Officials Ponder Options for Asbestos Clean-Up at Valley Forge

September 26, 2006 - Unfortunately, there’s more than just sacred ground at Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge National Park, known as the site where General George Washington and his troops spent the long, hard winter of 1777-1778.  Under the ground in the portion of the park that is known as the grand parade ground, where daily training and drilling took place and where the French Alliance was signed in 1778, lie acres of asbestos.

According to a report filed by the Associated Press, the asbestos was discovered in 1997 when workers were laying fiber optic cables. Environmental officials believe that the material came from a nearby factory that manufactured asbestos products for years before shutting down operations in the late 1970s.  The plant, which opened in the late 19th century, routinely pumped waste through pipelines and into limestone quarries nearby, a procedure that continued until the factory closed. Congress established the park in 1976, unaware of what was dumped there.

Park officials note that the area is currently fenced off and that they are considering a number of options for removal including excavating 1 1/2 to 3 feet in the affected areas, removing contaminants and adding fresh soil.  Other options include capping the affected area with a layer of new soil; injecting material into the soil that would solidify the contaminants underground; and a complete excavation of the affected area and other parts of the park.  The latter is the most expensive option, with projected costs in excess of $350 million.

Officials with the National Park Service hope that the area will be able to re-open in three to four years. no matter what option they choose.