A new vein of acid rock has been unearthed while contractors were doing excavation work along the Bald Eagle Ridge a few miles west of Port Matilda.
The vein was found by a heavy equipment operator for New Enterprise Stone & Lime late last week. It is the second time this year that pyrite has been discovered along the Interstate 99 project.
“The section in question is what we refer to as C-10, between Bald Eagle and Port Matilda,” said Marla Fannin, PENNDOT spokesperson. “Excavators did uncover a small vein of pyritic material and at this point in time there is no excavation going on where it was uncovered.
“This is a different type of stone formation from what we’ve encountered in Centre County (in the Skytop area),” said Fannin.
She was referring to a previous discovery of pyrite in Patton Township earlier this year. In that instance, work has been halted. Meanwhile, PENNDOT is putting together a permanent plan to deal with the pyrite, an acid-bearing rock which can potentially cause contamination by coming into contact with metals causing them to dissolve and enter streams and groundwater.
PENNDOT is expected to present a permanent solution to the acid rock problem at Skytop by Monday. The permanent plan was delayed by a week after both agencies agreed to allow the delay.
A project manager, Enzo Cerceo of the Dick Corporation, explained what is expected to happen next regarding the new acid rock discovery.
“David Gold, a retired Penn State professor is being asked by the department to come out and try to ascertain the extent of the material,” Cerceo told The Daily Herald. “In addition to that, they are undertaking a testing program to drill into the rock in the vicinity of where they found the pyrite material to see the extent, from north to south where they are seeing the concentration and seeing how far it extends.”
The C-10 section of the project where the new discovery was made has also been the location of sedimentation concerns in ponds along the construction area. Work has continued there and testing has been done, the new acid rock finding and the sedimentation issue are not in the same location and are not related to each other according to PENNDOT.
Cerceo verified the new concerns are in an area near the Blair and Centre County line but he could not confirm which county or if it is actually in both counties. He also said the most recent discovery is about a mile or mile and a half away from the sedimentation concerns.
Cerceo said, to his knowledge, the sedimentation issues at ponds along the construction project have been alleviated.
The new discovery of pyrite was part of the agenda at a meeting held by PENNDOT regarding the Skytop environmental concerns.
“It was discussed at yesterday’s (Thursday’s) partnering meeting, said Fannin. “The partners include the Fish and Boat Commission, the Game Commission, Patton Township and DEP. It was just part of the discussion of the bi-weekly meeting that we hold with the partners.”
Excavation work in areas around the new pyritic discovery has continued according to PENNDOT.
