In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget on Monday, Casey drew attention to one site that has gained a lot of attention in his state, the Parks Township Shallow Land Disposal Area, which he said could cost $500 million alone. In FY2016, the Obama administration’s budget request for the program was $100 million. The Corps recently announced that it is sticking to a $350 million plan for Parks Township. The project was originally expected to cost about $45 million, before the Corps found more waste than initially thought and adjusted projections. The Attorney General found FUSRAP’s original remediation plan to be “grossly underestimated.”
“Maintaining level funding or further reduction in funding could lead to project delays, increased potential for unsafe exposure and the development of environmental and public health problems as the sites further erode over time,” Casey wrote. “Several sites are located in residential communities, near schools and playgrounds, sometimes only a few hundred feet from homes.”
The Parks Township site is located about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. In the letter, Casey wrote that the site is very important to him and the local community, and urged that “robust funding be included for this important initiative.”
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Casey is requesting an increase to $150 million for FY2017.