STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The state is considering removing acid-producing rock from fill underneath a completed portion of Interstate 99, which could add millions of dollars to the existing cleanup cost.
George Khoury, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s district executive, said Thursday that no decision had been made about whether to remove the fill from underneath I-99 on Skytop Mountain, just west of State College. Khoury said the additional cleanup would cost “a couple of million dollars.”
Earlier this year, PennDOT engineers discovered that construction on the highway had exposed tons of previously covered rock to air and water, allowing the rock to oxidize and become acidic. Acid runoff now could pose a threat to area streams and groundwater.
Last month, PennDOT proposed a cleanup plan that would cost $12 million and could delay completion of the highway by as long as two years. The public comment period for that proposal runs through June 25.
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Information from: Centre Daily Times, http://www.centredaily.com
