permagrain Products, which used low-level radiation to embed plastic in wood flooring. Permagrain filed for bankruptcy in 2002.

Sara Ganim can be reached at 231-4616.