Site Update: Week of 4/30/26
EPA and its contractors are continuing cleanup work at the Fairmont Brine site. Recent work includes:
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- Packing and shipping six large containers of contaminated debris from the on-site roll-off container and the upper complex building. In total, 33.39 tons were sent to a licensed facility that handles radioactive materials.
- Decontaminating the on-site debris roll-off container.
- Treating and packaging sludge contaminated with TENORM (a type of naturally occurring radioactive material that can become more concentrated during industrial work). The sludge is mixed with a Perlite product to solidify it before packaging. Approximately 118 tons have been treated and repackaged. All packaged material is stored in the on-site staging area.
- Continuing air monitoring for dust and radiation in the work areas and around the site. To date, there have been no readings above safety limits.
Total waste handled under the current Action Memorandum can be found in the table below:
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Estimated Waste Remaining On-Site
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(DOT/RCRA Corrosive & Non-Corrosive Materials)
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Decontamination Water (Generated through on-site operations)
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TENORM Contaminated Debris over 50 pCi/g
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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been archived and made publicly available under the “Documents” tab.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 4/30/2026.
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.
