OLD P&LE RAILYARD MCKEES ROCKS

Brownfields and Economic Revitalization of the Inner City

Ipek Erzi

Priscila Vargas

Location

• 100 acres

– 30 acres in McKees Rocks Borough

– 70 acres in Stowe Township

• Bordered by the Ohio River to the east

• Accessible from the McKees Rocks Bridge,

PA Route 65 & 51

Location

Overgrade

Diesel shop

MKR Bridge

CSX Tracks

Lockhart

MKR

M&E Shop

Overgrade

Site• Zoned commercial

• Sold for $950,000

• Buildings - National Registry of Historic Places

• 70 acres - Stowe Township• No major contamination

• Bought by one person

• 30 acres - McKees Rocks Borough• Diesel shop area

• Bought by four people

History

Prior to Industrialization

• Flat land, adjacent to Ohio River

• End of 18th century: Farming and trading

History

Railroad and Industrialization

• Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad started in1879, 89 miles from South Side to Youngstown through McKees Rocks

• 1888: P&L.E.R.R. started maintenance and repair in McKees Rocks

“Little Giant”

History

Three mills by the railroad:

• 1881: Iron City Bridge Works

• 1882: Pittsburgh Steel Works

• 1882: Vulcan Forge and Iron Works, Long

&Co. - later Lockhart Steel (1890).

HistoryP&LE Chronology

• 1889: P&LE became a subsidiary of New York Central

• 1968: Penn Central

• 1970: Penn Central bankrupt

• 1979: P&LE independent again

• 1982-1986 P&LE loses money

• 1996: P&LE bankrupt

HistorySite Ownership

• End of 1980s - ARPI-owned by one person

• 1992 Three Rivers buys tracks

• 1993 Three Rivers merges with CSXT

• 1996 P&LE goes bankrupt

• 1997 ARPI buys P&LE

History

• 1997 ARPI buys P&LE• Spring 1999 ARPI breaches contract with P&LE

• 22 November 1999- site sold to tenants by the bankruptcy court

Community Profile

• Population: 7691 • Households: 3291• Race: 6554 white, 1078 black, 59 other• “Old” town• Housing units: 3676

– Public&private water: 3671– Public Sewer: 3663*1990 US Census Data

Community ProfileYear Housing units

1989 – 1990 991985 – 1988 791980 – 1984 541970 – 1979 711960 – 1969 1721950 – 1959 4111940 – 1949 589

1939 or earlier 2201

Community Profile

• Housing Units– Owner Occupied: 1637– Renter Occupied: 1654

• Allegheny Public Housing– Two existing units– One more planned

Community Profile

Value Owner occupied units

Less than $15,000 115

$15,000 - $25,000 311

$25,000 – $35,000 424

$35,000 – $45,000 289

$45,000 - $60,000 179

$60,000 - $100,000 78

$100,000 - $150,000 3

Environmental AspectsActivities Pollution

Locomotiverefinishing andrepair

Metals, metal dust, organiccompounds, solvents, paints,sludges

Machine shop Metals, VOC, degreasingagents, solvents, waste oils

Paint shop Metal such as chromium,lead, zinc

Fuel supply Fuels, oil, grease

Rail yards Petroleum, VOC’s PCB’s.

Environmental Aspects - Spills, Leaks

• Related to P&LE– 1988: petroleum products to enter a sewer– 1989: 40 gallons of diesel enter soil– 1992: discharged petroleum products into a

storm water facilities– Leaks from storage tanks – General pollution in the site

Environmental Aspects - Spills, Leaks

• Related to CSX

– 1992: 1500 gallons of oil spilled from a

ruptured locomotive fuel tank

Environmental / Legal Aspects - Orders

• P&LE

– Nov. 1988: Notice of violation requesting soil

and groundwater remediation– Sep. 1992: Order requesting:

• Groundwater: Phase I, II, and III.

• Soils: Phase I and II.

Environmental / Legal Aspects - Orders

• CSX

– Nov. 1992: Request for information about the

1500 gallons spill + remediation.

– 1993: Assessment and remediation is

conducted. No further action.

Environmental / Legal Aspects

• Legal process after the order -P&LE

– Oct. 1992: P&LE appeals the order– Jun. 1995: A Consent Order and Agreement is filed

– P&LE agrees on: • Ground water: monitoring wells, recovery trench,

and quarterly sampling.

• In situ soil remediation.

• Removal of waste drums in the property.

• Phase II prior to sale.

Environmental/Legal Aspects

– March 1996: P&LE files for bankruptcy.– April 1996: DEP objected “motion” filed by

P&LE. – 1997: Phase II is conducted.– 1998: Phase II is approved by DEP.– Since 03/96 other COA obligations suspended.

Environmental Aspects

• Phase II Findings– Soils:

• Four VOCs in soils• Pesticides • Lead and mercury• No SVOC’s or PCB’s

– Groundwater:• Two VOCs

– A Phase III is still needed

Environmental Aspects

• Current Status

– Major hazards removed.

– Piles of debris, metals, old structures, abandon

buildings still on site.– Pollution identified in Phase II still on site.

Environmental Aspects

• Current Status

– Obligations from COA still valid (Diesel Shop

Area):

• Monitoring wells and recovery trench are installed,

not operated.

• Groundwater reports are not submitted.

• Soil is not remediated.

Environmental Aspects

• Perspectives

– Obligations under COA are still valid for the

current owners of the land.– Eventually, DEP can ask for land cleanup

(according to Phase II findings) or– Property owners can do it under Act 2 terms.– Nothing is being done.

TenantsTenant BuildingClifton Steel Machine and Erecting Shop

Specialty Linings Paint, Color, Diesel, Office

Specialty RailcarServices

Freight Car Shop,

A.C. Railroad ServiceCompany

Locker Room, Car RepairShed

D.L. Smith Company Storehouse “A”,Blacksmith, Boiler andTank Shops

DFM Equipment Rental Storehouse “A”, 1st floor

Overgrade

Map

Diesel Shop

Map

McKees Rocks Bridge

Map

CSX Tracks

Map

Lockhart Steel

Map

McKees Rocks

Map

Machine and Erecting ShopBoiler and Tank Shop

Map

Overgrade

Map

Future

• The tenants became the owners

• ACS will expand its business

• Who will be responsible for the diesel shop?