Burial of a Old Tannery

 

The demolition and final disposition of the former Howes Leather Company buildings (now known as the East Fork Industrial Park) in Frank, West Virginia, are managed through a combination of on-site disposal and specialized environmental remediation.

Demolition Scope and Key Structures

The Pocahontas County Commission, which acquired the property in 1994 following the tannery's closure, has overseen several phases of structural removal to facilitate economic redevelopment.

• Wastewater Treatment Tanks: In 2023, the commission approved the demolition of the wastewater treatment plant tanks. The contract for this $13,000 project was awarded to Warner Trucking and Construction.

• Five Core Industrial Buildings: A 2024 work session identified five specific buildings for demolition as part of a broader cleanup initiative. The commission identified ReClaim Construction (the contractor for the Marlinton school board office demolition) as a likely choice for this work.

• Tannery Office Building: The historic office building was prioritized for demolition due to severe structural liability, including a failing roof and interior water damage, despite initial local preservation interest.

Final Disposition Strategy

To manage the high volume of debris produced by such a large industrial site, the county utilized a specific regulatory pathway for disposition:

• On-Site Class-D Disposal Facility: The Pocahontas County Commission applied for and received a permit to establish a two-acre noncommercial Class-D disposal facility directly on the tannery property. This facility is designed specifically to entomb non-hazardous materials generated from the demolition of the on-site dilapidated structures.

• Deed Notation: As a condition of the permit, the county is required to maintain permanent records of the disposal and record a formal notation in the property deed to identify the location of the buried materials.

Management of Hazardous Materials

Because the site operated as a tannery for over a century, the disposition of hazardous materials follows stricter protocols:

• Environmental Remediation: The project is supported by substantial state and federal funding, including a $497,697 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant awarded in 2023. Greenbrier Environmental Group, Inc. was contracted to perform the necessary environmental assessments and remediation planning.

• Asbestos and Toxins: While general construction debris is handled on-site, any asbestos-containing materials (ACM) identified during pre-demolition surveys cannot be accepted at the local Pocahontas County Landfill. These materials must be manifested and transported to authorized hazardous waste facilities, typically the Ham Sanitary Landfill in Monroe County or the Meadowfill Landfill in Harrison County.

• Soil and Groundwater: Historically, the site contained sludge lagoons and trenches for process wastes; recent efforts involve monitoring these areas through a network of groundwater wells established to ensure no legacy contamination migrates from the site.