DEP Releases Results Of American Ash Recycling Inspection

Water and sediment sample results from a March 5 inspection show that ash aggregate -- stockpiled at York Building Products quarry and the American Ash Recycling Corp. facility in West Manchester Township, York County, Pa., has no impact on the nearby Willis Run, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

“In response to community concerns about the stockpiled ash aggregate, staff from our waste, water and air quality programs, as well as from our district mining operations, conducted a comprehensive multi-program inspection of the entire facility,” said DEP South central regional director Michael Steiner. “Although each program regularly inspects these facilities, this type of coordinated inspection allows staff to observe and discuss the issues of concern, face to face, while on site.”

DEP organized the inspection after neighbors of the quarry raised concerns about the stockpiled material contaminating Willis Run. The stream is adjacent to the quarry and runs through a residential neighborhood, eventually emptying into a small community lake.

During the inspection, water samples were collected from the quarry’s pit sumps and direct discharge points into Willis Run. Sediment samples were taken from Willis Run both upstream and downstream of the quarry discharge, and from an on-site drainage swale located along a roadway at the base of the ash aggregate pile. The samples were analyzed for metals typically found in municipal incinerator ash and minerals naturally found in the quarry.

“Sediment and water sample results from the quarry pit sumps and Willis Run are all below stream criteria limits,” Steiner said. “The bottom line is that the ash pile has no impact on Willis Run.”

Levels in the drainage swale at the base of the pile were high, according to reports, and AAR has taken steps to control runoff from the aggregate into the swale, which drains into a quarry sump pit where the metals settle out. Due to the high pH level of the quarry water, the metals do not dissolve and remain at the bottom of the pit.

DEP will begin an air-monitoring program this week to address the community’s concerns about blowing ash from the stockpile. The air monitoring will take place for about a month, according to Steiner.

A monitoring device known as a total particulate sampler will be located on a residential property along Roosevelt Avenue. The air sampler has a vacuum pump that collects dust from the air onto special filters. The filters will be collected several times a week and examined under a microscope to determine the types of materials in the air.

AAR, under a state permit, processes municipal waste incinerator ash into a recycled ash aggregate for use as an ingredient in base and sub-base beneath roads and other paved surfaces and for similar construction uses.