Ohio River Park

In the 1920s to 1970, Ohio River Park was owned by Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical Company (a.k.a. Calgon Carbon).[1] In the 1930s to mid-1950s, Ohio River Park was a landfill for municipal wastes.[1] In 1952 to 1965, Ohio River Park was used to dispose of coke sludge, cement manufacturing waste, and pesticides.[2] In 1970, the property was transferred to a subsidiary company named Neville Land Company who donated Ohio River Park to Allegheny County in 1977.[2] In 1977, Allegheny County started developing the area as a community park.[1] However, in 1979, Allegheny County found benzene and other hazardous contaminants in the groundwater and soil.[1] Allegheny County returned the land back to Neville Land Company in 1979.[1] On August 30, 1990, the Site was added to the National Priorities List and was determined to be a Superfund Site.[1] The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) soil remediation began in February 1998 and ended in September 1999.[1] In 2003, Robert Morris University bought the Site's land from Neville Land Company for 2.7 million.[4] Today, the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center sits on top of Ohio River Park. This area includes a track and field area, mini golf course, golf range dome, ice rink, and boathouse.[3] The Site is still being monitored today and will receive its next five year report in 2023.[3]

Contaminants

There were numerous chemicals found on the Site. The contamination came from municipal waste, pesticide manufacturing, disposed coke sludge, disposed cement manufacturing products, and pesticide waste.[1] In 1989, the most concerning chemicals were benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), naphthalene, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, diethyl phthalate, Silvex (commonly known as Fenoprop), and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T).[5] Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene are commonly known as BTEX. BTEX is found in petroleum and coal processes.[6] Chlorophenols are common in pesticide and industrial waste.[7] 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T were herbicides used to make Agent Orange in the Vietnam War.[8] Additionally, cyanide, arsenic, beryllium, chromium, cadmium, lead, iron, copper, mercury, selenium, nickel, thallium, and zinc were at concerning concentrations.[5]

After a baseline risk assessment was submitted in January 1995, the following contaminants were of concern for human health: benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, dibenz(a,h)antharacene, 4-methylphenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, dieldrin, alpha-benzene hexachloride, gamma-chlordane, manganese, beryllium, arsenic, and mercury.[2] These contaminants are the final contaminants of concern for the Site.

The EPA stated that the benthic, aquatic, and terrestrial community in the surrounding area should have been affected.[12] In the official EPA documents reviewed around Ohio River Park, there were no reports of people experiencing adverse health effects[1][2][3][12][13] like other Superfund Sites (e.g. Love Canal). The US Fish and Wildlife Service found that there were no federally threatened and/or endangered species at/near the Site.[13]

In 1994, the Ecological Risk Assessment stated that raccoons and eastern moles were analyzed because they were present at and around the Site.[13] The eastern mole was chosen over other small mammals because it consumed earthworms on the Site and it was exposed to the Site's soil through burrowing.[13] Raccoons were chosen because they are omnivores and higher trophic organisms. Raccoons ate plants, fish, and amphibians on the Site.[13] After completing the Ecological Risk Assessment, only lead was of probable concern for eastern moles, but not raccoons.[12] There is little information showing that organisms were significantly affected by the contamination on and around Ohio River Park.