The $350 million earmarked for cleanup of the Parks Township nuclear waste dump isn’t enough to finish the job, so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for new contractors interested in continuing the cleanup when that money runs out.

The Corps on Friday announced it will issue a “sources sought notice” for market research and planning for the cleanup at the site, known formally as the Shallow Land Disposal Area. The anticipated value of the additional contract is $250 million to $500 million, according to the Corps.

Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) buried radioactive waste on the site in the 1960s. The 44-acre site is along Route 66 near Kiskimere Road. It contains 10 trenches of contaminated waste and soil.

Remediation is anticipated to begin in spring 2025 with completion in 2032.

“As we’ve learned more about what’s needed to remediate the SLDA site through our design process, we have determined the $350 million limit on the current contract is insufficient to complete the work. Therefore, to avoid a potential operational stop, we are proactively working to acquire a new contract to enable us to complete the remediation,” said Steven Vriesen, project manager with the Corps’ Buffalo District, which is overseeing the project.

Remediation plans include removing the contaminated soil and waste and disposing of it elsewhere.

The Buffalo District is working with the Pittsburgh Corps because, Vriesen said, it has experience managing FUSRAP (Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program) projects like the one in Parks Township.

He cited the current Luckey Site cleanup south of Toledo, Ohio, as an example. There, the Corps is cleaning up a former radioactive mineral processing plant that dates to the 1940s.

FUSRAP was initiated to identify, investigate and clean up or control sites nationwide that were contaminated because of the nation’s atomic weapons and energy programs, according to the Corps.

Jacobs Technology of Tullahoma, Tenn., holds the current contract for the Parks Township nuclear waste dump site. It’s anticipated that Jacobs will begin physical remediation in spring 2025, which includes removal and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and waste.

The Corps held a public information meeting about the project Sept. 20. There, officials explained the work they’ve done and their cleanup plans.

Since then, crews have completed clearing the overgrown fence line, installed administration trailers and started grading for a new on-site laboratory, Vriesen said.

Jacobs Technology will continue preparing the site over the next year to 18 months.

Vriesen said more information on the site’s progress can be found online at https://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning- Programs-Project-Management/Key-Projects/Shallow-Land-Disposal-Area/; or by visiting the Apollo Memorial Library, 219 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

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