Site Update: Week of 5/18/26
EPA and its contractors are
continuing cleanup work at the Fairmont Brine site. Recent work includes:
- Drying sludges that were
staged in the concrete basin and frac tanks over the winter. Sludges were
dried by mixing a milled perlite product into the matrix. These materials
originated from within the concrete basin and frac tanks.
- Drying sludges from
within the tank involved in the May 2023 explosion and fire. These
materials were handled using the same process as the frac tank and basin
sludges.
- All dried materials are
placed in a 9.5 cubic yard bag and staged on-site for disposal. Materials
are staged in a labeled radioactive materials area.
- To date, 51 bags of
material have been packaged totaling approximately 312.5 tons.
Perimeter and work zone air
monitoring for dust and radiation is on-going during site operations. No
exceedances have been observed to date. Total waste handled under the current
Action Memorandum can be found in the table below:
|
Waste Stream
|
Waste Quantity Shipped
|
Estimated Waste
Remaining On-Site
|
|
TENORM Solids
|
331 tons
|
500 tons
|
|
RCRA + TENORM Liquids
|
46,200 gallons
|
0 gallons
|
|
TENORM Liquids
|
72,179 gallons
|
0 gallons
|
|
Drum Waste
(DOT/RCRA Corrosive &
Non-Corrosive Materials)
|
2,000 lbs
|
0 lbs
|
|
Decontamination Water
(Generated through on-site operations)
|
16,500 gallons
|
NA
|
|
TENORM Contaminated Debris
over 50 pCi/g
|
33.39 tons
|
>10 tons
|
Waste stream descriptions:
- TENORM Solids – material
such as contaminated soil, filter cake, and dried sludges
- RCRA + TENORM liquids –
liquids that exhibited RCRA hazardous waste characteristics and had
elevated levels of TENORM. (Liquids within the frac tanks)
- TENORM liquids – Liquids
that did not exhibit RCRA characteristics but contained elevated TENORM.
- Drum wastes – drums of
chemicals left onsite from prior operations
- Decontamination water –
water generated and collected from decontamination operations
- TENORM contaminated
debris over 50 pCi/g – site debris (trash, piping, wood, plastic sheeting
etc) that was contaminated and had a concentration of TENORM over 50
pCi/g.
Previous site updates have
been archived and made publicly available under the “Documents” tab. The most
recent document can be found here: Archived Site Updates 5/18/2026.
Monthly Community Call
EPA and our state and local partners host a community
call the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 2 pm. The community
calls are open to the public. Please submit any questions or comments to Angela
Ithier and John
Brakeall by 5 pm on the 2nd Monday of each month. The
call will be canceled if EPA does not receive any questions or comments. Ground rules (PDF) for the calls can be viewed online.
Calls for the remainder of the 2026 calendar year:
- Wednesday, May 13, 2026
- Wednesday, June 10, 2026
- Wednesday, July 8, 2026
- Wednesday, August 12, 2026
- Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026 (3rd Wednesday because of Veterans Day holiday)
- Wednesday, December 9, 2026
Join using Microsoft Teams
Call-in option:
- Dial: (202) 991-0477
- Enter conference ID: 157 924 883#
Fairmont Brine Community Involvement Plan (CIP)
EPA has finalized a Community Involvement Plan (PDF) for the site. The CIP describes how EPA will involve the community and address local needs during the Superfund removal process. EPA and the community will work together by using the tools described in this plan.
Active public involvement is crucial to the success of any project. EPA’s community involvement activities at the site are designed to inform the public of all cleanup activities and include the community in the decision-making process.
Click here to review the CIP.
Site
Overview:
The Fairmont Brine site is located at 168 AFR
Drive in Fairmont, West Virginia. The Brine processing facility was constructed
between 2009 and 2010 by the AOP Clearwater LLC. The plant was acquired
by Fairmont Brine Processing (FBP) in 2012. FBP began pre-treatment
operations at the site in 2013 and fully
operated the plant in fall of 2014. FBP ceased operations at the
site in March 2018.
The plant accepted flowback and produced fluids , known as "Brine" from the
hydraulic fracturing process used to extract natural gas. FBP used chemical and carbon filter media,
multiple-effect evaporation, and crystallization to treat and process the brine
they received. This produced sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and distilled
water. By-products created from the process include sludge
and filter cake material. Produced fluids from fracking operations
can contain Technically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials,
known as "TENORM". Click
here to learn more about TENORM.
On May 30, 2023, there was a fire and subsequent explosion
at the site damaging an above ground storage tank and the upper process
building. Following the fire, elevated readings of TENORM radiation were
found in several areas of the site. Click here
for general information about radiation sources and doses.
