Brownfield Cleanup - Allentown Metal Works

The Challenge

A 19 acre industrial site located in Allentown, Pennsylvania was abandoned in 2011, leaving behind oil-filled machine pits, transformers, aboveground storage tanks, underground storage tanks, trash and debris, as well as more than 1,000 drums and containers.

The site, originally developed in the early 1900s, once manufactured heavy steel components for power plants, cement and mining and bridge construction. Interest in redeveloping the site had been limited due to the prohibitive cost of cleanup, and concerns about environmental conditions. It was eventually purchased by the Allentown Commercial & Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA) to facilitate the cleanup and redevelopment.

The Solution

Using Brownfield Assessment Grant Funds provided by the United States EPA to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), RESPEC was retained as a contractor.

A detailed Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) at the site found evidence of several Areas of Potential Environmental Concern (APEC). Using this information, a Work Plan for a Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program (Act 2) Baseline Remedial Investigation was submitted to and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).

The investigation activities included in the Work Plan were initiated by RESPEC early in the year, and the subsequent Report was approved by PADEP in September the same year.

Using a focused investigation strategy, RESPEC completed a geophysical investigation to locate subsurface metallic anomalies and features, obtained soil samples for laboratory analyses, installed and sampled groundwater monitoring wells, installed and obtained soil gas samples and completed a groundwater fate and transport model. Cleanup Plans with Remedial Alternatives Analyses were also submitted to and approved by the EPA and PADEP.

Upon approval of the BRI Report by PADEP, ACIDA through its agent the Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), and the City of Allentown, secured additional funding to complete initial Site cleanup activities.

RESPEC, working closely with AEDC, prepared the Bid and Project Specification Documents. The initial cleanup activities included

removal of numerous storage tanks
removal of contaminated soils
removal of transformers
cleaning of pits and sumps
removal of drums and containers
removal of trash and debris.

A subsequent round of cleanup was completed and included removal of Asbestos-Containing Materials, sealing of lead based painted surfaces and demolition of select obsolete buildings. Again, RESPEC supported these activities by preparing Bid and Project Specification Documents and documenting the Site cleanup activities.

The Result

In early 2023, the Site was purchased by Marcon Properties. RESPEC supported Marcon Properties by completing Phase I ESAs.

Eastern Exterior Wall Systems, a company that makes prefabricated wall panels, now leases two of the buildings on the Site. This is expected to generate 82 full-time union jobs and 41 indirect jobs, providing employment and training opportunities for residents.

The site completed redevelopment activities and as of early 2025, is being used for industrial purposes.