CARBONDALE, Pa. — The land off Route 6 and Meredith Street just outside Carbondale will be getting a facelift.
The governor's office said the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Authority will get $487,500 to remove soil contaminated with lead from four of the 12 acres it owns at the former railroad rail yard.
People in Carbondale say they've seen activity there.
“Right on the corner because I've seen them digging down there for samples,” said John Duffy.
What has people really happy here is what comes next.
The state says once the lead is cleared, it will be sold to a developer who plans to build a Sheetz here.
“I'm really excited. I love Sheetz; it's one of my favorite stores. So, and their gas prices are usually pretty good. So, I think it would be pretty successful in this area,” said Brianne Quintana.
“I love going there, getting their food. They have really good food, so,” added Mykayla Cooper.
Some people have already heard about Sheetz coming in.
“I work at the Mitsubishi store right down the gully right there, across from the, yeah just word of mouth, people were saying something,” said Greg Pincus.
Neither the state nor the Heritage Authority knew which side of Route 6 the Sheetz would go or when the work would start.
People we spoke with say they're just fine knowing a Sheetz is moving in.
“That would be a big one, you know I mean?” said Pincus. “That's is like one of them, if they're putting a gas thing in there too.”
“I think it would be alright. I mean, business is good, I guess,” said Duffy.
News Release from the governor's office
Governor Tom Wolf announced today the approval of new funding through the Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) to the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Authority for environmental remediation at the former Railroad Rail Yard in Carbondale Township, Lackawanna County.
“My administration is committed to revitalizing unused spaces and bringing them back to new, productive life, which this funding will help to accomplish in Carbondale,” said Gov. Wolf. “ISRP funding brings new opportunities to communities by improving quality of life, protecting our land and environment, and creating jobs.”
The Lackawanna Valley Heritage Authority was awarded $487,500 in ISRP funding for the environmental remediation of a four-acre portion of land, out of 12 acres currently owned by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, at the former Railroad Rail Yard.
The site is in a mixed commercial and residential area. The land has already undergone a Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessment that determined it contained impacted soils including heavy metal (lead).
A total of 3,500 tons of impacted soil has been identified. The funding will support limited site characterization and the excavation and off-site disposal of impacted soils.
Once the soil has been excavated and removed, attainment sampling will be performed before backfilling the excavation.
The 12-acre parcel will be purchased by a developer and leased to Sheetz, Inc.
“The investments we make today to support revitalization efforts will ultimately bring new life and jobs to the region for years to come,” said Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin. “Our continued support through ISRP will ensure that Pennsylvania remains the best place to live, work, and play.”
The ISRP provides loans and grants for environmental assessments and remediation carried out by eligible applicants who did not cause or contribute to the contamination.
The program is designed to foster the cleanup of environmental contamination at industrial sites, thereby bringing blighted land into productive reuse.
“Cleaning up sites like these puts them back in productive use for Pennsylvania’s people and our economy. It’s one of the best ways to foster economic development and improve our environment at the same time,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
For more information about the Industrial Sites Reuse program or DCED, visit www.dced.pa.gov.