Former York Naval Ordnance Plant is first site in the nation to be cleaned up under joint federal and state program.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 
) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) confirmed that the Harley-Davidson York Facility is the first in the nation to volunteer and enroll in the One Cleanup Program . Under this agreement, reached in July 2005, the state and federal governments will work closely to streamline and accelerate the cleanup of the affected soil and groundwater at the Former York Naval Ordnance Plant.
The U.S. Navy and others under contract to the federal government are the historic owners and operators of the Former York Naval Ordnance Plant. Therefore the federal government bears a portion of the cost for remediation of the site. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is their representative.
Cleanup of contaminated sites across the nation is taking a long time. Conflicting requirements among federal and state agencies has contributed to inconsistent and duplicative cleanup approaches, often resulting in inefficiency and confusion. EPA is leading the One Cleanup Program initiative in response to these concerns. The goal of the One Cleanup Program is to improve the coordination, speed, and effectiveness of the cleanup activities. New legislation is not required.
The EPA, PADEP, Harley-Davidson, and USACE are establishing procedures for the coordinated review of reports from Harley-Davidson and responses from the two agencies. Paul Gotthold, Director of Operations for EPA, Region III recently said, “Harley-Davidson has taken their environmental responsibilities very seriously and has already made substantial progress in the investigation and cleanup of past contamination. Proof of Harley's efforts can be found in the recent EPA determination that designates the Harley property as ‘under control’ for cleanup purposes. This determination means that there are no serious contamination problems at the facility. Under the new One Cleanup Program, Harley, EPA, and PADEP will expedite the completion of the property investigation and reach a final solution that will permanently protect human health and the environment.”
Meaningful performance measures will be developed that demonstrate overall effectiveness and benefits of the combined cleanup efforts. Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program will serve as a “one-stop shop” for state and federal standards guiding the cleanup of industrial sites. After signing the agreement, PADEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said, “Harley-Davidson has been proactive in cleaning up groundwater and soil contamination at the facility. It is exactly this kind of environmentally conscious firm, which provides good paying jobs for Pennsylvania citizens, that we want to help by streamlining the environmental cleanup procedures through this agreement with the EPA.”
Harley-Davidson, along with PADEP, EPA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are finalizing the scope of work for the next phase of the on-going site investigation and remediation.
For more information on the One Cleanup Program visit the EPA website, http://www.epa.gov/oswer/onecleanupprogram.